1. Unit 1 AP Government and Politics
Political Ideologies
Unit 1
AP Government and Politics

2. Political Ideology What we believe and why…
Political Ideology Definitions
A comprehensive, integrated set of views about government and politics
A coherent set of ideas of on how people should live together
A plan of action for applying these ideas

3. 1. Our Ideology Comes from Our… Political Culture
Political Culture is the widely shared beliefs, values and norms concerning the relationship of citizens to government and to one another.
Name some of the beliefs shared by most Americans….

4. Did you name these? Liberty Democracy Political Equality Individualism
Justice and the Rule of Law
Capitalism and Free Enterprise
Nationalism, optimism, and idealism
“The American Dream”

5. 2. Our Ideology Comes from our… Political Socialization
The process by which we are taught and develop our individual and collective political beliefs
Name some factors that influence our Political Socialization…

6. Did you name these? Family*** Peers Race and ethnic differences
Religious differences
Gender
Social and economic differences (SES)
Sectional/regional differences
Media influences
Age
Can be linked to Historical events (e.g., Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, Watergate, September 11 and War on Terror)

7. Basic Ideology Disagreements
Is Human Nature…
Naturally good, cooperative, even perfectible?
Inherently flawed, evil, dangerous?
Is the Individual more important than the Group?
Should we look out for number one?
Should we be concerned about our fellow humans?

8. Many people +
Many opinions =
Many viewpoints

12. Overview of Political Ideologies
I. Liberalism
II. Conservatism
III. Socialism
IV. Communism
V. Fascism
VI. Populism
VII. Libertarianism
VIII. Moderates
Raphael’s
“The School of Athens”

14. The Classic Political Spectrum

15. I. Liberalism Classical Liberalism
Desire for a free, open, tolerant society
Humans as rational and able to recognize and promote self-interest
Limited role of government.
“That government is best which governs least.”
Government was seen as the chief threat to liberty.
Theory of government to protect property rights.
Liberty and equality of opportunity
John Stuart Mill

16. Basic Tenets of Classic Liberalism
Social conditions are the result of individual choices and actions
Societies work best when individuals are free to do as they wish without harming or violating rights of others

17. Modern Liberalism New Deal helped to expand the role of government
Theory of government is to protect people’s well-being.
Need for a strong central government to “smooth out the rough edges of capitalism.”
Corporations seen as the chief threat to liberty.
Government role is to provide opportunity for all citizens
Favor using government to:
Reduce economic inequalities
Champion the rights of the disadvantaged
Tolerate a more diverse range of social behaviors
Finance social welfare programs with higher taxes on the rich

18. Neo-Liberals “the New Left” Late 20th century and 21st century
Believe that government certainly has some role to play, but not as big a role as desired by New Deal liberals.
Need to get back to more individualism and less reliance on big government.
Discrediting of liberalism in 1980’s and 1990’s:
A feeling that liberalism has “gone too far.”
Less likely to rely upon government as a solution to problems.

19. II. Classic Conservatism
Learn from the past
Custom and tradition as ‘latent wisdom’
Look to the past??
Freedom and order
Focused on conserving existing social order
Organic or unrefined view of society
Belief in human imperfection
Acceptance of inequality
Edmund Burke

20. Modern Conservatives Generally …
distrust government
have greater faith in private enterprise and free markets
BUT…they are willing to use government to enforce traditional moral standards.
They favor a larger military and a more assertive pursuit of national self-interest.
Also advocate lower taxes to stimulate growth and to restrict the government’s capacity to finance social welfare programs.

21. Modern Conservatism
Reversal of the liberal trend of the 1930’s to look to government as the solution to our problems.
Emphasis today on the private sector to solve problems.
Resurgence since late 70’s:  
Strength in the formerly “solid South.”
Reagan/Bush/GHW Bush
Republican control of the Senate , , and
Republican Congresses 104th, 105th, 106th, 108th, 109th, 112th House

22. The Extreme “New” Right
More extreme conservatives
Sometimes called Neo-Conservatives and the New Right
John Birch Society
Three types of Neo-Cons
Foreign policy neo-conservatives
Social policy neo-conservatives
Economic neo-conservatives

23. Neo Conservatives Foreign policy neo-conservatives United Nations
Isolationists who want to defend the national interest and are wary of any “New World Order,” and are wary of international organizations like the
United Nations
World Trade Organization
International Monetary Fund
World Bank
NAFTA
Social policy neo-conservatives
Emphasize social issues like prayer in school, anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality.
Sometimes known as the “Religious Right.”
Economic neo-conservatives
Want to unleash market forces to attack various ills in society.
“If we just cut taxes and free up the free enterprise system everything will improve.

