Chapter Four: Political Ideologies

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Chapter Four Political Ideologies

• American Government
• POLS 1101
• Instructor Mr. Mancill

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Introduction

• Not only is politics about power and influence,
  but politics is also about ideas.
• Political ideologies are concerned with
• The proper function of government
• The issues of liberty and equality
• The distribution of goods and services

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Mainstream Ideologies

• Mainstream ideologies include Liberalism and
  Conservatism.
• These mainstream ideologies do not want to make
  major changes in our political and social order.
• Accept capitalism
• Accept New Deal era reforms

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Radical Ideologies

• Radical ideologies include Democratic Socialism
  and Libertarianism.
• Democratic Socialists
• Do not accept the capitalist system
• Big corporations have too much power
• Economic decisions should be in the hands of the
  government

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Radical Ideologies

• Libertarianism
• Economic system free of governmental
  interference.
• Dismantle most welfare programs.
• They want major changes, peaceful change
• They enter candidates in elections but rarely win.

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Power and Promotion

• 1. How much power should the government have over
  the economy?
• Socialism- Active government control of the
  economy
• Liberalism- Positive action in the economy
• Conservatism- Positive action to support
  capitalism
• Libertarianism- Almost no regulation of the
  economy

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Power and Promotion

• 2. What should the government promote?
• Socialism- Economic equality, community
• Liberalism- Economic Security, equal opportunity,
  social liberty
• Conservatism- Ecnomic liberty, morality and
  social order
• Libertarianism- Total economic and social liberty

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Liberalism

• Liberalism-begins with the assumption that
  individuals are rational beings capable of
  overcoming obstacles to progress without
  resorting to violence.
• Ideas of John Locke. Locke believed in the
  natural goodness of man.
• Contract Theory- the state gains it legitimacy
  from the consent of the governed and is formed to
  protect the rights of life, liberty, and
  property. (limited government)

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Classic Liberalism

• Government should play a minimal role in society.
• A government that governs least governs best.
• A strong government is dangerous to liberty.
• Government should step out of the way and allow
  economic competition.
• Addressed the needs of the business class.
• Key Idea Minimal government and property rights.

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Populism and Progressivism

• After the Civil War, liberal attitudes toward
  government began to change.
• Farmers suffered greatly after the Civil War.
• The target of liberals now became railroads and
  banks, not the government.
• Out of this turmoil evolved a new liberal
  movement known as populism.

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Populism

• The Populists formed their own political party in
  the 1880's. They called for
• More democratization of government through secret
  ballots
• Direct election of Senators
• Voter initiatives
• More governmental involvement in the economy

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Progressivism

• Progressivism was another movement that grew
  during the late 1890's and early 1900's.
• Progressives supported
• Government programs to ease the problems of
  industrialization.
• Worker's compensation
• Ban on child labor
• Regulation of corporations
• Minimum wage
• Public limits in private corporate power

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Progressivism

• Progressives achieved major successes during the
  administrations of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
  Wilson.
• During Roosevelt's administration, Congress
  passed laws that regulated railroads and food and
  drug industries.
• During Wilson's administration Congress passed
  laws regulating the banking industry, restricting
  unfair competition.
• Populists and Progressives believed that
  government could remedy the economic ills by
  limiting the power and wealth of private
  corporations and banks.

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Contemporary Liberalism

• Government should be responsible for assisting
  individuals, businesses, and communities in
  dealing with social and economic problems.
• Government should ensure the economic well being
  of a nation and should provide basic material
  guarantees (food, shelter, health care, and
  education) to every individual.
• Government should stay out of social issues.
• Tolerance for different lifestyles.
• Address the needs of unemployed, and farmers.

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Contemporary Liberalism

• The positive state cushions the excessive
  inequalities of power and wealth that arise in
  any capitalist system.
• President Johnson's Great Society
• Rent supplements for the poor
• Scholarships for college students
• Aid to the arts and humanities
• Higher pensions for government workers
• Aid to children with disabilities
• Food stamp program

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Contemporary Liberalism

• Policy Stances
• Abortion support
• Stem cell research support
• Gun control support
• Civil unions/same sex marrriage support

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Neoliberals

• In the past liberals focused on
• Economic issues
• Government's obligation to assist the needy
• In recent decades liberals focused on
• Social and foreign policy issues
• This angered those who identified with the
  liberal movement
• Liberals became associated with negative feelings

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Neoliberalism

• To help bring the liberal movement back,
  neoliberalism was introduced.
• Neoliberalism-a form of liberalism that
  emphasizes the promotion of wealth rather than it
  redistribution, and the reform of military
  practices rather than reductions in military
  spending.
• Neoliberals direct their attention not to
  expanding government services, but to their
  effective delivery.
• Neoliberals also criticize the size and costs of
  the government bureaucracy.
• Fiscal responsibility

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Who Are The Liberals?

