>I'd think that the difference (in a true ideological/philosophical sense) is that Republicans (I'd say conservatives, Dems and Repubs) trust the individual and therefore 'The Market' whereas the Democrats (I'd say liberals, Dems and Repubs) trust government.

The problem is that when we've trusted the market in the past, a lot of people have gotten hurt. It took the government to ensure safety regulations for workers, for example. Marketwise, it was cheaper and easier to let people get hurt or killed in mines and factories, and most employers did until a combination of unions and government forced them to make it safer.

Tamar