The Republican Party is on the right side of the political spectrum. Right-leaning politicians tend to prefer smaller national governments, conserving the good ideas and practices in a country, lower taxes, and a laissez-faire (hands off) approach to the economy.
In contrast, Democrats or left-leaning politicians believe in a much larger federal government and that that government should have an active role in society. They believe in higher taxes, more regulation of the economy, and the implementation of more progressive or radical ideas.