1. POLITICAL SPECTRUM
An Introduction

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

3. 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
RIGHT
CENTER

4. 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)

5. GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS LEFT More government intervention
Gradual to rapid change in government
RIGHT
Less government intervention
Little to no change in status quo

6. 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

7. POLITICAL SPECTRUM OF IDEOLOGIES
LEFT
RIGHT
LIBERAL
CONSERVATIVE
RADICAL
MODERATE
REACT.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. SPECTRUMS AND PARTIES
Political parties are loosely formed around these broad political ideologies.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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
REPUBLICANS

17. WHERE WOULD YOU PUT… Communists? Socialists? Fascists? Absolutists?
LEFT
RIGHT
CONSERVATIVE
FASCIST
SOCIALIST
LIBERAL
CENTRISTS
ABSO
REACT.
COMMUNIST
RADICAL

18. CURRENT ISSUES LEFT RIGHT 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

19. SURVEY RESULTS Reflect on your results! Where did you fall?
Was this accurate?
500
100
400
200
300
RADICAL
LIBERAL
MODERATE
CONSERV.
REACTIONARY
LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE
CONSERVATIVE

20. MATCH WHERE YOU FALL WITH THE FOLLOWING POLITICAL FIGURES
Ronald Reagan
Jesse Jackson
Ted Kennedy
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
Colin Powell
George Bush
Jack Kemp
Bob Dole
100%
LIBERAL
100%
CONSERVATIVE