Left Wing Right Wing Big ideas: Equality, Progress Example policies health care, education, unemployment insurance, gay marriage Big ideas: Freedom, Tradition Example policies lower taxes, support for business, support for military

Political Ideologies totalitarianism: (one leader, through power and fear) a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. democracy: (power from the people) a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives

Political Ideologies direct democracy: people vote directly on laws and policy decisions representative democracy: people vote for people who will represent them and make decisions about laws and policy.

Political Ideologies Communism: a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Political Ideologies Aren’t communism and socialism the same? (Not quite) while communism requires the violent overthrow of the established political order, socialism can work within the political structure. In addition, where communism demands central control over the means of production (at least in the initial stages), socialism allows for more free enterprise among workers' cooperatives.

Political Ideologies Capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. Note: This is more of an economic system, but it is tied to political ideas still. For example, in the Cold War, Communism (USSR) and Capitalism (USA) were in conflict.

Political Ideologies Liberalism: Government should provide more services to the less fortunate (like health care) and increase taxes if necessary. High-income earners should pay a larger percentage of their income as taxes. Conservatism: Government should tax less and spend less. Cutting spending to balance the budget should be the priority. Higher income earners should have an incentive to invest (credits). Charity is the responsibility of the people.

Political Ideologies Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. Examples: Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s Italy

Let’s pretend you have two cows…

Totalitarianism You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Nobody is allowed to drink milk.

Communism in Theory You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

Communism in Reality You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk. To get milk, it’s expensive, the lines are very long, and it tastes bad.

Socialism You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you as much milk as they think you need.

Capitalism You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. You make more cows and sell as much milk as you can.

Fascism You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk. You thank them and tell them it’s wonderful, or get in trouble.

Classwork for Portfolio Choose two of the following ideologies, and explain how they are different. You may write a paragraph, or draw a diagram. totalitarianism / democracy communism / fascism