The first test of the split between moderates and conservatives may come next year, when Congress will decide whether to raise the $14.3 trillion limit on how much the government can borrow.

Not approving it would be "suicidal" because it would put the country in a position of defaulting on its debt, says Robert Bixby of the Concord Coalition, a budget watchdog. But given that so many Republican candidates ran on reducing budget deficits, the vote is sure to be a point of contention.