support is strongest among white voters, and it usually dominates elections in the South.

支持者來自於白人投票者，且共和黨鐵票倉主要位在美國南部

The party's 2016 presidential nominee has been heavily criticized for inciting racial tensions.

共和黨 2016 年總統提名人飽受爭議，原因在於該提名人煽動種族對立

But things weren’t always this way. Yet over the past 160 years or so, the party

但共和黨主張並非一向如此。若追朔回 160 年前，共和黨

has undergone a remarkable transformation from the party of Abraham Lincoln… to the

經歷了一段顯著的轉變，從亞伯拉罕．林肯開始，直到目前川普

party of Donald Trump.

所代表的共和黨

And to understand how the GOP got the way it is today, you have to go back to when it

為了了解共和黨如何走到今日，你必須先回顧該黨是如何開始的

first came into existence — in 1854, just 7 years before the Civil War.

鑑古知今 ─ 1854年，也就是在南北戰爭爆發的七年前

There are two parties at this point, the Whigs and the Democrats. America is quickly expanding westward

當時有兩個政黨，分別是輝格黨與民主黨。那時，美國勢力正迅速向西擴張

and there’s an intense debate over whether the new states should permit slavery

同時也曾激烈辯論新的州是否允許蓄奴制

The Democratic Party, with strong support in the South, has become increasingly pro-slavery.

獲得南方大力支持的民主黨，漸漸走向擁護蓄奴制

But the Whigs are divided on the issue. Their northern supporters are really afraid that

然而，輝格黨在蓄奴制存廢意見紛歧，輝格黨的北方支持者非常擔憂

the growing number of slave states would have too much political influence, which they feared

若支持蓄奴的州數不斷增加，這些州也會擁有較大的政治影響力，如此一來

could hurt free white workers economically. So In 1854, the country is debating whether

會影響白人工人的生計。所以在 1854 年，當美國辯論著

or not the new states Kansas and Nebraska should allow slavery. The Whigs can’t agree and

新的兩州 ─ 堪薩斯州與內步拉斯加州是否也通過蓄奴制。輝格黨持反對票

the party ends up collapsing. The former whigs in the north form a new party that will fight

而輝格黨也因此分崩離析。位在北方的前任輝格黨員組成一個新政黨，目標是

against letting slavery expand further; they call it the Republican Party.

持續對抗蓄奴制擴張，成立的新黨名為「共和黨」

By 1860 the Republican Party become increasingly powerful in the North, enough so that a little known

到 1860 年，共和黨在北方勢力逐漸壯大，開始廣為人知

Republican named Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency.

共和黨總統候選人亞伯拉罕．林肯也贏得總統大選

Even though Lincoln promises he won’t interfere with slavery in the states that already have it,

儘管林肯承諾他不會干預已推行蓄奴制的州

he and his party are still too anti-slavery for the South to tolerate. So 11 Southern states

林肯與其屬的共和黨依然過於提倡反蓄奴，以至於南方的州忍無可忍。所以南方11州

secede from the Union, forming the Confederate States of America.

脫離了聯邦，另外成立美利堅聯盟國

The Northern states decide to fight to keep the Union together, and the Civil War ensues.

北方州則決定為維護原狀團結而戰，於是南北戰爭一觸即發

The result is a Northern victory and the abolition of slavery nationwide.

最後結果是北方取得勝利，全國廢除蓄奴制

After the war, Republicans begin fighting to ensure that reasonably free slaves in the South have their rights.

南北戰爭結束後，共和黨開始為南方已合法獲得自由的奴隸發聲，希望能夠保障這些人的權利

A year after Lincoln’s assassination, the party passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866,

林肯遭暗殺一年後，共和黨通過1886年民權法

which said black citizens have the same rights as whites. They fight to make sure that black men

規定美國黑人享有和白人一樣的權利。此法的推動，確保了美國黑人男性

have the right to vote, with new laws and constitutional amendments.

在根據新法與憲法修正後，也享有投票權

But something had happened during the civil war that began changing the young Republican

然而，在南北戰爭途中，發生了一些事使剛起步的共和黨有所改變

Party. Government spending during the war made many northern businessmen really rich.