• Usually they are found in the Democratic party.
• Constituencies include
• Minorities
• Labor movement
• Feminists
• Poor

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Conservatism

• Conservatism-holds that established customs,
  laws, and traditions, should guide society.
• Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in
  France
• The experience of past generations was the most
  reliable guide to good government
• Customs, traditions, and laws should not be
  discarded
• People were not equal in ability or talent

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Early American Conservatism

• Adams did not believe in the natural goodness of
  man, Adams said laws were needed to promote
  public virtue and to curb private greed.
• Universal suffrage was a threat to the republic.
• Men without property lacked the independence,
  judgment, and virtue to be members of a free
  republic.

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Conservatism and the Industrial Age

• As America industrialized after the Civil War,
  conservatives embraced laissez faire economics.
• Laissez faire economics-French for "leave things
  alone". Government should not interfere in the
  economy.

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Conservatism and the Industrial Age

• If people worked hard they could become
  successful.
• The government should stand out of the way.
• Conservatism became the ideology of America's
  business class.

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Contemporary Conservatism

• The Great Depression proved to be detrimental to
  conservatism.
• The beginning of the New Deal and many welfare
  state programs.
• Popular acceptance of these programs placed
  conservatism on the defensive for many years.

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Contemporary Conservatism

• Conservatives have opposed most major liberal
  reforms. Including Social Security in 1935, and
  Medicare in 1965.
• Since the 1980's conservatives have focused on
• Reducing social spending
• Reshaping the tax code
• Rebuilding national defense

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Contemporary Conservatism

• Remains at its core a defense of economic
  individualism against the growth of the welfare
  state.
• Welfare state programs only create a permanent
  class of the poor who are dependent on the state
  and have no incentives to enter the working
  world.

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Contemporary Conservatism

• Conservatives support constitutional amendments
  restricting abortion and permitting prayer in
  public schools.
• Policy Stances
• Abortion oppose
• Stem cell research oppose
• Gun control oppose
• Civil unions/same sex marriage oppose

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Who are the Conservatives?

• Usually they belong to the Republican Party.
• While Republican presidents after the Great
  Depression identified with moderate ideas, Ronald
  Reagan openly embraced his conservatism.

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Neoconservatism

• Neoconservatism- the idea that contemporary
  liberalism has transformed the modest New Deal
  welfare state into an intrusive paternalistic
  state.
• They feel liberals overestimated the ability of
  government to solve social problems.
• They feel that liberals no longer speak for the
  average person.
• They stress policies such as lower taxes on large
  incomes.
• They stress less regulation of business to
  promote economic growth.

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Neoconservatism

• Neoconservatives think that liberals have
  promised too much to too many groups.
• A government that promised too much cannot
  deliver and becomes overloaded.
• However, neoconservatives do support a modest
  welfare state.
• A properly constructed welfare state strengthens
  citizen's loyalty to the capitalist system.
• Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Jack Kemp developed an
  "empowerment" agenda to assist the poor with and
  emphasis on anti-bureaucratic, market oriented
  programs.

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The New Right Populist Conservatism

• New Right- a movement led by Christian
  evangelicals that supports reestablishment of
  traditional moral values, the abolition of
  abortion and pornography, and legalization of
  school prayer.
• The New Right combined elements of traditional
  conservatism and populism.

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The New Right Populist Conservatism

• The New Right feels that permissive liberal
  values are responsible for a broad range of
  social ills including
• High levels of premarital sex
• Adultery
• Abortion
• Income tax cheating
• Excessive personal debt
• In the late 80's and early 90's the movement was
  disheartened by sex scandals of Jimmy Swaggart
  and Jim Baker.

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Key Ideas-Liberalism

• Classic Liberalism
• Minimal government
• Protection of property rights
• Populism
• Democratization of government
• Economic reforms
• Progressivism
• Social Programs to cope with problems cause by
  industrialization
• Public limits on private corporate power

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Key Ideas- Liberalism

• Contemporary Liberalism
• Positive state
• Faith in solving problems collectively through
  government
• Provide to economic well being of the nation
• Provide basic material needs to each individual
• Tolerance of various lifestyles
• Neoliberalism
• Creation, not redistribution of wealth
• Free trade
• Reform of entitlement programs
• Strong but economical defense

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Key Ideas-Conservatism

• Early American conservatism
• Sanctity of private property
• Distrust of unchecked popular rule
• Duty of government to promote healthy economic
  environment.
• Industrial Age conservatism
• Laissez faire economics
• Individualism
• Social Darwinism
• Contemporary conservatism
• Reduced spending on social programs
• Revamping tax policies
• Strong defense
• Duty of government to promote virtuous citizenry

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Key Ideas-Conservatism

• Neoconservatism
• Skepticism of government's ability to solve
  social and economic problems
• Acceptance of modest welfare state
• Creation, not redistribution of wealth
• Assertive foreign policy

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Key Ideas-Challenges to the Status Quo

• New Right
• Critical of big government, big corporations
• Distrustful of national media
• Social ills seen as a product of liberal policies
• Return the nation to traditional cultural values
• Libertarianism
• Minimal government
• Protection of property rights and personal
  freedom
• No governmental regulation of the economy
• Non interventionist foreign policy
• Drastic reduction in defense spending