In an election year, it’s far too common to hear people earnestly ask, “Are Republicans evil?” The truth is that one’s political persuasion doesn’t automatically make someone “good” or “evil.” In fact, for the vast majority of the country, differing politics simply come down to differing ideas of how to make the country stronger (for instance, government assistance versus personal volunteering).

That can be hard to see if all you read are breathless headlines or, worse yet, simply listen to political rants on TikTok and YouTube. It’s important to look at American politics through the lens of the entire country’s relatively young history. And once you do that, it’s easy to see how Republicans have not only made America a better place but how their methods line up with Democratic values more often than you might think.

Are Republicans Evil? Saving the Country’s Soul

It can be difficult to fully parse American politics because the major parties have changed so much over the years. For example, many of those genuinely asking, “Are Republicans evil?” have absorbed countless headlines painting modern conservatives as racists. But perhaps nobody in American history took a greater stand against racism than Republican President Abraham Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in America.

Obviously, that proclamation was a turning point in the Civil War, which remains the bloodiest conflict in all of American history. Most historians rightly credit Lincoln for saving America as we know it, fighting to preserve a union that was nearly broken apart due to the political influence of wealthy slaveowners who would rather see their country torn in two than change their way of life.

Arguably, though, Lincoln did more than keep the states united. He also saved America’s soul, steering the country away from slavery (a truly evil path) and toward a better tomorrow.

Are Republicans Evil? Taking America Down The Road and Into Space

It’s impossible to talk about Republican politicians making America a better place without discussing Dwight Eisenhower. He did many amazing things, but the one that many of us are grateful for every single day is the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. This led to the development of a whopping 41,000 miles of interstates throughout America.

Thanks to this act, it’s possible to easily travel from one end of the country to another by car as needed. It had the distinction of being the greatest and most awesome public works project in the entire history of the country, one that completely changed our way of life. The Federal-Aid Highway Act also highlighted Eisenhower’s ability to find a middle ground in helping the average citizen while also safeguarding the country as a whole (it received defense funding because the project was in the interest of national defense).

Not content with taking Americans from one end of the country to the other, Eisenhower set his sights even higher: space. He established NASA, which took America to space and then to the moon. NASA also pioneered many technological innovations that helped change our way of life for the better.

Are Republicans Evil? Ending Threats to the United States

Many critics who think Republicans are evil claim that conservative politicians focus too much on war and other forms of national conflict. However, it’s worth noting that Ronald Reagan was instrumental in ending the Cold War, a conflict that led multiple generations of Americans to fear that their lives might suddenly end thanks to nuclear strikes from Russia.

Similarly, George W. Bush has been skewered by critics for his invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and other major targets. It’s easy to endlessly debate the morality or practicality of those invasions, but the measures enacted by Bush’s strong willpower helped to prevent any similar attacks from ever happening on American soil. In this way, he leaves behind a complex legacy that nonetheless includes making America far safer than it was before he took office.

Are Republicans evil? The Need To Come Together as One

We’ve highlighted four different Republican champions who all helped transform the country for the better. Lincoln kept America together, Eisenhower expanded our horizons, and both Reagan and Bush kept others from destroying our way of life. All of these presidents had (and continue to have) very unrelenting critics, but their political actions illustrate a desire to improve the country and leave America in a better place than it was before.

It’s possible for all of us to learn from their example by overcoming our partisan differences and working together toward our common goals. At the end of the day, everyone wants a safer country with more opportunities for as many people as possible. What we disagree about is how to achieve those very humanitarian goals, but those disagreements don’t have to be the end of the conversation. Instead, they should just be the beginning.

From now on, don’t let partisan headlines make you think politicians of any party are “evil” by association. Learn about their policies and learn about what those around you want for America. You’ll find that everyone has more in common than you once thought, and if Eisenhower could take us past the atmosphere into space, the rest of us can take the country past this current divisiveness and into the future.