Political Spectrum

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Political Spectrum

• Students will examine the political spectrum in
  order to classify the events of the Revolutionary
  period.

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Vocabulary

• Loyalist
• Patriot

• Radical
• Liberal
• Moderate
• Conservative
• Reactionary

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Loyalists

• Loyalists were American colonists who remained
  loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the
  Revolutionary period

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Patriots

• Patriots (also known as American Whigs), was the
  name that the colonists who rebelled against
  British control during the American Revolution,
  called themselves

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What is a Continuum?

• A persons views on the issues help determine
  where they fall on the political spectrum.
• The labels used on the spectrum are not pure
  categories, but they make up a continuum, or
  value line, and citizens and politicians fall
  somewhere on that line depending on what they
  believe.

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Factors That Determine Placement

• Two major factors shape political views.
• The first is how much change a person is willing
  to have within their society and government.
• The second deals with how much government
  involvement in the economy a person calls for.
• Others also bring in the question of how much
  freedom from government authority a leader is
  willing to give the people.

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Political Labels

• To see where you stand, you would have to figure
  out where you stand on a number of social
  (people-related), economic (money-related), and
  political (governmental) issues.
• First you need definitions of the terms radical,
  liberal, conservative, and reactionary.

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Political Spectrum
Radical
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Reactionary
Direction of Change
Looks toward the Past (right) Against Independence
Looks toward the future (left) For Independence
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What is a Radical?

• Seen as being on the far left of the political
  spectrum, radicals call for immediate change from
  the present system by any means necessary.
• Goals may be changes in political structure,
  laws, and government.
• They may be willing to resort to extreme methods
  to bring about change, including the use of
  violence, revolution, or illegal methods.
• Examples Patriots, Malcolm X, Lenin

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What is a Liberal?

• Liberals believe that the government should be
  actively involved in the promotion of social
  welfare of a nations citizens.
• They usually call for peaceful, gradual change
  within the existing political system.
• They reject violence
• Example Dr. King or Gandhi

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Liberals Point of View

• Government should not censor speech, press, media
  or the internet
• Repeal laws prohibiting adult possession and use
  of drugs
• Government regulation of business is necessary to
  protect the public
• Too much power is concentrated in the hands of a
  few large companies.
• The government should help those in need even if
  it has to raise taxes

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What is a Moderate?

• Moderates may share viewpoints with both liberals
  and conservatives.
• Moderates may want change on some issues, and no
  change on others.
• A moderate emphasizes peaceful compromise with
  the system as a means of resolving conflict.
• They advocate a go-slow or wait-and-see
  approach to social or political change.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) is generally seen as a
moderate.
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What is a Conservative?

• A conservative is a person who wants to preserve
  the best of what exists today and in the past.
• Conservatives usually supports few changes.
  Conservatives are usually hesitant or cautious
  about adopting new policies, especially if they
  involve government activism in some way.
• They feel that the less government there is, the
  better.
• Legal or non violent methods used
• They agree with Jeffersons view that the best
  government governs least.
• Examples Loyalists, Ronald Reagan, and Barry
  Goldwater

Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) is widely regarded as
the father of the modern conservative movement
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Conservative Point of View

• Let people control their own retirement
  privatize Social Security.
• Replace government welfare with private charity.
• Government regulation of business usually does
  more harm than good
• Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost
  too many jobs and
• hurt the economy.
• Government programs like welfare discourage
  people from working

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What is a Reactionary?

• Sitting on the far right of the political
  spectrum, reactionaries want to go back to the
  way things werethe good ol days.
• A Reactionary is a person who supports an
  immediate change that would bring about a return
  to the old ways of doing things by any means
  necessary.
• Often reactionaries are willing to use extreme
  methods, such as repressive use of government
  power, to achieve their goals.
• The term reactionary is generally negative.
• Use illegal or violent methods
• Examples Hitler, KKK, some Loyalists.

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American Politicians on the Spectrum

• Here is how one website places important American
  political figures on the spectrum.You can take
  the quiz athttp//www.madrabbit.net/webrabbit/qui
  zshow.html