1. POLITICAL SPECTRUM
An Introduction

2. Today’s Goals:
PURPOSE: To explore the wide range of political ideologies covered by the political spectrum and begin to understand that political ideology is not an exact science and rather one that must account for a host of different influences.
OBJECTIVES:
Identify and define the characteristics and stances of the major political ideologies.
Apply your knowledge of political ideologies to determine where you fall on the spectrum.
Analyze how political ideologies influence the media’s presentation of political information.

3. DEFINITION
A political spectrum is a tool used to visually compare different political positions by placing the positions on one or more axes.

4. In the United States, the most commonly used political spectrum, (also known as the political continuum), places a range of beliefs along a horizontal line and is described in terms left or right of center.
LEFT
RIGHT
CENTER

5. Most commonly, the Political Spectrum tells us two things:
1. How much change in government a person is willing to allow (and how fast that change should take place)
2. How much the government should intervene, or get involved, in the lives of people (particularly with respect to the economy)

6. GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS LEFT More government intervention
Gradual to rapid change in government
RIGHT
Less government intervention
Little to no change in status quo

7. POLITICAL SPECTRUM OF IDEOLOGIES
LIBERAL
CONSERVATIVE
RADICAL
MODERATE
REACT.

8. RADICAL Far left of the political spectrum
Call for wide-sweeping rapid change
May be willing to resort to extreme methods to bring about change

9. LIBERAL Active government
Gradual change within the existing political system.
Reject violent revolution
- Govt should be actively involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens. 9

10. MODERATE Share viewpoints with both liberals and conservatives
Tolerant
Average > extreme
“Wait-and-See”
with both liberals and conservatives
Explain to students that the political spectrum is similar to a Persian carpet. Most Americans make up the medallion of the carpet which lies in the center of the spectrum. This means that they will have moderate views on most issues and form their opinions on an issue to issue basis. What separates moderate voters are one or two issues on which they will feel strongly. This strong belief in one issue will pull them to one side of the spectrum or another. Approximately 80% of the American public falls in this area. 10

11. CONSERVATIVE
Favor keeping things the way they are, or maintaining the status quo
Hesitant or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism.
LG.
or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism.
They feel that the less government there is, the better. 11

12. REACTIONARY Far right “Good ol’ Days”
Extreme methods, such as repressive use of government power, to achieve their goals
- such as repressive use of government power, to achieve their goals 12

13. Alternate Intelligence

14. What is filled every morning and emptied every night, except once a year when it is filled at night and emptied in the morning? 

15. What is filled every morning and emptied every night, except once a year when it is filled at night and emptied in the morning? 
A stocking.

16. What is it that you can take away the whole and still have some left?

17. What is it that you can take away the whole and still have some left?
The word "wholesome."

18. What is neither inside a house nor outside a house, but no house would be complete without it? 

19. What is neither inside a house nor outside a house, but no house would be complete without it? 
A window.

20. What is pronounced like one letter, written with three letters, and belongs to all animals?

21. What is pronounced like one letter, written with three letters, and belongs to all animals?
Eye.

22. What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space; the beginning of every end, and the end of every race?

23. What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space; the beginning of every end, and the end of every race?
The letter E.

24. SPECTRUMS AND PARTIES
Political parties are loosely formed around these broad political ideologies.

25. TWO MAJOR U.S. PARTIES DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
generally seen as liberal because they support government regulation of the economy
REPUBLICANS
generally seen as conservative because they advocate a reduction in government

26. MORE SPECIFICALLY…
Within parties, there are people who hold a variety of opinions on social and economic issues that fall along the spectrum of political ideologies
Examples are liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, moderate Republicans, and conservative Republicans

27. BOTH PARTIES LEAN TOWARD MODERATE
Only way to win!
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
Current theorists say that U.S. political parties are becoming increasingly moderate and therefore less easily separated on the political spectrum
Goes back to that 80 % 27