政府在戰爭期間的支出使得生意人變得非常富有

Gradually, these wealthy financiers and industrialists start taking more and more of a leading role in the Republican Party.

這些富有的金融家和工業家漸漸在共和黨內掌握領導要職

They want to hold on to power, and they don’t think that fighting for black rights in a mostly white country is the best way to do that.

他們想掌控權力，更認為在多數為白人的國家，為了黑人權力而戰並非明智之舉

Meanwhile, the South is resisting these new racial reforms, often violently.

同時，南方拒絕新的種族改革，以暴力的方式進行抗爭

And most white Republican voters and leaders now feel that they’ve done enough for Black citizens in the South,

此外，多數共和黨白人投票者與領導者覺得自己已經為南方的黑人貢獻足夠心力

and that it was time to emphasize other issues. So in the 1870s, the party basically

所以是時候把重心轉移到其他議題上。於是在 1870 年代，共和黨

gives up on reforming the South, deciding instead to leave it to its own devices, even if

捨棄南方改革，決定讓南方自由運作，就算

that meant black citizens were oppressed and deprived of their new right to vote,

自由放任代表黑人市民會受到壓迫與新法所賦予的投票權被剝奪

and the region was politically dominated by white Democrats.

並且該區域的政治主宰權會落到民主黨白人手上

Fast-forward to the new century. By the 1920s, the Republican Party has become, essentially, the party of big business.

讓我們快速推移到新世紀，到 1920 年代，共和黨演變為大型事業入主的黨派

This works out quite well for them when the economy was booming,

這樣的情況在經濟繁榮時運作得當

but not so well when the economy crashes in 1929 and the Great Depression begins.

但當遭逢 1929 年經濟大蕭條，一切就風雲變色了

Franklin D. Roosevelt and other Democrats are swept into power, and begin dramatically

富蘭克林．德拉諾．羅斯福與其他民主黨黨員迅速掌權，開始大舉

expanding the size and role of the federal government, in an attempt to fight the Depression

拓展聯邦政府的規模與職位，為的是搶救經濟大蕭條

and better provide for Americans. Republicans oppose this rapid expansion, defining themselves

與提供美國人足夠的補給。共和黨反對民主黨快速的擴張，並自行定位在

as opposition to bigger government, identity that party still holds today.

大政府的反對派，迄今依舊如此

Then, going into the 50s and 60s, race and the South return to the forefront of national politics,

接著，進入一九五零、六零年代，種族與南方議題回歸到國家政治的第一線要務

with the civil rights movement attempting to end segregation and ensure blacks truly had the right to vote.

民權運動也企圖解決種族隔離並保障黑人能真正享有投票權

The civil rights isn’t purely a partisan issue,

公民權利並非只是純粹的黨派議題

it’s more of a regional issue with northerners from both parties supporting it and southerners from both parties opposing it.

而是區域議題，涉及支持民權運動的北方兩黨人士，與站在反對角度的南方兩黨人士

Then 1964, it’s Democratic president Lyndon Johnson who signs the Civil Rights Act into law.

1964 年，民主黨總統林登．詹森正式簽署《民權法案》

And it’s Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater who opposes it,

共和黨總統提名人貝利．高華德則站在反對方

arguing that it expands government power too much.

抨擊政府會因此大力擴權

A massive switch-up takes place. Black voters, many of whom had already been shifting from Republicans,

一場大挪移就這樣發生了。黑人投票者從共和黨倒戈

convert almost entirely to their new advocates, the Democrats. And white voters in the South,

轉向完全支持法案的新擁護者，也就是民主黨。而位於南方的白人投票者

who had been staunch Democrats, start to really resent “big government”interference here

原本是民主黨的鐵票，轉而厭惡大政府干預

and in other matters, like abortion rights and school prayer.

以及其他事務主張，像是婦女墮胎權與校內禱告儀式

Over the next three decades, whites in the South switch to the GOP, which makes the South an overwhelmingly Republican region.

