Classifying Ideologies
All Ideologies have been influenced by historical traditions and overlapping ‘ism’
Classifying ideologies helps us understand them
Two common methods:
– Left-Right continuum
– Political-Economic Grid
Roots of the Left-Right
Continuum
Evolved from the
French Revolution
Based on seating arrangement in the national assembly
Following the French Revolution the left and right came to represent attitudes about change and the status quo.
Those who demanded change(Radicals and
Liberals) were on the left.
In the center were the moderates who generally supported status quo and minor change.
On the right, Conservatives favoring maintaining status quo, but Reactionaries on the extreme right, called for a return to the ways of the past.
Left-Right in the 20
th
century
A More comprehensive view of the Modern Spectrum
Examining Political attitudes
What should the nature of Political Authority be in any society?
Examining Economic Attitudes
To what extent should economic equality be emphasized
Criticism of the Left-Right
Continuum
Less suited to analyzing beliefs and relationships that exist in the 20 th century.
Ideologies such as Communism and
Socialism have been substantially revised in the face of differing views held by leaders, evolving economic conditions and changing conditions.
For Example . . .
In theory Communism(emphasizing public ownership) would be
On the left, Fascism(emphasizing private ownership) would be on the right.
In practice . . .
States based on both Ideologies have established strong Gov’ts controlled by one political party or one strong leader who suppressed opponents, used terror and restricted rights.
In order to more accurately place
Communism and Fascism, the traditional continuum had to be modified.
Political-Economic Grid
The following grid is a more appropriate approach to representing political and economic ideologies in relation to one another.
Definitions
Communism: A political and economic system based on community or state ownership of wealth, property, and the means of production, with each person working for according to ability and receiving according to need.
Socialism: An economic and political system in which society as a whole rather than private individuals own all property and operate all businesses.
Liberalism: A philosophy that supports guarantees of individual freedom, political change, and social reform.
Conservatism: A philosophy that supports the traditional order and resists political and social change.
Fascism: Authoritarian political beliefs, characterized by extreme nationalism, reliance on military power to achieve national goals, and a state-controlled private enterprise economy.
Questions . . .
Why was the left-right continuum more complicated in the 20 th century?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional continuum?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the political-economic grid to better understand political and economic systems?
