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REPUBLICAN PARTY
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties
in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. It is often
referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP.
Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the
Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the
first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and
Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end
of the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative
platform (as far as American politics are concerned), with further foundations
in economic liberalism and social conservatism.
The current U.S. President, George W. Bush, is the 19th Republican to hold
office. Republicans currently fill a minority of seats in both the United States
Senate and the House of Representatives, hold a minority of state governorships,
and control a minority of state legislatures. It is currently the second largest
party with 55 million registered members, encompassing roughly one third of the
electorate.[1]
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