Ideological Spectrum Liberalism (the left) Conservatism (the right) RadicalModerate Reactionary

Liberalism Defined Gov’t action to achieve equal opportunity & equality Gov’t’s duty to alleviate social ills, protect civil liberties, individual & human rights Gov’t should ensure no one is in need Emphasize need for gov’t to solve people’s problems

Conservatism Defined Personal responsibility Limited gov’t Individual liberty Traditional American values Strong nat’l defense Emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems

The Issues

Abortion Liberals A fetus is not a human life Decision to have abortion is personal choice of woman regarding her own body Women should be guaranteed right to safe & legal abortion, including partial birth abortion Conservatives Life begins at conception Abortion is murder Support legislation to prohibit partial birth abortions

Death Penalty Liberals Abolish the death penalty Inhumane No one who values life can approve of death penalty “Cruel and unusual” Does not deter crime Imprisonment is appropriate punishment Disproportionately targets minorities Execution risks killing an innocent person Conservatives Punishment fits the crime Neither “cruel” or “unusual” Threat of death deters crime Should be a state-by-state issue, not a federal issue 2007: majority of Americans favor death penalty

Affirmative Action Liberals Past racism deprived minorities of same educational & employment opportunity as whites. Need to make up for that. Support affirmative action Minorities lag behind whites in all statistical measures of success Promote diversity in education & workplace Conservatives People should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on ability Unfair to use race as factor in selection process Reverse-discrimination not a solution for racism

Gun Control Liberals Second Amendment gives no individual right to own gun – Allows state to keep militia (National Guard) Easy availability of firearms has aggravated crime Guns kill people Guns kill children Conservatives Second Amendment gives individuals right to keep & bear arms “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Gun control laws don’t thwart criminals You have right to defend yourself More guns = less crime

Same-Sex Marriage Liberals Marriage should be legal for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender couples All have right to marry Prohibiting same-sex marriage denies LGBT community civil rights Conservatives Marriage is between one man & one woman Opinions differ on a constitutional amendment establishing marriage as union of one man and one woman Requiring citizens to sanction same-sex relationships violates moral & religious beliefs of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, & others

Immigration Liberals Support legal immigration & increasing # of legal immigrants permitted to enter U.S. each year Support blanket amnesty for current undocumented immigrants Undocumented immigrants deserve… – Gov’t financial aid to college – Visas for spouse/children to come to U.S. Undocumented immigrants do jobs Americans don’t want to do Conservatives Support legal immigration at current numbers Do not support illegal immigration Gov’t should enforce immigration laws Oppose amnesty for current undocumented immigrants Undocumented immigrants do not deserve same rights as those who enter legally Undocumented workers take jobs from citizens

The Environment Liberals Desire clean water, air, & planet Industrial growth harms environment Global warming cause by increased production of carbon dioxide U.S. major contributor (produces 25% of world’s CO 2 ) – Should enact laws to reduce Conservatives Desire clean water, air, & planet Environmental policies destroy jobs & damage economy Climate change occurs over long periods of time Science has not shown humans can affect permanent change to Earth’s temp

Religion Liberals Support separation between church and state Religious expression has no place in gov’t Support removal of all references to God in public & gov’t spaces Religion should not interfere with gov’t Conservatives Phrase “separation between church and state” is not in Constitution – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof…” As a result, Constitution does not prevent God from being acknowledge in schools & gov’t buildings Oppose removal of Christian symbols from public & gov’t spaces Gov’t should not interfere with religion & religious freedom

Economy Liberals Gov’t should regulate economy Gov’t should protect consumers from big business Unlike private sector, gov’t motivated by public interest Gov’t regulation levels playing field Conservatives Free market capitalism affords widest opportunity & highest standard of living for all Excessive gov’t regulation hampers economic growth Free markets create jobs

Education (School Vouchers) Liberals Untested experiment More funding for existing public schools – Raise teacher salaries – Reduce class size Conservatives Vouchers give parents right to choose good school for their children – Not just those who can afford private schools Parents should decide how and where to educate their child

Health Care Liberals Support universal government-supervised healthcare Millions can’t afford health insurance Uninsured being deprived of basic right to healthcare Support “Obamacare” Conservatives “Obamacare” (socialized medicine) means everyone gets same poor-quality healthcare Rich will continue to pay for superior healthcare; all others will receive poor- quality healthcare from gov’t Healthcare should remain privatized Support Healthcare Spending Accounts

Homeland Security Liberals Oppose the PATRIOT Act Conservatives Wary of the PATRIOT Act

Social Security Liberals Generally oppose change to current Social Security system. Opinions vary on whether current system is in financial trouble Changing system will cause people to lose their SS benefits Support cap on Social Security payments to the wealthy Conservatives Current Social Security system is in serious financial trouble Changes necessary to maintain system Support proposal to all portion of SS dollars withheld to be be put into account chosen by individual, not gov’t

Taxes Liberals Support higher taxes & larger gov’t High taxes enable gov’t to do good & create jobs Need high taxes for social welfare programs, to provide for the poor Can’t afford to cut taxes Conservatives Support lower taxes & smaller gov’t Lowers taxes = more incentive for people to work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors Money best spent by those who earn it

War on Terror Liberals 9/11 caused by America’s arrogant foreign policy America needs to stop angering other countries Threat posed by terrorism exaggerated by President Bush for own political advantage Conservatives World toward which Militant Islamists strive cannot peacefully co-exist w/ Western world In past decade, Militant Islamists have repeatedly attacked Americans & American interests here and abroad Terrorists must be stopped & destroyed

Welfare Liberals Support welfare Need welfare to provide for poor Conservatives oppose welfare & are not compassionate toward poor Welfare brings fairness to American economic life Without welfare, life below poverty line intolerable Conservatives Oppose long-term welfare Provide opportunities to make it possible for poor & low-income workers to become self-reliant. Far more compassionate & effective to encourage people to become self- reliant, rather than keeping them dependent on gov’t for money