Political
Philosophies and
the Political
Spectrum Activity
Learning Target: Students will be able to
explain the political spectrum and the
political philosophies associated with the
spectrum by using historical and modern
day people and issues as examples.
Students will be able to describe how
political philosophies can divide a
society. (what was happening in the 20’s
and 30’s in Europe)
Reactionary/Fascism
Favors
extreme change to
restore society to an earlier,
more conservative state.
Conservative
 Seeks
to keep in place the
economic, political, and social
structures of society. Emphasize law
and order and are protective of the
status quo. Traditional and
sometimes restricting. Laissez Faire,
limited government, strong military
response.
Moderate
Holds
beliefs that fall between
liberal and conservative,
usually including some of both.
Liberal
 Believes
that the government must
take action to change economic,
political, and ideological policies
thought to be unfair. Individual Rights
and freedom are emphasized.
Government intervention.
Negotiation.
Radical/Communism
Favors
Extreme change and
wants to create an altered or
entirely new social system.
Question to Ponder????
How
can different political
philosophies (views) create
conflict in society?
How did differing political
philosophies create conflict in
Europe in between the wars?
(Swing Kids)
Where do YOU Stand
 Take
the Where do You Stand test
 When completed, total your score
Exit slip
On
the bottom of the Where do
you Stand test describe which
one of the 5 political philosophies
best describes you and tell why?
Political Spectrum
 Started
with the French Revolution
 People
that sat on the right-side of the
Estates General that supported King Louis XVI
and Queen Mare Antoinette-no change
 People
that sat on the left-side of the Estates
General wanted sweeping changes and an
entirely new French society
Activity
 Define
your person, group, or issue
and describe why it is an example of
1 of the 5 ideologies.
 Place
it on the political spectrum and
tell why you placed it there.
Benito Mussolini
 Who
is he?
 Fascist
Leader of Italy
 Political
Philosophy
 Reactionary/Fascist-1
 Totalitarian
Leader-wanted to restore Italy
to greatness
Adolf Hitler
 Who
is he?
 Fascist leader of Germany
 Political
Philosophy
 Reactionary/Fascist-1
 Totalitarian Leader-wanted to restore
Germany to greatness
 Single party, terror and fear
Joseph Stalin
Who is he?
 “Communist” Leader of the Soviet Union

Political Philosophy
 Radical/Communism???? 5-in theory. How he
practiced communism was different. He was a
communist in name only.
 Totalitarian Leader-Single party, terror and fear
 Karl Marx was a true left-wing, communist

Question
 How
did Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin’s
political philosophies create conflict in
Europe and their own country in between
the wars?
Barack Obama
 Who
is he?
 President of the US
 Political
Philosophy
 Moderate-Liberal-4
 Universal Healthcare, pro-choice
Al Qaeda
Who are they?
 Militant Islamic organization founded by Osama
Bin Laden

Political Philosophy
 Reactionary-Create a greater Islamic state-1
 suicide attacks
 Bombings
 911

Isis
Who are they?
 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Political Philosophy
 Reactionary-Create a greater Islamic state-1
 Want to establish an Islamic state that
encompasses all Sunni Muslims
 Shiite Muslims too liberal

How are Al Qaeda and ISIS
different?
 ISIS
is fighting more conventionally-assault
rifles, grenades
 Al
Qaeda-focus on carrying out
spectacular global attacks-9/11,
Westgate Mall in Kenya
 ISIS
more brutal and centralized than Al
Qaeda
 ISIS
more popular with young Muslim
extremist-more followers than Al Qaeda
Question
 How
do these political groups create
conflict today?
Supportive of same sex marriage
Political
Philosophy
Liberal-4
Why?
Individual Rights and Freedom
All states should legalized marijuana and
you should be able to grow it and sell it in
your own home
 Political
Philosophy
 Radical-5
 Why?
 Extreme
change
LGBT people should not be able to
openly serve in the military
 Political
Philosophy
 Conservative-1.5-2
 Why?
 Traditional and restricting
Question
How
do these issues create
conflict in society today?
The government should fix the problems
of society and spend money on Welfare
Programs
 Political
Philosophy
 Liberal-4
 Why?
Unfair policies fixed
The government should provide
healthcare for all citizens of their country
 Political
Philosophy
 Liberal-4
 Why? Unfair policies fixed
The government’s intervention in
societal problems should be limited
 Political
Philosophy
 Conservative-2
 Why? Laissez Faire
Question
How
do these issues create
conflict in society today?
United States should intervene in
Afghanistan
 Political
Philosophy
 Conservative-2
 Why? Strong Military Response
US government should negotiate
with the Iraqi government
 Political
Philosophy
 Liberal-4
 Why?
Negotiation/Diplomacy
The United States should have a strong
military response in the Middle East
 Political
Philosophy
 Conservative-2
 Why? Strong Military Response
Question
How
do these issues create
conflict in society today?
Lady Gaga
 Who
is she?- singer/songwriter
 Discussion
 Liberal-Radical?????
Steve Jobs
Who is he?-CEO of Apple
Discussion
Kanye West
Who he is? recording artist, songwriter, record
producer, director, entrepreneur, and fashion
designer
Discussion
Question
How
do these people create
conflict in society today?
Line-up
 Lowest
to highest scores
 40-80-more liberal
 80-120-more conservative
Exit Slip
 Using
what you have seen in Swing Kids
thus far and this activity, how can
political philosophies divide a country?
 After completing this activity, do you still
agree with your original political
philosophy? Why or why not?
 Was your quiz score an accurate
assessment of your political philosophy?