28. WHERE WOULD YOU PUT… Communists? Fascists? Socialists? Absolutists?
CONSERVATIVE
FASCIST
SOCIALIST
LIBERAL
Communism is a socioeconomic system structured upon common ownership of the means of production and characterized by the absence of social classes, money, and the state; as well as a social, political and economic ideology and movement that aims to establish this social order.
Socialism is a social and economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production  and co-operative management of the economy,as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system (primarily an economic system that can exist under many different political systems—an extreme form of communism)
Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Influenced by national syndicalism, fascism originated in Italy in the immediate aftermath of World War I, combining more typically right-wing positions with elements of left-wing politics
Absolutism, the political doctrine and practice of unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator. The essence of an absolutist system is that the ruling power is not subject to regularized challenge or check by any other agency, be it judicial, legislative, religious, economic, or electorate (King Louis XIV).
CENTRISTS
ABSO
COMMUNIST
REACT.
RADICAL 28

29. CURRENT ISSUES RIGHT LEFT Anti-Gun Control Pro Gun Control
Pro-Life (Abortion)
Anti-Flag Burning
Prisons Should Punish
Prayer in Schools
School Vouchers
Republican Party Platform
LEFT
Pro Gun Control
Pro-Choice (Abortion)
No Censorship
Prisons should Rehabilitate
Pro-Privacy
Equal Funding for Education
Democratic Party Platform

30. TAXATION LEFT RIGHT Taxes are acceptable.
Need $$$ to fund programs which benefit society.
Graduated taxes are preferred over flat rate taxes.
Rich pay more
RIGHT
Infringement on personal freedom.
Taxes intervene with the free market system.
Penalizes success/profit
Flat rate and/or consumption tax.

31. BUSINESS REGULATION LEFT RIGHT
Accepts government regulation of business.
The market place cannot be relied upon to provide safe working conditions.
Government control and regulations are needed to protect the worker and consumer.
Equal chance to succeed.
RIGHT
Business must be allowed to operate free of government control.
Government control of working conditions or policies that affect products are unacceptable.
Trickle down economics
The business of America is business.

32. POLITICAL RIGHTS LEFT RIGHT
Passionate about extending civil rights to minority groups
Tolerant of those not in the status quo.
Protect individual rights
RIGHT
Most issues are best dealt with on the state and local level.
Preferred values (family, faith, patriotism and love of family) and beliefs are seen as originating in the past and are rooted in Christian traditions and practices.
Censorship acceptable to maintain the status quo.

33. Word bubbles, symbols, etc. are encouraged.
ACTIVITY
Form 5 groups. I will assign you one of the following identities from the political spectrum (radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, and reactionary). You are to create a sketch of what a person of your assigned political ideology might look like. Use the article on political ideas/this lecture to inform your sketch.
AVOID STEREOTYPES
Word bubbles, symbols, etc. are encouraged.

34. DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH
LEFT
Taxes represent a mechanism to equally distribute wealth.
The government should be involved in providing more equal opportunities.
Government funding of public projects (pump priming) will stimulate the economy and help the common man.
RIGHT
Business has right to make as much profit as they possibly can.
Profits represent an incentive to work hard.
The disparity between the rich and the poor is explained in part by the economic choices people make.

35. THE MARKET
LEFT
Government intervention in the market is acceptable.
The government should set minimum wage standards.
Public works projects represent an acceptable way to create jobs.
Government should provide a basic standard of living to all citizens.
RIGHT
The economy works best when it is absolutely free (laissez-faire) of government control.
The forces of the market can be trusted to meet needs.
Government programs should not compete with private industry.

36. FOREIGN AFFAIRS LEFT RIGHT
The government should be primarily focused on spreading democracy and protecting human rights in the world
Strong support for the united nations.
RIGHT
The government's primary role is to protect U.S. business and economic interests in foreign countries.
Supports tariffs.

37. SCOPE OF THE GOVERNMENT
LEFT
The government should serve as the great equalizer.
The left is accepts government control and regulation of business, and an active government that protects political rights.
RIGHT
Government should be downsized.
Government programs tend to provide unnecessary services that go beyond the scope of the constitution.

38. MATCH WHERE YOU FALL WITH THE FOLLOWING POLITICAL FIGURES
Ronald Reagan
Jesse Jackson
Ted Kennedy
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
Colin Powell
George Bush
Jack Kemp
Bob Dole
100%
LIBERAL
100%
CONSERVATIVE

39. The first rule of Media Bias: You do not talk about Media Bias.