Republican Coalition (United States)

The Republicans, officially the Republican Coalition is a political alliance of centre-right parties, an alliance which has existed in United States politics in various forms since 1714.

History
The Republican Coalition formed in opposition to the policies of President Frank Underwood (in office 1709–14) and his Democratic Party. In particular, the Republican support the supremacy of Congress over the Presidency and favor a program of modernization, banking and economic protectionism to stimulate manufacturing. The Republican Coalition is the modern reincarnation of the North Aegean Whigs of 1476, who fought for independence. Just as “Whig” meant opposing tyranny, so does “Republican”, especially in that the party supports decentralized federalism, Federal non-interference in the affairs of the States, and respect for their popular self-government.

"Democrats stood for the ‘sovereignty of the [whole mass of the] people’ as expressed in popular demonstrations, constitutional conventions, overt (and borderline-militant) populism, and unobstructed majority rule as a general principle of governing; whereas Whigs and their Republican descendants advocate the rule of law, written and unchanging (except by formal amendment) constitutions, respect for and non-interference in local (State) self-government, and protections for minority interests against majority tyranny."

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Federal
<!-- The main members of the Coalition at the federal level are the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Australia. The Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory participates through its affiliation with the Nationals (though the CLP's lone federal House member sits as a Liberal), and the Liberal National Party of Queensland participates through its affiliation with the Liberals (though some federal LNP parliamentarians sit as Nationals).

The origins of the Coalition date back to the 1922 federal election, when the Nationalist Party, the main middle-class non-Labor party of the time, lost the absolute majority it had held since its formation in 1917. The Nationalists' only realistic coalition partner was the two-year-old Country Party. However, Country Party leader Earle Page had never trusted the Nationalist Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, and demanded Hughes' resignation before he would even consider coalition talks with the Nationalists. Hughes resigned, and Page then entered negotiations with the new Nationalist leader, Stanley Bruce. The Country Party's terms were unusually stiff for a prospective junior partner in a Westminster system (and especially so for a relatively new party)--five seats in an 11-member cabinet, as well as the Treasurer's post and second rank in the ministry for Page. Nonetheless, Bruce agreed rather than force a new election. The Nationalist–Country Coalition was reelected twice, and continued in office until its defeat in 1929.

The Country Party fought the 1931 federal election in a coalition with the Nationalists' successor party, the United Australia Party, but the latter came up only four seats short of a majority in its own right, enough to rule alone with confidence and supply support from the Country Party. The parties once again joined in a full Coalition government following the 1934 federal election, and remained in coalition following Labor's return to power in 1941. The Coalition again split following the 1943 election, but the Country Party and the UAP's successor, the present-day Liberal Party, renewed their agreement for the 1946 federal election. They won the 1949 election as a Coalition, and stayed in office for a record 23 years. Since 1946, the Coalition has remained intact with two exceptions, both in opposition: the parties decided not to form a coalition opposition following the 1972 election, but resumed the coalition though still in opposition following the 1974 election. The Coalition remained together upon entering opposition in 1983 election. The Coalition suffered another break, related to the "Joh for Canberra" campaign, from April to August 1987, the rift healing after the 1987 federal election.

The solidity of the Coalition is so strong that when the Liberals outright parliamentary majorities in their own right in 1975, 1977 and 1996, the Coalition was retained. -->

States
The status of the Coalition varies across the Union and States. Below is the Coalition's status on a State-by-State basis

Territories
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Background
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Terminology
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Platform
The member Parties of the Republican Coalition generally share a six-tenet philosophy that the Coalition does not specifically associate with centrism. It is instead denoted as “Republican-Whig philosophy” and “Methodology over Ideology” by the Republicans themselves and also by others, as the movement takes stands on issues across the political spectrum.

The six tenets of the Republican-Whig philosophy are:
 * Fiscal responsibility – “The Republican-Whig philosophy is to empower the States with the resources to handle their unique affairs.”
 * Energy independence – “Reduce dependence on foreign oil by developing practical sources of alternative energy, and expanding the use of Thorium-based Nuclear; Geothermal; Solar; Wind; Hydroelectric; and Waste-to-Energy power in the United States. This will have the simultaneous effect of changing the national security dynamic.” Energy policy must be addressed at the State level as the Federal level is constitutionally denied authority over energy and energy policy.
 * Education/Scientific advancement – “Increased public and private emphasis on fields such as space, oceanic, medical and nanotechnology. Also, providing common-sense solutions to enhance our educational system from pre-school to university-level studies.” Furthermore, education policies and laws must, at all times, be made and addressed at the State or local level; Federal interference or involvement in education is constitutionally prohibited and thus must always be avoided.
 * State sovereignty – “Each State must be allowed to determine its own course of action based on local values and unique needs; and the States respectively and the Union must respect and not interfere or obstruct the self-determination and self-government of any State, so long as such self-determination and/or self-government does not inhibit or obstruct the self-determination and/or self-government of any other State.”
 * Social progression – “Government should refrain from legislating morality. People should have the freedom to act and live their life in a Manner of their own choosing, except when it injures or inhibits another from enjoying or exercising the same freedom.”
 * Veterans’ affairs – “Vigilant advocacy relating to the medical, financial, and overall well-being of our military families and veterans.”

“The Republicans are a pragmatic, realist, common sense, centrist-oriented party where rational solutions trump ideology and integrity trumps impunity.”

Core ideals
The core ideals of the Republican Coalition are:
 * The core political values of the United States are Federalism and Republicanism; citizens have a civic duty to aid the state and resist corruption, especially monarchism, aristocracy, and centralized federal government.
 * Republican values are best expressed through an organized political party.
 * It is the duty of citizens to vote.
 * The yeoman farmer best exemplifies civic virtue and independence from corrupting city influences; government policy should be for his benefit. Financiers, bankers and industrialists make cities the ‘cesspools of corruption’, and should be avoided.
 * The Federal government is a dangerous necessity to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, the States and the Union; it should be watched closely and circumscribed in its powers.
 * Separation of church and state is the best method to keep government free of religious disputes, and religion free from corruption by government.
 * The federal government must not violate the rights of individuals. The Declaration of Rights and each State’s Declaration of Rights are a central theme.
 * The federal government must not violate the rights of the States. Article III of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for the United States and each State’s Constitution proclaim and protect these principles.
 * Freedom of speech and the press are the best methods to prevent tyranny over the people by their own government.
 * The Treaty Establishing a Constitution for the United States was written in order to ensure the freedom of the people. However, “no society can make a perpetual constitution or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation.”
 * All citizens have the right to be informed, and thus, to have a say in the government. The protection and expansion of human liberty is one of the chief goals of the Republicans. They also reformed their respective State systems of education. They believe that their citizens have a right to an education no matter their circumstance or status in life.

