Political Ideology

Definition: more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue. – Measured by the frequency of people’s use of broad terms to describe/justify their views and how consistent these preferences are over time Most Americans do not think ideologically and have little use for terms like “liberal” or “conservative” But we still have strong predispositions and share a common political culture Moderates the largest group of Americans

Defining “Liberalism” and “Conservatism” Definitions have a very complex history – Early 1800s liberals supported personal and economic liberty, while conservatives wanted to restore the power of the state, church, and aristocracy – Changed with FDR – liberalism began to mean support for an activist government – Conservatives then became a reaction against activism, and favored a free market, states’ rights, and individual economic choice Today, definitions are imprecise but still reflect important party differences

“Rule of Thumb” (which is violated a million times every day) Liberal View – Favors bigger welfare state – Favors smaller military establishment – Pro-choice Conservative View – Favors smaller role of government – Support a strong military – Favors prayer in school – Pro-life

Political Spectrum RADICALLIBERALMODERATECONSERVATIVEREACTIONARY “LEFT”“RIGHT”

Liberal Government should provide jobs for all, medical care, education Increased taxation of the rich Strict enforcement of civil rights (affirmative action) More tolerant of protests Legalize marijuana, gay marriage, and protect rights of the accused, stricter gun laws Conservative Government should provide people with adequate personal freedom to conduct their lives as they choose Lower taxes Traditional, family and social values are stressed – No gay marriage – No abortion Seen as tougher on crime Right to bear arms

Reality Liberal and Conservative labels just don’t cut it – people mix liberal and conservative positions all the time There could actually be as many as nine categories But to make things a little easier, theorists have settled on four – Pure liberals (liberal on both economic and personal conduct issues) – Pure conservatives (conservative on both economic and personal conduct issues) – Libertarians – Populists (aka Authoritarians)

Descriptions Libertarians- conservative on economic issues, liberal on social – Value freedom more than order or equality – Want minimal government intervention in both economic and social spheres Populists/Authoritarians- liberal on economic issues, conservative on social – Value equality and order more than freedom – Like liberals, think the government should help the disadvantaged – Like conservatives, think the government should promote moral values

Nolan Chart