JFF, Really Confused and Simple Searches Are No Help...

The Democratic Party Platform: [DOC]
Democratic Platform 2012
www.qnc.us/dems/Democratic-Platform-Summary-2012.doc

The Republican Parry Platform:
http://whitehouse12.com/republican-party-platform/ [PDF]
2008 Republican Party platform - Republican National Committee
www.gop.com/2008Platform/2008platform.pdf

It's obvious from the first few answers here that relying on any one of us to explain the differences between the two parties will only reveal each of our individual biases and NOT stick with facts. The parties draft and make public what they "stand for". A simple search will answer this question for you more reliably than taking any of our opinions for fact.

pasted from wiki-answers:

Democrats and Republicans

Democrats are generally more liberal. They believe in a larger federal government, and often implement tax plans to try to help the less privileged. They tend to believe the government must look for the greater good above the individual person in terms of welfare and do what is necessary to make the populace more "equal". They assert that the values our country holds must evolve over time, and, therefore, tend to support such controversial choices as Pro Choice and gay marriage.

Republicans are generally more conservative. They believe that the answers do not lay with the government generally, but rather with the people. They want less government interference and tend to believe more strongly in property rights and less strongly in well-fare rights, holding economic equity above equality. Many republicans are religious and tend to hold to the morals characterizing the Founding Fathers, which results in general disapproval of abortions and, for some, gay marriage.

It is hard to pin point down in a simple answer but...

IMHO:

Democrats think with their hearts

AND

Republicans think with their heads

~I think Cheryl O. did a great job explaining it!

Like everything it is a sliding scale. On one end liberal on the other conservative. Just for good measure there are two scales, fiscal and social.

The fringes are the same in both social and fiscal. I am a moderate, I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. I usually joke I will give you the shirt off my back but I have to own it first. :)

Everyone slides up and down both scales and if you lean enough in one direction you identify with a party. I don't identify with either party, or better put I identify with both.

I agree that it is VERY difficult to find an objective answer to anything relating to politics, however I think Cheryl O. did a nice job of explaining it in clear terms and then giving her personal reasons. I have always been in the Independent party - and vote for the rep that best agrees with my stance on topics. I try to focus on where they stand on issues that are important to me vs OHHH they belong to THIS party. Yes, their party plays an overall role, but it is not the first thing I look at. In addition, I do pay attention to their personal/home lives - I actually trust the people with regular every day issues MORE than those who try to hide their family issues.

It is actually an interesting question, as I had to answer this question for my kids a couple weeks ago, and tried very very hard to remain neutral and accurate, and not add in any bias (unlike previous posters below). I think the Wiki answer that Grandma T posted is pretty good, although I don't think that Democrats actually "believe in larger government" but rather find value in many of the programs and don't want them diminished. I identify Democrat, and it's not like I want more government or more laws or more bureaucracy (I have no illusions about the usual inefficacy of bureaucracy), but I see that there are benefits and would want those protected. So while a Republican would probably cut social programs in favor of a smaller government (believing that the free market and smart capable people will fill the need once the program is gone), a Democrat would more likely attempt trimming or streamlining in order to preserve the protection or support the programs already offer.

I am happy to see this post - thanks!! I am not very politically involved - i, of course, have my thoughts and opinions but do not follow enough to make strong comments ....i think that today the politicians change their mind enough to sway a voter - i think our political situation is gross - we have a world and economy in ruins and these people are spending 50 million dollars - 100 million dollars to campaign ... it's time to change things and put the money to much better use .... dont you think ... they should have a cap - sorry - but they should - i always thought i was democrat then during the last run i did that online test to see who you best matched up with - it was Mitt Romney ..... very weird ..... anyway - it's good to read these answers and learn .... we need some change America!!