Political ideologies shape how we view society and government. From conservatism's emphasis on tradition to socialism's focus on equality, these belief systems guide policy decisions and social structures. Understanding them helps us make sense of political debates and societal changes.
Distributive justice tackles the thorny question of how to fairly allocate resources. Different approaches, like egalitarianism and meritocracy, offer contrasting views on what's fair. These ideas influence everything from tax policies to social programs, shaping how societies address inequality.
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Political Parties: What are they and how do they function? | United States Government View original
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Public Opinion: How is it formed? | United States Government View original
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File:SLECO chart.png View original
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Political Parties: What are they and how do they function? | United States Government View original
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Public Opinion: How is it formed? | United States Government View original
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Affirmative action refers to policies and programs that aim to increase the representation and participation of individuals from historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities, in various areas of society, including employment, education, and government contracting.
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Affirmative action refers to policies and programs that aim to increase the representation and participation of individuals from historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities, in various areas of society, including employment, education, and government contracting.
Term 1 of 25
Conservatism is a political ideology that emphasizes traditional social values, limited government, free-market economics, and a cautious approach to change. It generally seeks to preserve existing institutions and practices, opposing radical reforms or rapid social transformation.
Classical Liberalism: A political ideology that emphasizes individual liberty, limited government, and free-market capitalism, often considered a precursor to modern conservatism.
Traditionalism: The belief in maintaining traditional social, cultural, and religious practices, which is a core tenet of conservative ideology.
Nationalism: The belief in and promotion of the interests of one's nation, which is often associated with conservative political movements.
Socialism is an economic and political system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned and regulated by the community as a whole, typically with the goal of creating a more equal society.
Marxism: A political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx, which advocates for a classless society and the collective ownership of the means of production.
Communism: An extreme form of socialism in which there is no private property and the state plans and controls the economy.
Social Democracy: A political ideology that supports a gradual and peaceful transition to a socialist economy, with a focus on social welfare and equality.
Distributive justice is a concept that deals with the fair and equitable allocation of resources, rights, and responsibilities within a society. It focuses on ensuring that the benefits and burdens of social cooperation are distributed in an appropriate manner among the members of a community.
Equity: The quality of being fair and impartial, ensuring that individuals or groups receive what they need to achieve an equal outcome.
Egalitarianism: The belief in or advocacy of the principle of equality, especially in political, economic, or social opportunities.
Utilitarianism: An ethical theory that holds that the morally right course of action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people.
Egalitarianism is a political and social philosophy that advocates for the equality of all people, regardless of their individual differences. It is a belief that all individuals should be treated as equals and have access to the same rights, opportunities, and resources.
Equity: The fair and just distribution of resources, opportunities, and treatment, taking into account individual differences and needs.
Social Justice: The belief that all people deserve to have their basic needs met and to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, regardless of their social status or group membership.
Meritocracy: A system where rewards and positions of power are distributed based on individual merit, talent, and effort, rather than on the basis of social status or group identity.
Meritocracy is a political system in which advancement and rewards are based on an individual's abilities, talents, and efforts rather than on factors such as wealth, social class, or family connections.
Egalitarianism: The belief that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities, regardless of individual abilities or social status.
Social Mobility: The movement of individuals or groups within a social hierarchy, either upward or downward, based on changes in their income, wealth, or social status.
Equality of Opportunity: The principle that all individuals should have equal chances to achieve success, regardless of their starting point or background.
Laissez-faire is an economic philosophy that advocates for minimal government intervention and regulation in the economy, allowing the free market to operate with little to no interference. It emphasizes the principles of individual liberty, private property rights, and the belief that the invisible hand of the market will naturally achieve the most efficient allocation of resources.
Free Market: An economic system where prices, production, and the distribution of goods and services are determined mainly by competition in the market rather than by central planning or government regulation.
Invisible Hand: A metaphor used by Adam Smith to describe the self-regulating nature of the market, where individual self-interest leads to societal benefits without any central coordination.
Deregulation: The process of removing or reducing government rules and regulations that restrict the operation of market forces in an industry or sector.