24. The Far Left AND Far Right
U.S. neo-conservatives, with their commitment to high military spending and the global assertion of national values, tend to be more authoritarian than hard right.
By contrast, neo-liberals, opposed to such moral leadership and, more especially, the ensuing demands on the tax payer, belong to a further right but less authoritarian region.
Paradoxically, the "free market", in neo-con parlance, also allows for the large-scale subsidy of the military-industrial complex, a considerable degree of corporate welfare, and protectionism when deemed in the national interest.
These are viewed by neo-libs as impediments to the unfettered market forces that they champion.
-About the Political Compass, January 6, 2004

25. III. Socialism
The means of production are owned and controlled by all of society.
Belief that Economic Equality creates ‘True Equality’
System in which means of production, distribution, and exchange are controlled by government.
Strong impact upon Western Europe.
Many Americans associate it with radicalism
Americans have a strong belief in individualism
Is this the Welfare State or the Perfect Society?

26. Socialism
How society should be run exactly and how it should be implemented or achieved is a matter of controversy
Marxism and communism are both branches of socialism.
In Marxist theory, it also refers to the society that would “succeed or supplant capitalism, and would later develop further into communism, as the necessity for the socialist structure would wither away
Robert Owen
British capitalist turned socialist who
Founded “socialist colony” in New Harmony, IN

27. IV. Communism
Communism refers to a “conjectured, future, classless, stateless, social organization based upon common ownership of the means of production”
The establishment of communism is viewed as the culmination of the class struggle between the capitalist class (the owners of capital) and the working class.

28. Marx’s Theory of Historical Progression
Karl Marx Theory
Karl Marx
The communist society Marx envisioned emerging from capitalism has never been implemented
It remains theoretical
Communism
Capitalism
Feudalism
Slave-based Empires
Primitive Communism

29. V. Fascism Belief that society should triumph over the individual
Characteristics of Fascism
Hypernationalism/Racism
Nation/People as determining identity
Elitism
Rejection of Democracy
Militarism
Mussolini Slogan:
credere, obbediere, combattere
(Believe, obey, fight)
Hitler and Mussolini

30. VI. Populism The “average Joe” or “Jane”
Can be traced back to politicians trying to connecting to the common people
Today’s Populism
Conservative on social issues
Strong on family issues and a slower pace
Pro-Life issues and Prayer in school
Liberal on economic issues
Watch out for the “little guy” and his wages
Stand up to “corporate America”
Corporations should be monitored and closely watched
Government regulations are necessary

31. VII. Libertarianism Extreme emphasis on individual liberty.
Extreme cutback on role of government.
Look to Constitution and Bill of Rights
Liberal on social issues
Government should not be involved in social issues
No drug laws…
But…some pro-choice some pro-life
Conservative on economic issues
They essentially believe that government should only defend the nation.
Lower taxes
No public education
No need for much of bureaucracy

32. VIII. Moderates
A Moderate is one who takes a relatively centrist view of most political issues.
In recent years, the term political moderates is sometimes viewed negatively because of a lack of a moderate political ideology.
According to Aristotle, domination by those in the middle was superior than domination by those on the extreme.

33. Current Trends in the US
Gallop POll

43. Exploring other
Political Spectrums

44. A Spectrum with another dimension….

45. The same Spectrum with REAL People

46. ANOTHER Spectrum with REAL People

48. The Another Political Spectrum

49. And Another...

50. And Another...

51. And Another...

52. The Yet Another Political Spectrum

53. MY favorite political spectrum!!

54. And a Final Political Spectrum

55. Where do YOU Belong on the Political Spectrum ???