POLITICAL SPECTRUM LEFT-WING vs RIGHT-WING IDEOLOGIES

Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in mid-20th century Europe. Fascists seek to unify their nation through a totalitarian state that promotes the mass mobilization of the national community, relying on a vanguard party to initiate a revolution to organize the nation on fascist principles. Hostile to democracy, liberalism, socialism, and communism, fascist movements share certain common features, including the veneration of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and an emphasis on ultra nationalism, ethnocentrism, and militarism. Fascism views political violence, war, and imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation.

Nazism (German: Nationalsozialismus) is the ideology of the Nazi Party in Germany and related movements elsewhere. It is a variety of fascism that incorporates biological racism and antisemitism. It was designed to draw workers away from communism. German Nazism asserted the superiority of a master race, and criticized communism.

Communism is a revolutionary socialist movement to create a classless, moneyless and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production, as well as a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of this social order. This movement, in its Marxist–Leninist interpretations, significantly influenced the history of the 20th century, which saw intense rivalry between the "socialist world" (socialist states ruled by communist parties) and the "western world" (countries with capitalist economies).

Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy. "Social ownership" may refer to cooperative enterprises, common ownership, state ownership, or citizen ownership of equity.

Political positions: Those on the left may support: social welfare programs (food stamps, homeless shelters, unemployment benefits) religious freedom and the separation of church and state higher or more progressive taxes environmentalism trade protectionism expansion of government into new areas trade unions and industry regulations social change or social justice Those on the right may support: reform of government-funded welfare programs traditional or religious values, allowing those institutions to replace government services lower or flatter taxation international free-trade agreements limiting the scope of government reducing regulations on industry