People have a thing for organization, and that's where stereotypes come from. In relation to politics in America, this comes pretty distinctly when you are asked point blank to affiliate yourself with a party. I don't like classifying myself as either one, and if I really had to choose, I would say I'm a democrat, but I do like bits and pieces of both philosophies. To me it is not the party that matters, but the people in the party, what they do, and why they do. If I think think that a certain candidate, who is a Republican per say, is the best choice for office, I would vote for him. It's nothing complicated, however the media tends to refer to the parties as completely separate, often one being better than the other; for them, there is no such thing as a gray area.
Democrats are generally liberal. They are more open to change than Republicans, but not change for the sake of change. They are more involved with the people, and unlike Republicans, believe in assisting the lower class. Though they require higher taxes, the money is shuttled to fund programs that ultimately benefit the people. In the same line, they work to decrease unemployment rate. A democrat's policy is more relaxed in mine studded subjects, including homosexuality and abortion.
Republicans are generally conservative. They like to keep things old school and promote big business. Often, their policies are influenced by religion (namely the Christian). They do not believe in helping the poor, saying that they should learn to actually work for money. They also believe in lowering taxes, and generally take to distancing themselves from the people in that way.
