The political parties that dominate America’s political landscape differ in their philosophies and ideals on key issues such as taxes, government role, Social Security, Medicare, abortion, guns, gay marriage, the death penalty, immigration, the military, the environment and regulation. Many people may have different views on some of these issues, and that’s fine. But for the most part, people tend to align with one of the two major ideological groups in the country – Liberal or Conservative.

Liberal Democrats are very progressive in their positions and support far-reaching changes to address racial injustice, expand the social safety net and other goals. On the other hand, Establishment Liberals have very liberal views on almost all issues, but they are not convinced that there is a need for sweeping change.

Democratic Party liberals are more likely to favor a moratorium on deporting or offering a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants than Republicans. Likewise, they are more supportive of abortion rights and a woman’s right to choose her own reproductive health decisions than Republicans. They also generally oppose Obamacare provisions like the requirement that employer-paid health insurance cover contraceptives and embryonic stem cell research.

The sharp leftward movement in liberal ideology among some Democratic voters has raised concerns about a potential partisan split over race and culture. Specifically, nonwhite Democrats are less likely to self-identify as liberal than whites, and they have been more hesitant to vote for white candidates. This could potentially undermine the Democratic party’s future if the racial gap in ideology persists.