1. The Political Spectrum
Where do you stand?

2. What is a Continuum?
Continuum: the line that citizens and politicians are placed on to determine where they stand politically A person’s views on the issues help determine where they fall on the political spectrum.
Ask students to look for the root word of the term “continuum.” (Continue)

3. Factors That Determine Placement
Two major factors shape political views.
how much change a person is willing to have within their society and government.
how much government involvement in the economy a person calls for.
Others also bring in the question of how much freedom from government authority a leader is willing to give the people.
These factors place a person somewhere on a grid, which can be used to measure where a person stands in relation to each other and the issues.

4. Political Labels
Figure out where you stand on:
social (people-related)
economic (money-related)
political (governmental) issues.

5. What is a Radical?
Far left of the political spectrum, radicals call for wide-sweeping rapid change in the basic structure of the political, social, or economic system. Willing to resort to extreme methods to bring about change, including the use of violence and revolution.
V.I. Lenin: Mastermind of the Russian Revolution and Father of the Soviet Union

7. Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King
What is a Liberal?
Believe that the government should be actively involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens.
Usually call for peaceful, gradual change within the existing political system.
Reject violent revolution as a way of changing the way things are, often called the status quo.
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King

8. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is generally seen as a moderate.
What is a Moderate?
May share viewpoints with both liberals and conservatives.
Seen as tolerant of other people’s views, and they do not hold extreme views of their own.
Advocate a “go-slow” or “wait-and-see” approach to social or political change.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is generally seen as a moderate.

9. What is a Conservative?
Favor keeping things the way they are or maintaining the status quo if it is what they desire.
Hesitant or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism in some way.
They feel that the less government there is, the better.
They agree with Jefferson’s view that “the best government governs least.”
Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) is widely regarded as the father of the modern conservative movement

10. Hitler’s Mein Kampf is a typical reactionary manifesto
What is a Reactionary?
Far right of the political spectrum
want to go back to the way things were
Often willing to use extreme methods, such as repressive use of government power, to achieve their goals.
Hitler’s Mein Kampf is a typical reactionary manifesto

11. The Political Spectrum

12. American Politicians on the Spectrum