POLITICAL SPECTRUM

An Introduction

DEFINITION

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

• 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 RIGHTCENTER

• Most commonly, the Political Spectrum tells us two things:

–How much change in government a person is willing to allow (and how fast that change should take place)

–How much the government should intervene, or get involved, in the lives of people (particularly with respect to the economy)

GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS

LEFT

More government intervention

Gradual to rapid change in government

RIGHT

Less government intervention

Little to no change in status quo

QUICK RECAP:LEFT

used to describe people who

support change in society and government intervention

RIGHT

refers to people who hold traditional

values and want less government

intervention

POLITICAL SPECTRUM OF IDEOLOGIES

RADICAL REACT.MODERATE

LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE

LEFT RIGHT

RADICAL• Far left of the political spectrum

• Call for wide-sweeping rapid change in the basic structure of the political, social, or economic system.

• May be willing to resort to extreme methods to bring about change, including the use of violence and revolution.

LIBERAL• Government should be actively

involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens.

• Call for peaceful, gradual change within the existing political system.

• Reject violent revolution as a way of changing the way things are

MODERATE• May share viewpoints with both

liberals and conservatives

• Tolerant of other people’s views

• Do not hold extreme views

• Advocate a “go-slow” or “wait-and-see” approach to social or political change

CONSERVATIVE• Favor keeping things the way they

are, or maintaining the status quo

• Usually hesitant or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism.

• They feel that the less government there is, the better.

REACTIONARY• Far right of ideological spectrum

• Want to go back to the way things were—the “good ol’ days”

• Often willing to use extreme methods, such as repressive use of government power, to achieve their goals

SPECTRUMS AND PARTIES

• Political parties are loosely formed around these broad political ideologies.

TWO MAJOR U.S. PARTIES

DEMOCRATS

generally seen as liberal because they support government

regulation of the economy

REPUBLICANS

generally seen as conservative because they

advocate a reduction in government

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

BOTH PARTIES LEAN TOWARD MODERATE

Current theorists say that U.S. political parties are becoming increasingly moderate and therefore less easily separated on the political spectrum DEMOCRATS REPUBLIC

ANS

WHERE WOULD YOU PUT…

• Communists?

• Socialists?

• Fascists?

• Absolutists?

RADICAL

REACT.

CENTRISTS

LIBERAL

CONSERVATIVE

SOCIALIST

FASCIST

ABSO

LEFT RIGHT

COMMUNIST

CURRENT ISSUESLEFT

• Pro Gun Control• Pro-Choice (Abortion)• No Censorship• Prisons should

Rehabilitate• Pro-Privacy• Equal Funding for

Education• Democratic Party

Platform

RIGHT• Anti-Gun Control• Pro-Life (Abortion)• Anti-Flag Burning• Prisons Should

Punish• Prayer in Schools• School Vouchers• Republican Party

Platform