Slide Deck F: The Political Spectrum

The Political Spectrum The political spectrum is a way of characterizing beliefs, values and priorities and provides a framework to evaluate political parties and public policy. People who find themselves on the left or right side of the spectrum usually have opposing views on a range of socio-cultural or economic issues.

Left-leaning Canadians (Economic Issues) People who are left-leaning most often believe that... The government can play a positive role in managing the economy and creating jobs, as opposed to simply letting the private sector be responsible for creating jobs. A large gap between the richest and poorest parts of society should be avoided as much as possible. Wealthier individuals and corporations should pay a greater share of taxes than poorer individuals. There is good value in government services, such as education and healthcare, and higher taxes and government debt may be necessary to ensure these services are sufficient. Policies that might be considered bad for businesses but are intended to alleviate social or environmental problems, like climate change, are important for the greater good.

Right-leaning Canadians (Economic Issues) People who are right-leaning most often believe that… Businesses and individuals should receive as much support as possible in order to create jobs, wealth and innovation. Inequality is not a concern. People who are financially successful are being rewarded for their contributions to society. Smaller government is the best approach, which means less government influence on the economy and fewer government services. Taxes should be as low as possible and the government should avoid going into debt. Regulation on businesses is not necessary because the free market provides sufficient incentives for businesses to pursue important social and environmental outcomes.

Towards the Centre If you are at either end of the spectrum, left or right, you will feel most strongly about the views mentioned. But what happens if you agree with some but not all views? Or maybe you just do not feel as passionate about the issues as others? This is actually the case for most people. This is why we have centre-left and centre-right. People who are closer to the centre may feel less strongly about some issues, or only support some views.

The 2018 Student Budget Consultation High school students from across Canada participated in the 2018 Student Budget Consultation, a national initiative aimed at engaging youth in the federal government pre-budget consultation process. Between November 2018 and February 2018, 8,000 high school students participated from more than 450 schools, representing every province and territory. The following slides show how participating students responded to questions related to economic issues, and allow you to compare them with your own views.

Corporate taxation Some people believe that corporate taxation prevents businesses from hiring more people and that governments should reduce or keep corporate taxes low. The taxes levied on businesses represent a significant part of a government's revenues, which are used to pay for government services. Depending on how much value a person places on those services, they may favour higher taxation on companies in order to pay for these services.

Individual taxation Usually, the percentage of tax paid on a person's income is higher for those who make more money. Some people believe that wealthier people should not be taxed at a higher rate, because it may cause them and their businesses to move to a place that offers lower taxes. If they move, that could result in less jobs and wealth. Others believe that wealthier people already have enough income to live comfortably and should pay more in taxes in order for government services to be provided to the rest of society.

Balancing the budget People have different opinions on whether a government going into deficit is a very negative thing. Some people believe that governments should avoid debt at all costs, even if it means it spends less money on government services. Other people believe that government services are more important than balancing the budget, and that some government debt is acceptable if it means that government services are maintained for citizens.

Carbon taxation A tax on carbon refers to a government tax aimed specifically at activities that release carbon dioxide or other pollutants into the atmosphere, such as extracting oil or driving cars that use gas. Opponents of taxes like these might feel that the social benefit gained from such a tax is not worth penalizing certain activities that create jobs for people, like jobs on oil rigs or in automobile manufacturing. People who support such taxes often mention that the economic impact of such taxes is worth it, because the social outcome is more important than the potential revenues or employment created by the activity.

Discussion Questions Were you surprised about where you sit on the political spectrum? Did you feel like you felt more strongly about some positions than others? Where do you fit compared to other Canadian students?