Liberalism is a political ideology that emphasizes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and limited government intervention in the economy. It is a foundational concept in the context of political ideologies, shaping modern democratic systems and debates around the role of the state.
Classical Liberalism: A branch of liberalism that emphasizes limited government, free markets, and individual rights, with a focus on economic freedoms.
Social Liberalism: A form of liberalism that supports a larger role for the state in providing social welfare and addressing economic inequalities, while still preserving individual liberties.
Neoliberalism: A modern interpretation of liberalism that promotes free-market capitalism, privatization, and reduced government intervention in the economy.
Civil liberties are the fundamental rights and freedoms that are guaranteed to all individuals within a society, protecting them from the arbitrary exercise of authority by the government or other powerful entities. These liberties are essential for the maintenance of a free and democratic society.
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that outline specific protections of individual civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right to a fair trial.
Due Process: The legal requirement that the government must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person, and must not deprive a person of their life, liberty, or property without a fair procedure.
Equal Protection: The constitutional guarantee that the government must treat all people equally under the law, and not discriminate based on factors such as race, gender, or religion.
Affirmative action refers to policies and programs that aim to increase the representation and participation of individuals from historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities, in various areas of society, including employment, education, and government contracting.
Equal Opportunity: The principle that all people should have fair and equal access to employment, education, and other opportunities, regardless of their race, gender, or other personal characteristics.
Diversity: The presence of different individual characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and life experiences, within a group or organization.
Systemic Discrimination: The institutional and societal barriers that prevent certain groups from having equal access to opportunities and resources, often rooted in historical and structural inequalities.
The proletariat refers to the class of wage-earners in an industrial society who do not own the means of production. They rely on selling their labor to capitalists in order to earn a living.
Bourgeoisie: The social class that owns the means of production and employs the proletariat, such as factory owners and industrialists.
Class Consciousness: The awareness of one's social class and the shared interests and struggles within that class.
Dialectical Materialism: The Marxist view that social and historical change is driven by the conflict between opposing material forces, such as the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
Anarchism is a political philosophy and social movement that rejects the legitimacy of the state and all forms of hierarchical authority, advocating for the abolition of centralized power and the establishment of a decentralized, self-organized, and voluntary society.
Collectivism: A social and political philosophy that emphasizes the interdependence of individuals and the collective ownership and control of the means of production.
Mutual Aid: A principle of voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit, as a form of social solidarity and cooperation.
Autonomy: The ability of individuals or groups to make their own decisions and govern themselves without external control or interference.
Libertarianism is a political philosophy that emphasizes individual liberty, limited government, and free-market capitalism. It advocates for maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state in people's lives.
Individualism: The belief that the individual is the basic unit of reality and the primary value in society, rather than the group or the state.
Non-aggression Principle: The ethical principle that states that the initiation of force or coercion against another person or their property is morally wrong.
Laissez-Faire: The economic policy of letting the market operate without government intervention, allowing for the free exchange of goods and services.
Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the view that the morally right course of action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people. It focuses on the consequences of our actions rather than the intentions or the inherent nature of the actions themselves.
Consequentialism: The ethical theory that the consequences of one's actions are the ultimate basis for judgments about the morality of those actions.
Hedonism: The view that pleasure is the only intrinsic good and that all other goods derive their value from their ability to produce pleasure.
Eudaimonia: The ancient Greek concept of the highest human good, often translated as 'flourishing' or 'well-being.'
Division of labor is the specialization of cooperative work tasks and responsibilities among participants in an economic or social system. It involves breaking down production processes into distinct tasks, with different workers focusing on specific aspects of the overall process.
Specialization: The focus on a particular area of production or service, allowing for increased efficiency and expertise.
Efficiency: The ability to accomplish a task with minimum wasted time, effort, and resources.
Productivity: The measure of output per unit of input, often used to evaluate the effectiveness of division of labor.
