| Year | Pres. | House | Senate | Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | R | R | R | |||
| 1904 | R | R | R | |||
| 1908 | R | R | R | |||
| 1912 | R | D | R | |||
| 1916 | D | D | D | |||
| 1920 | D | R | R | |||
| 1924 | R | R | R | |||
| 1928 | R | R | R | |||
| 1932 | R | R | R | |||
| 1936 | D | D | D | |||
| 1940 | D | D | D | |||
| 1944 | D | D | D | |||
| 1948 | D | R | R | |||
| 1952 | D | D | D | |||
| 1956 | R | D | D | |||
| 1960 | R | D | D | The Federal Government can and should help state and local communities combat juvenile delinquency by inaugurating a grant program for research, demonstration, and training projects and by placing greater emphasis on strengthening family life in all welfare programs for which it shares responsibility. |
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| 1964 | D | D | D | |||
| 1968 | D | D | D | |||
| 1972 | R | D | D | |||
| 1976 | R | D | D | Families must continue to be the foundation of our nation. . . Families—not government programs—are the best way to make sure our children are properly nurtured, our elderly are cared for, our cultural and spiritual heritages are perpetuated, our laws are observed and our values are preserved. | ||
| 1980 | D | D | D | The Democratic Party supports efforts to make federal programs more sensitive to the needs of the family, in all its diverse forms. | We reaffirm our belief in the traditional role and values of the family in our society. The damage being done today to the family takes its greatest toll on the woman. Whether it be through divorce, widowhood, economic problems, or the suffering of children, the impact is greatest on women. The importance of support for the mother and homemaker in maintaining the values of this country cannot be over- emphasized. |
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| 1984 | R | D | R | America was built on the institutions of home, family, religion, and neighborhood. From these basic building blocks came self- reliant individuals, prepared to exercise both rights and responsibilities. . . Republicans affirm the family as the natural and indispensable institution for human development. A society is only as strong as its families, for they nurture those qualities necessary to maintain and advance civilization. | ||
| 1988 | R | D | D | We believe that the strength of our families is enhanced by programs to prevent abuse and malnutrition among children, crime, dropouts and pregnancy among teenagers and violence in the family; by aggressive child support enforcement; and by emphasizing family preservation and quality foster care. | Strong families build strong communities. . . Republicans believe, as did the framers of the Constitution, that the God- given rights of the family come before those of government. That separates us from liberal Democrats. We seek to strengthen the family. Democrats try to supplant it. In the 1960s and 1970s, the family bore the brunt of liberal attacks on everything the American people cherished. Our whole society paid dearly. |
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| 1992 | R | D | D | Governments don’t raise children, people do. People who bring children into this world have a responsibility to care for them and give them values, motivation and discipline. Children should not have children. | We believe in traditional family values and in the Judeo- Christian heritage that informs our culture. . . As the family goes, so goes the Nation. Strong families and strong communities make a strong America. . . The Republican Party responds, as it has since 1980, with an unabashed commitment to the family’s economic liberty and moral rights. Republicans trust parents and believe they, not courts and lawyers, know what is best for their children. . . Republicans oppose and resist the efforts of the Democrat Party to redefine the traditional American family. . . We applaud the fine example of family values and family virtue as lived by the President and the First Lady. |
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| 1993 | D | D | D | |||
| 1996 | D | R | R | The family is the foundation of American life. After 12 years of all family-values-talk and no family-values-action by the Republicans, President Clinton took office determined to put families first. . . In the first month of Bill Clinton’s Presidency, the Democratic Party ended eight years of Republican gridlock and enacted the Family and Medical Leave Act. | We are the party of the American family, educating children, caring for the sick, learning from the elderly, and helping the less fortunate. We believe that strengthening family life is the best way to improve the quality of life for everyone. . . They passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines “marriage” for purposes of federal law as the legal union of one man and one woman and prevents federal judges and bureaucrats from forcing states to recognize other living arrangements as “marriages.” |
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| 2000 | R | R | R | Government does not raise children, families do. But government can help make the hardest job in the world – being a parent – a little easier. Today, families come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all face similar challenges. Government should be on the side of parents – making it easier for them to raise their children and pass down their values. | The family is society’s central core of energy. That is why efforts to strengthen family life are the surest way to improve life for everyone. For this reason, congressional Republicans made adoption easier and enacted the child tax credit — and that is why Governor Bush wants to double that credit to $1,000 per child and increase the adoption credit. It’s why we advocate a family-friendly tax code; why we promote comp- time and flex-time to accommodate family needs; and why we advocate choice in childcare. |
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| 2004 | R | R | R | Family is the center of everyday American life. Our parents are our first protectors, first teachers, first role models, and first friends. Parents know that America’s great reward is the quiet but incomparable satisfaction that comes from building their families a better life. Strong families, blessed with opportunity, guided by faith, and filled with dreams are the heart of a strong America. | Families are the cornerstone of our culture — the building blocks of a strong society. In families, children learn values and ideals, as well as the basic lessons that get them started on a lifelong path of education. We believe that every child deserves the chance to be born and grow up in a loving family. We also believe that while families exist in many different forms, there are ideals to strive for. | |
| 2008 | R | D | D | The face of America’s families is also changing, and so are the challenges they confront. Today, in the majority of families, all parents work. Millions of working Americans are also members of a new “sandwich generation,” playing dual roles as working parents and working children, responsible not only for their kids but for their aging mothers and fathers. They are working longer hours than ever, while at the same time having to meet a new and growing set of caregiving responsibilities. | The two most effective forces in reducing crime and other social ills are strong families and caring communities. Both reinforce constructive conduct and ethical standards by setting examples and providing safe havens from dangerous and destructive behaviors. | |
| 2012 | D | R | D | It’s time we stop just talking about family values and start pursuing policies that truly value families. The President and Democrats have cut taxes for every working American family, and expanded the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. We believe that all parents and caregivers – regardless of gender – need more flexibility and support in the workplace. | We are the party of independent individuals and the institutions they create—families, schools, congregations, neighborhoods—to advance their ideals and make real their dreams. Foremost among those institutions is the American family. It is the foundation of our society and the first level of selfgovernment. Its daily lessons—cooperation, patience, mutual respect, responsibility, self-reliance — are fundamental to the order and progress of our Republic. Government can never replace the family. |
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| 2016 | D | R | R | It is also why everyone should be concerned about the state of the American family today, not because of ideology or doctrine, but because of the overwhelming evidence of experience, social science, and common sense. All of which give us these truths about traditional marriage: Children raised in a two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, more likely to do well in school, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime or become pregnant outside of marriage. |
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| 2020 | R | D | R | Democrats will implement paid sick days and a high- quality, comprehensive, and inclusive paid family and medical leave system that protects workers from the unfair choice between attending to urgent health or caretaking needs and earning a paycheck. We will fight to ensure workers are guaranteed at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for all workers and family units, to enable new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their newborns, foster or adopted children, and allow all workers to take extended time off to care for themselves or ailing loved ones. | ||
| 2024 | D | R | D | Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents. We will end policies that punish families. | ||