Political Thought

The role of ideas What people think and believe about society, power, rights, etc., determines their actions How do the ideas and beliefs appear in our minds? – Critical examination of reality – thinking for oneself – Influence of others’ opinions – family, education, mass media, etc. Family Culture Religion/Spirituality Gender Environment Relationship to the land Language Media

Two main concepts about the role of ideas in politics Political culture – the broad pattern of political orientations shared by a large group of people (a nation, a region, a class, an ethnic group) Political ideology – a system of political ideas, developed for the purposes of political action (governing a country, launching a social movement or a political party, organizing a revolution – or a counterrevolution, etc.)

Political Culture A general set of Ideas, attitudes and beliefs Shapes a region’s politics Political Cultures in the US may identify with certain principles in the Declaration of Independence Political culture sometimes confused with ideology For example many communities in the US and Canada participate in at least one of the following: – Traditionalism – Individualism – Moralism

Traditionalism Basic featuresAssociated US regionAdvantagesDisadvantages Strong attachment to long-established institutions Preference for traditional ‘modes and orders’ Suspicion of change Family legacies The “Old South”: South Carolina North Carolina Virginia Tennessee Georgia Mississippi Alabama Louisiana Texas What about Canada? Stability Predictability Laws and customs tend to remain constant Inflexibility Lack of social mobility Tolerance of corruption in the public sector Hostility to reform Fatalism Examples: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” “You can’t fight city hall.” Uncontested elections Political Dynasties (Bush, Thurmond, Moncrieff, Kennedy)

Individualism Basic featuresAssociated US regionAdvantagesDisadvantages Strong belief in self- reliance Preference for individual and independent action; free enterprise Suspicion of public institutions Resistance to regulation “The Self-Made Man” The “Old West”: Wyoming Texas Colorado New Mexico Arizona Nevada Montana North Dakota South Dakota Canada? Opportunity Privacy Recognition of individual efforts Accountability Isolation Lack of community support Intolerance of public sector involvement Tolerance of corruption in the private sector, provided one isn’t caught Examples: “You’ll get my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands.” “You’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.” Entrepreneurs, independent contractors “Caveat emptor”

Moralism Basic featuresAssociated US regionAdvantagesDisadvantages Strong belief in community, “commonwealth” Preference for formal community action Suspicion of private institutions and interests Strong regulatory presence “New England”: Massachusetts New Hampshire Connecticut Maine New York Pennsylvania Also prevalent in the Pacific NW and in capital cities Canada? Community Accountability Active social support structures “safety nets” Intrusiveness Tolerance of corruption in the public sector if it serves the “moral duty” of serving the commonwealth Inaction unless initiated by community officials High public debt; high taxes Examples: “Did you bring enough for everybody?” “We’re from the government and we’re here to help you.” Social Security, social welfare programs Public education programs

Political Culture vs. Ideology Political Culture A set of general attitudes, ideas and beliefs Broadly informs and shapes a region’s politics Ideology A set of specific attitudes, ideas and beliefs Provides or advocates a coherent plan for social, political, or economic action

Examples of ideologies Political ideologies – Libertarianism – Liberalism – Conservatism – Anarchism – Socialism – Fascism – Communism – Communitarianism – Statism Economic ideologies –capitalism –communism –globalism –protectionism –Keynesianism –monetarism –Market fundamentalism Social ideologies –Tribalism –Ethnocentrism –Nationalism –Feminism –Multiculturalism –Supremacism

What ideology Is A set of specific ideas, attitudes and beliefs Provides or advocates a coherent plan for social, political, or economic action Plan is consistent with, and is explained in terms of, the ideas, attitudes and beliefs held

What ideology is not: Ideology is not political culture – Traditionalists are not necessarily conservatives – Liberals are not necessarily moralists Ideology is not partisanship – Liberals are not necessarily liberal – Conservatives are not necessarily conservative Ideology is not a policy position – E.g. Abortion advocates are not necessarily libertarian or liberal opponents are not necessarily conservative or libertarian

Comparative Ideology: Left and Right Wings Origins in the French National Assembly Motto of the French Revolution: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité (liberty, equality, brotherhood) Revolutionary Advocates of Liberté and Egalité, opposing the ancien régime (the Old Order) sat on the left side of the room Opponents of Liberté and Fraternité, sympathetic to the ancien régime, sat on the right side of the room

Thus… The terms “Left” and “Right” began to take on a political meaning. The meaning was based on how much change to society was acceptable

LeftRight RadicalLiberalModerateConservativeReactionary Centre

Left of Moderate Liberal –– (Left) ––Believe that the government should actively promote social reform to increase individuals’ well being. Favor change but work peacefully within the existing political system.

Right Side of Moderate Conservative–(Right) – Government should stay out of the lives of citizens and businesses, except on moral and issues. Favor the status quo, (the way things are). Hesitant to change. Will work peacefully within the existing political system.

Middle of the Spectrum Moderate–(Middle) –people who have opinions between liberal and conservative and may include some of both. They are generally tolerant of many view points. They generally don’t hold any extreme viewpoints.

Far Left Side of the Spectrum Radical–(Far Left)–Favor a rapid, fundamental change in the existing social, economic or political order. Will use extreme measures including violence to achieve their goals.

Far Right of the Spectrum Reactionary–(Far Right) – Advocate a return to a previous state of affairs, often a social, political or economic order that existed earlier in history. Will use extreme measures to achieve their goals including violence.

The political spectrum diagrammed RadicalLiberalModerateConservativeReactionary The extremes are not democratic. LeftRight

Radical Liberal Moderate Conservative Reactionary LeftRight democracy dictatorship

Left and Right: The Political Spectrum The most common comparative model of ideological preference in the West (USA, Canada, UK)Canada Left WingRight Wing LiberalismConservatismCentrismSocialismCommunismStatismFascism

Liberal Conservative Change Tradition Problems are circumstantial Problems are individual Gov’t needs to be less involved Freedom ––personal choices Equality–fairness––level the playing field Human rights Property rights Moral Absolutes Relative Values

Change Pro Choice Gay Marriage Tradition Pro Life Heterosexual Marriage Ideology Applied to Issues

Circumstantial Welfare Programs Healthcare for all Drug rehabilitation programs Individual Welfare limits Private health care Tough on crime Problems in Society

Gov’t is responsible for social reform Education funding Assistance Programs Environmental Protection Gov’t should be less involved School vouchers Charity tax deductions deregulation Government in Society

Social Equality Anti- discrimination Gender equality Affirmative action programs Individual Freedom The right to hire Merit paycompetition Equality and Freedom

Human Rights Environment Assistance Programs Crime prevention- rehabilitation Property Rights Pro-businessTax cuts Tough on crime death penalty The People’s Rights

Relative Values Pro-choiceGay Rights Legalize Drugs Moral Absolutes Pro-Life Traditional Family Criminalize drugs Morality

Democrats vs. Republicans (USA)

NDP vs. Green vs. Liberal vs. Conservative (Canada)

Rex Tugwell, an advisor to president FDR, said that different attitudes toward change characterize adherents to different political philosophies. He wrote that if a community needed a new train station. Or education reform, crime control, etc. ____________ would like to rebuild the train while the train is running; ____________ prefer to blow up the train station and forgo service until the new structure is built. _____________ would prefer to keep the old station, being satisfied with it, While, a ____________ would abandon the station entirely since they do not approve of trains in the first place. liberal radical conservative reactionary

Problems with the Left-Right Spectrum