Out of all the questions I'm asked and reader/viewer e-mails I receive, this is the topic that comes up most frequently.  Unfortunately, the answer isn't exactly a simple one.

In a Republic, citizens elect officials to represent their interests in government.  In a Democracy, each and every citizen has a voice in government.  It's a very fine line and one that is often blurred but the basic concepts remain at the heart of the political parties.

Working backwards from that concept, a Republic takes care of the "leaders" who then take care of the citizens while a Democracy takes care of each and every citizen.

Republicans are also know as the "Right" or "Right Wing" while Democrats are referred to as the "Left" or "Left Wing".  The origin of these terms is much simpler; Republicans sit on the right of main aisle in chambers and have their offices in the right wing while Democrats are on the left.

In addition to 'Republican' and 'Democrat' are the terms 'Conservative', 'Liberal' and 'Moderate'.  Conservativism is best defined as having a strict code to adhere to;, having a clear definition of right and wrong most often based on religion or religious principles.  Liberalism is best defined as subjective or fluid; instead of having a hard-written right and wrong, everything is relative.  A moderate is someone that finds himself or herself somewhere in the middle.

To further confuse matters we have Liberal Republicans and Conservative Democrats, the Moderate Right and the Moderate Left.

The bottom line is this: Republicans would prefer to set some basic moral guidelines and then set the country free to do what it wants within those guidelines.  In a Republican world, we are each in full control of our own destinies; our success or failure is completely up to us.   The world changes and tweaks itself based on the needs and wants of the citizens.

Democrats would prefer to control all aspects of our lives and "protect" us from ourselves and each other; we give everything to the government and the government then gives us what it feels we need.  In a Democratic world we are constantly tweaking and changing government to ensure fairness to all citizens.

Another main difference is the view on the "size" of government.  Republicans prefer a smaller government and also smaller level of governmental involvement in daily life while Democrats prefer a larger and more far-reaching and involved government.  Consequently, Republican administrations require lower taxes than Democratic administrations.