Secondary PowerPoint 5: Perspectives and Ideologies

What do you think is the most important issue facing the province?

Opinions and Perspectives An opinion is your belief about a particular issue or topic. Opinions are personal, subjective and formed by our values, knowledge and perspectives. Not everyone will have the same opinion about the most important issue facing the province, but there is no right or wrong opinion A perspective is a viewpoint or an outlook, a way of looking at things. Our perspectives are shaped by who we are and our environment. From the perspective of high school students, the most important issue facing the province may be education

Do you think a person from Fort St Do you think a person from Fort St. John has the same perspective about the most important issue facing the province compared to someone from Surrey?

What do you see?

Your Values and Worldview Your worldview is your outlook on life and the world, and how you interpret events on a daily basis. Your worldview relates to your values, which are your principles or standards of behaviour and priorities in life.

Which people and experiences do you think have had the largest impact on your own worldview?

What is a political ideology? A political ideology is a set of shared ideas or beliefs about the role of government and how society should work. A political ideology is your political worldview.

Which do you think is better and why? Lower taxes, smaller government and less government services Higher taxes, larger government and more government services

Which statement do you believe more strongly and why? Society is not bound by tradition Traditions provide security and stability and must be respected

Common Ideologies Liberalism – Favours individual liberty but acknowledges the need for some form of government intervention in the economy. Conservatism – Advocates for the preservation of society (tradition) and opposes radical changes. Socialism – Favours a political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are owned by the community collectively. Libertarianism – Advocates for minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens.

Other Ideologies Communism – Promotes the establishment of an egalitarian and classless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property. Fascism – Favours strict social and economical measures as a method of empowering the government and limiting the freedom of citizens.

What is the political spectrum? The political spectrum provides a way to characterize and distinguish between different beliefs, ideologies, political parties and policy ideas. A linear spectrum is represented as a horizontal line, with the left favouring social equality, government involvement and more social services, and the right favouring tradition, smaller government and lower taxes.

The Political Spectrum The political spectrum can also be viewed with two intersecting scales: one for economic/fiscal policies one for social/personal policies This creates a quadrant with four areas: Libertarian Authoritarian Left Right

Political Spectrum Questions Should the government welcome any person who wants to immigrate to Canada? Should the government spend more on our armed forces? Should wealthier people pay a larger proportion in taxes?

Elections provide an opportunity for citizens to discuss and debate issues and potential solutions for their community, province or country. The outcome of the election determines the political direction of our government.

Debrief What can you do to shape your own political beliefs and opinions? Why is it healthy to question each other’s viewpoints? Why is it important to respect the opinions of others?