The Political Spectrum Where do you stand?

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 REGULATION 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. These factors place a person somewhere on a grid, which can be used to measure where a person stands in relation to each other and the issues.

What is a Radical? Seen as being on the far left of the political spectrum, radicals call for wide-sweeping rapid change in the basic structure of the political, social, or economic system. They may be willing to resort to extreme methods to bring about change, including the use of violence and revolution. V.I. Lenin: Mastermind of the Russian Revolution and Father of the Soviet Union

Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King What is a Liberal? Liberals believe that the government should be actively involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens. They usually call for peaceful, gradual change within the existing political system. They reject violent revolution as a way of changing the way things are, often called the status quo. Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) is generally seen as a moderate. What is a Moderate? Moderates may share viewpoints with both liberals and conservatives. They are seen as tolerant of other people’s views, and they do not hold extreme views of their own. 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.

What is a Conservative? People who hold conservative ideals favor keeping things the way they are or maintaining the status quo if it is what they desire. 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. Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) is widely regarded as the father of the modern conservative movement

Hitler’s Mein Kampf is a typical reactionary manifesto What is a Reactionary? Sitting on the far right of the ideological spectrum, reactionaries want to go back to the way things were—the “good ol’ days.” 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. A positive way to say the same thing is “arch-conservative.” Hitler’s Mein Kampf is a typical reactionary manifesto

The Political Spectrum Be sure to mention that Democrats and Republicans are MODERATES in the International Spectrum, but Liberal and Conservative in American politics.

How does it differ to that of the International Spectrum? The American Spectrum How does it differ to that of the International Spectrum?

Moderates Democrats and Republicans are viewed internationally as Moderates In America, Democrats are “left” and Republicans are “right”

Democrats Viewed as LIBERAL in America…false Want more regulation in regards to economic issues and less regulation in socio-moral concerns Statistics: Hold majority in House Illinois sways democratic Barack Obama (D)

Republicans Viewed as CONSERVATIVE…false Want less regulation in economic decision and more regulation in regards to socio-moral issues Statistics: 199 in House of 435 Texas (Republican’s largest supporter) George W. Bush

Importance of Controversial Issues Politician’s views on “controversial issues” are significant in times of election Why? Swing states Conditional voters Political Funding

Swing States Those that do not have an overwhelming amount of Democrats or Republicans These states are important to win over in elections because some, such as Ohio and Florida, have a lot of “electoral college votes”.

Electoral College? When the people vote in a state, the electoral college then votes in their favor Electoral votes are based on a state’s population So YES, your vote matters! Ex: 300 people in Illinois vote for McCain, 301 people in Illinois vote for Obama…All 21 of Illinois electoral college voters cast their vote for Obama (because he won the majority of popular votes!)

Why else are controversial issues important during election time? Minorities want their views represented and tend to abstain from voting unless they feel “involved” or “represented” GLBT rights (homosexual community and supporters) Abortion (women’s rights activists) Immigration reform (overall minorities) Candidates can gain or lose supporters due to their views on these issues

Activist Organization Funding Politicians need to consider what organizations yield the largest profit Support views of large organizations in hopes of monetary donations Organization members will vote for candidate