How do you explain the difference between Republican and Democrat to an 11yr. old?

Just tell him that Republicans are for the rich & powerful, while democrats are for all the people, regardless.

Hard to put into B&W terms, but I'll try.

I believe Winston Churchill said "if you are 20 and you are not a liberal (Democrat) you have no heart. If you are 40 and you are not conservative (Republican) you have no brain.

Democrats believe that the government should be big (except the military), that it should offer all kinds of services to all the people in the country funded by tax dollars taken from the rich and the middle class. The government, not individuals, are best suited to make decisions on their health, their finance, their education etc

Republicans believe that government should be smaller (except the military) and less invasive in business and in private lives (except the Patriot Act and abortion). They believe that individuals can mostly do for themselves and are in a better position to make decisions regarding their own lives and that lower taxes mean a more robust economy.

Some examples might help though none of them are B&W either

Abortion: Once ilegal it has been legal since the 1970's Supreme Court decision Roe vs Wade. Republicans would like to reverse this decision to varrying degrees. Extremist want to do away with the practice all together. Moderates want to limit it or allow it to stand in the first trimester. Democrats support abortion even in the third trimester (late term or partial birth abortion), a few Democrats are against this, but not many.

Republicans support the Constitutional Amendment that grant citizens the right to bear arms (own guns) and does not want any more laws that impede a lawfull citizen from buying guns if that is what they want. Democrats want more control over guns.

If that doesn't work, tell him the truth, the world isn't black & white, both parties lie through their teeth, and if he is white, the deck is stacked against him

The best answer I ever heard was by Lee Iacoco the president of Ford and later Chrysler.He said in his book, " When your young and starting out in life and you are trying to ACQUIRE some wealth you are a Democrat. As you get older and have acquired some wealth you become a Republican so you can hold ON to it. Pretty funny but I think pretty right. Although I did fairly good in life I stayed a Democrat. I never forgot what it was like to have nothing. So I think the best is people who have succeeded and not forgotten the down trodden. So hope your son succeeds and is willing to help the little guy and not become a mean spirited Republican like Cheney and many others like him.

the republicans are people who preserve the power and privilege of the richest americans while playing on the ignorance and prejudice of religious americans and racist americans.

democrats are people who are either too scared to say what they think, lest the republican controlled media twist it, or who will stand up and say that the great legacy of our country belongs to all the people and will work to preserve that legacy.

repubs - evil

dems - good, but often ineffective

btw, winston churchwill was a liberal and his very own foundation's website lists on its webpage that winston churchhill never said you give up liberalism when you grow up. he never did - he opposed conservatism. so, add lying and believing in lies to republican description.

Republicans = govern by special interest

Democrats = responsible governance

I don't know. I guess it would be like explaining why Tom chases Jerry or why Sylvester tries to eat Tweedy.

Republicans= CLOSE-MINDED

Democrats= OPEN-MINDED

Dems are the winners and Republicans are the losers.

Democrats are freedom and repuglicans are about repression of freedoms.

the dems ask's what do the plp want & the repubs tells you what you are going have and you better like it anyway !!!