Political Ideologies

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Political Ideologies
AP Government Unit 2
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Political Ideology

• What we believe and why
• Definitions
• Comprehensive, integrated set of views about
  government and politics
• Plan of action for applying these ideas

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1. Our Ideology Comes from OurPolitical Culture

• Widely shared beliefs, values and norms
  concerning relationship of citizens to government
  and to one another.
• Name some of the beliefs shared by most
  Americans.

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Did you name these?

• Liberty
• Democracy
• Political Equality
• Individualism
• Justice and the Rule of Law
• Capitalism and Free Enterprise
• Nationalism, optimism, and idealism
• The American Dream

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2. Our Ideology Comes from our Political
Socialization

• Political Socialization
• Process by which we are taught and develop our
  individual and collective political beliefs
• Name some factors that influence our Political
  Socialization

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Did you name these?

• Family
• Peers
• Race and ethnic differences
• Religious differences
• Gender
• Social and economic differences (SES)
• Sectional/regional differences
• Media influences
• Age
• Can be linked to Historical events (e.g., Pearl
  Harbor, Vietnam, Watergate, September 11 and War
  on Terror)

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Basic Ideology Disagreements

• Is Human Nature
• Naturally good, cooperative, even perfectible?
• Inherently flawed, evil, dangerous?
• Is the Individual more important than the Group?
• Should we look out for number one?
• Should we be concerned about our fellow humans?

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Many people Many opinions Many viewpoints
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Overview of PoliticalIdeologies

• I. Liberalism
• II. Conservatism
• III. Socialism
• IV. Communism
• V. Fascism
• VI. Populism
• VII. Libertarianism

Raphaels The School of Athens
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The Classic Political Spectrum
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I. Liberalism

• Classical Liberalism
• Desire for free, open, tolerant society
• Humans are rational and able to recognize and
  promote self-interest
• Limited role of government.
• That government is best which governs least.
• Government was seen as chief threat to liberty.
• Theory of government to protect property rights.
• Liberty and equality of opportunity

John Stuart Mill
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Basic Tenets of Classic Liberalism

• Social conditions are result of individual
  choices and actions
• Societies work best when individuals are free to
  do as they wish without harming or violating
  rights of others

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Modern Liberalism

• New Deal helped to expand role of government
• Theory of government is to protect peoples
  well-being.
• Need for strong central government to smooth out
  the rough edges of capitalism.
• Corporations seen as chief threat to liberty.
• Government role ? provide opportunity for all
  citizens
• Favor using government to
• Reduce economic inequalities
• Champion rights of disadvantaged
• Tolerate more diverse range of social behaviors
• Finance social welfare programs with higher taxes
  on rich

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The New (?) Left

• Neo-liberals
• Late 20th century and 21st century
• Believe that government certainly has some role
  to play, but not as big a role as desired by New
  Deal liberals.
• Need to get back to more individualism and less
  reliance on big government.
• Discrediting of liberalism in 1980s and 1990s
• Feeling that liberalism has gone too far.
• Less likely to rely upon government as solution
  to problems.

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Neoliberalism

• To help accomplish this, neoliberalism requires
  removal of various controls deemed as barriers to
  free trade, such as
• Tariffs
• Regulations
• Certain standards, laws, legislation and
  regulatory measures
• Restrictions on capital flows and investment

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Neoliberalism

• Essentially about making trade between nations
  easier.
• Neoliberal states guarantee, by force if
  necessary, "proper functioning" of markets
• Where markets dont exist (ex in use of land,
  water, education, health care, social security,
  or environmental pollution), then state should
  create them.
• Freer movement of goods, resources and
  enterprises in a bid to always find cheaper
  resources to maximize profits/efficiency.

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II. Classic Conservatism

• Learn from the past
• Custom and tradition as latent wisdom
• Look to the past??
• Freedom and order
• Focused on conserving existing social order
• Organic or unrefined view of society
• Belief in human imperfection
• Acceptance of inequality

Edmund Burke
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Modern Conservatives

• Generally
• distrust government
• have greater faith in private enterprise and free
  markets
• BUTare willing to use government to enforce
  traditional moral standards.
• Favor larger military and more assertive pursuit
  of national self-interest.
• Advocate lower taxes to stimulate growth and to
  restrict governments capacity to finance social
  welfare programs.

