Chapter 2: Ideology & Philosophy

 An organized set of ideas that modify one another  Helps individuals make sense of political issues (personal use)  Can help leaders influence public in accepting or rejecting policies (public use) Ideology

1.American Liberalism:  Variant of more general political science defined liberalism;  Important to American Liberals to seek to create equality of people so give authority and legitimacy to government to do this;  Seek to maintain and protect freedom of expression.  Not necessarily same as Democrats. American Ideologies

2.American Conservativism:  Also a form of more generally defined liberalism in political science  Does not like government intervention  Willing to let government help maintain morality  Not necessarily same as Republicans American Ideologies

 Both American liberalism and American conservativism fall under this umbrella  Developed in 18 th -19 th century in Europe along with conservatism and socialism—three main ideologies political scientists debate Liberalism

 Idea that government should help people develop to their fullest potential  Believe people should be responsible for themselves as much as possible so government should be limited  Suspicious of power  Favor a view of politics and choice going together Liberalism

 Very different than American conservatism  Main goal of government is to create stability in communities  Based on hierarchy of power (leaders and people have reciprocal responsibilities)  Not suspicious of power  Power should be in hands of traditional class of rulers (ex. Queen) Conservativism

 States or localities consist of different classes of people who are in constant conflict  Believe working class should take power in state and control industry to creat a just society of equality Socialism

 More militant form of socialism  A political structure that promotes the establishment of a classless and stateless society based on common ownership  See Karl Marx Communism

 An authoritarian political ideology that is concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence  Seeks to achieve a national rebirth by exalting the natin or race, and promoting cults of unity, strength and purity.  Example: Benito Mussilini of Italy Facism

 Political ideology that supports economic liberalism as a means of promoting economic security  Free markets, free trade, and privatization  More focus on economy than traditional liberalism Neoliberalism

 Also known as identity group  A group of people with a shared set of ideas (in this case political ideology)  Think their ideology defines them Political Identity