Democratic ideology is depicted as being on the left side of the political spectrum, skewing towards the more extreme ideologies socialism and communism, while Republicans skews to the right, toward fascism. Democrats are viewed in popular culture as being in favor of "Big Government," meaning that they are in favor of the government playing a large role in economic regulation, overseeing education, and providing for the less-fortunate.

The popular symbols for the Democratic Party are the color blue and the donkey. The color blue is a somewhat arbitrary designation dating back to the 2000 presidential election, when the mainstream news outlets used it to represent states where Democrats received a majority of the votes. The donkey is a symbol dating back to a nineteenth century political cartoon.

The 2008 democratic primary was a heated race between two historical contenders for the nomination, Hilary Clinton who would have been the first woman to receive a major party nomination for president, and Barack Obama who is the first African American to receive a presidential nomination. Barack Obama's nomination helps further the reputation Democrats have for being the more progressive political party, the voice of the underdog and catalysts for key social change that better the lot of minorities and underprivileged groups in the US.