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Modern Conservatism

• Reversal of liberal trend of 1930s to look to
  government as solution to our problems.
• Emphasis today on private sector to solve
  problems.
• Resurgence since late 70s  
• Strength in formerly solid South.
• Reagan/Bush/GHW Bush
• Republican control of Senate 1980-86, 1994-2000,
  and 2002-2006.
• Republican Congresses 104th, 105th, 106th, 108th,
  109th, 112th House

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Extreme New Right

• More extreme conservatives
• Sometimes called Neo-Conservatives and the New
  Right
• John Birch Society
• 3 types of Neo-Cons
• Foreign policy neo-conservatives
• Social policy neo-conservatives
• Economic neo-conservatives

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Neo Conservatives

• Foreign policy neo-conservatives
• Want to promote U.S. interests abroad and spread
  democracy
• Interventionists who want to defend national
  interest, wary of any New World Order, and
  wary of international organizations like
• United Nations
• World Trade Organization
• International Monetary Fund
• World Bank
• NAFTA
• Social policy neo-conservatives
• Emphasize social issues like prayer in school,
  anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality.
• Sometimes known as Religious Right.
• Economic neo-conservatives
• Want to unleash market forces to attack various
  ills in society.
• If we just cut taxes and free up the free
  enterprise system everything will improve.

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Far Left AND Far Right

• U.S. neo-conservatives, with their commitment to
  high military spending and global assertion of
  national values, tend to be more authoritarian
  than hard right.
• By contrast, neo-liberals, opposed to such moral
  leadership and ensuing demands on tax payer,
  belong to further right but less authoritarian
  region.
• Paradoxically, "free market", in neo-con
  parlance, also allows for large-scale subsidy of
  military-industrial complex, considerable degree
  of corporate welfare, and protectionism when
  deemed in national interest.
• These viewed by neo-libs as impediments to
  unfettered market forces that they champion.
• -About the Political
  Compass, January 6, 2004

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III. Socialism

• Means of production are owned and controlled by
  all of society.
• Belief that Economic Equality creates True
  Equality
• System in which means of production,
  distribution, and exchange are controlled by
  government.
• Strong impact upon Western Europe.
• Many Americans associate it with radicalism
• Americans have a strong belief in individualism
• Is this the Welfare State or the Perfect Society?

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Socialism

• How society should be run exactly and how it
  should be implemented or achieved is a matter of
  controversy
• Marxism and communism are both branches of
  socialism.
• Marxist theory also refers to society that would
  succeed or supplant capitalism, and would later
  develop further into communism, as the necessity
  for the socialist structure would wither away

• Robert Owen
• British capitalist turned socialist who
• Founded socialist colony in New Harmony, IN

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IV. Communism

• Communism refers to a conjectured, future,
  classless, stateless, social organization based
  upon common ownership of the means of production
  
• Establishment of communism viewed as culmination
  of class struggle between capitalist class
  (owners of capital) and working class.

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Karl Marx Theory

• Marxs Theory of Historical Progression

• Communist society Marx envisioned emerging from
  capitalism has never been implemented
• Remains theoretical

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V. Fascism

• Belief that society should triumph over
  individual
• Characteristics of Fascism
• Hypernationalism/Racism
• Nation/People as determining identity
• Elitism
• Rejection of Democracy
• Militarism
• Mussolini Slogan
• credere, obbediere, combattere
• (Believe, obey, fight)

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VI. Populism

• Average Joe or Jane
• Can be traced back to politicians trying to
  connect to common people
• Todays Populism
• Conservative on social issues
• Strong on family issues
• Pro-Life issues and Prayer in school
• Liberal on economic issues
• Watch out for little guy and his wages
• Stand up to corporate America
• Corporations should be monitored and closely
  watched
• Government regulations necessary

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VII. Libertarianism

• Extreme emphasis on individual liberty.
• Extreme cutback on role of government.
• Look to Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Liberal on social issues
• Government should not be involved in social
  issues
• No drug laws
• But some pro-choice some pro-life
• Conservative on economic issues
• Believe that government should only defend
  nation.
• Lower taxes
• No public education
• No need for much of bureaucracy

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Another Political Spectrum
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Yet Another Political Spectrum
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And a Final Political Spectrum