The uproar continues among social conservatives regarding the GOP’s proposed new party platform. The new document diverges in notable ways from past Republican platforms on abortion and traditional marriage, which reaffirmed the party’s commitment to pro-life policies and pushed to legally define wedlock as between one man and one woman. 

Social conservatism used to comprise an essential element of the Republican Party. It rose to prominence in the party during the 1980s and has played a critical role in many election cycles since. The GOP’s success in the 2004 election, for example, was buoyed by state ballot initiatives defining marriage as only a heterosexual relationship.