接下來的三十多年，南方白人朝共和黨靠攏，也讓南方迅速變成共和黨鐵票倉

By the 80s, the party begins to resemble the GOP we are familiar with today.

直至1980年代，共和黨與如今我們所見的型態越來越像

Republicans elect Ronald Reagan, who promises to fight for business interests, lower taxes,

共和黨選派隆納．雷根，他承諾為商業利益、降低稅率

and traditional family values.

與傳統家庭價值觀奮鬥

Then, as the 21st century begins, America is going through a major demographic shift

到二十一世紀初期，美國開始經歷主要的人口轉變

in the form of Hispanic immigration, both legal and illegal.

大量拉丁美洲人以合法或非法的方式移入美國

Democrats and business elites tend to support reforming immigration laws so that over 10 million

民主黨與商業菁英傾向支持改革移民法，如此一來，超過一千萬的

unauthorized immigrants in the US would get legal status. Under Republican side,“tough on immigration”policies

美國非法移民就能夠獲得合法居留權。但共和黨立場則是奉行移民鐵腕政策

and rhetoric become popular but this ends up causing the Republican

華而不實的言論也讓共和黨接下來大受打擊

when in 2012 Mitt Romney loses his bid for the presidency, he gets blown out among Hispanic voters

米特．羅姆尼總統大選之所以落敗，就是因為遭到來自拉丁美洲投票者的背離

— exit polls showed that 71% of them voted for Barack Obama.

百分之七十一的選票都落入歐巴馬的口袋

So the Republican Party starts to look more like a party for white voters in an increasingly nonwhite country.

在逐漸成為白人不再佔大多數的國家，共和黨變成像是白人擁護的政黨

Given these demographic trends, Republican leaders worry that if they keep losing Hispanic voters by that much,

假使順著這些人口統計趨勢，共和黨領導者應該要擔心如果持續失去來自拉丁美洲選民的支持

they’ll lose their chances of ever winning the presidency.

共和黨甚至會因此失去總統大選。

So in 2013, some key Republicans in the Senate — including rising star Marco Rubio —

故在 2013 年，一些參議院主要共和黨員，包括政壇新星馬克．魯比歐在內，

collaborate with Democrats on an immigration reform bill that would give unauthorized immigrants a path to legal status.

與民主黨在移民改革法案攜手合作，讓非法移民順利成為合法公民的管道

But there’s a huge backlash from the Republican party’s predominantly white base, which

但這也對逐漸成為被白人領導的共和黨形成一股強大反作用力

views the bill as “amnesty” for immigrants who broke the rules. This exacerbates GOPvoters’ mistrust of their own party’s leaders,

因為法案似乎特赦非法移民。移民改革法案也使支持者加深對共和黨的不信任

and a mistrust had already been growing for some time.

而這份對共和黨的不信任早已醞釀了一段時間

And that makes the political landscape of 2015 is fertile ground for a figure like Donald Trump,

2015 年的共和黨概況也無形中孕育肥沃土壤，培養政治新手唐納．川普事後快速竄起

an outsider businessman who wants to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

唐納．川普是個沒有政治背景，想在美墨邊界築牆的商人

Trump isn’t a traditional conservative, but he appealed to the resentment and mistrust of party leaders that Republican primary voters had,

川普並不是傳統保守派，但他和共和黨主要支持者一樣極其厭惡與不信任目前共和黨的領導群

as well as their strong opposition to growing immigration trends.

也強烈反對逐漸增加的移民潮

And even though he was loathed by party leaders, he won enough support in the primaries to

儘管川普受到共和黨領導群的討厭，他仍贏得足夠在黨內初選脫穎而出的支持

become the GOP nominee for president.

並獲得共和黨總統提名

So now, the Republican party is once again at a major crossroads as it tries to meet the political challenges of the 21st century.

如今，共和黨又處在一個大十字路口上，遇到二十一世紀的政治挑戰

It’s up to Republican voters and leaders to decide

現在輪到共和黨支持者與領導者去決定

just what they want their party to be.

共和黨接下來的去向了