Commodification is the process by which a good or service is transformed into a commodity, something that can be bought, sold, and traded in a market. It involves the transformation of relationships, previously untouched by the market, into economic relationships of supply and demand. Commodification is a central concept in discussions of political ideologies, as it speaks to the role of the market in shaping social and economic interactions.
Commoditization: The process by which goods and services become interchangeable with other goods and services of the same type, leading to a loss of differentiation.
Alienation: The separation of individuals from their labor, the products of their labor, and their human essence or potential.
Fetishism of Commodities: The tendency to ascribe intrinsic value or power to commodities, obscuring the social relations and labor that went into their production.
Alienation refers to the sense of disconnection, isolation, and powerlessness that individuals can experience within society. It describes the psychological and social state of being detached or estranged from one's environment, community, or sense of self.
Commodification: The process by which something is transformed into a commodity, where its value is determined by the market rather than its intrinsic worth or use-value.
Reification: The process of treating an abstract concept or idea as if it were a concrete, tangible object, thereby obscuring its true nature.
Anomie: A state of normlessness or social instability resulting from a breakdown of social bonds and the absence of clear moral guidance or purpose.
Democracy is a form of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through elected representatives. It is a political system that allows citizens to participate in the decision-making process and hold their leaders accountable.
Autocracy: A form of government in which a single person or small group holds all the power and exercises it in an absolute or arbitrary manner.
Oligarchy: A form of government in which power is vested in a small, elite group rather than in the people as a whole.
Republicanism: A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule through elected representatives and an elected or nominated president.
Authoritarianism is a form of government or political system characterized by the concentration of power in the hands of a leader or a small, elite group, with limited or no political freedoms for the general population. It often involves the suppression of opposition and the use of state power to control various aspects of public and private life.
Totalitarianism: A political system in which the state has total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life.
Dictatorship: A form of government in which a single person or a small group exercises absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
Fascism: An authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the good of the nation, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.
Nationalism is a political ideology that promotes the interests of a particular nation or ethnic group, often with the goal of achieving or maintaining self-governance, sovereignty, and a distinct cultural identity. It emphasizes the importance of national unity, loyalty, and pride, and can be a driving force behind social and political movements.
Patriotism: A feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country or nation, often expressed through support for its interests and institutions.
Ethnic Nationalism: A form of nationalism based on the belief that a nation should be composed of people who share common ethnic, cultural, and linguistic characteristics.
Civic Nationalism: A form of nationalism based on the shared values, institutions, and civic culture of a political community, rather than on ethnic or cultural homogeneity.
Ideology is a comprehensive system of beliefs, values, and ideas that shape an individual's or group's political, social, and economic views. It provides a framework for understanding and interpreting the world, and guides decision-making and actions within the context of political ideologies.
Political Ideology: A set of beliefs, values, and principles that inform and guide political decision-making, policies, and actions.
Hegemony: The dominance or leadership of one political, social, or economic system or ideology over others.
Discourse: The way in which language, ideas, and beliefs are used to shape and influence the understanding of a particular topic or issue.
Globalization is the process of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence among countries, economies, and populations worldwide. It involves the integration of national economies, cultures, and societies through the exchange of ideas, goods, services, and investments across international borders.
Neoliberalism: An economic and political ideology that emphasizes free-market capitalism, privatization, and the reduction of government intervention in the economy.
Westernization: The process by which societies and cultures come under the influence of Western European and North American culture in areas such as technology, economics, politics, and lifestyle.
Cosmopolitanism: The idea that all people belong to a single community, with a shared responsibility for its members and a common set of principles and values.
The political spectrum is a way of visualizing and categorizing different political ideologies, beliefs, and positions on a linear scale. It typically ranges from left to right, with left-wing ideologies emphasizing equality, social justice, and a larger role for the government, and right-wing ideologies prioritizing individual liberty, free markets, and a smaller government.
Left-Wing: Political ideologies that generally favor more government intervention, wealth redistribution, and social equality, such as socialism, communism, and progressivism.
Right-Wing: Political ideologies that generally favor limited government, free-market capitalism, and traditional social values, such as conservatism, libertarianism, and nationalism.
Centrist: Political ideologies that fall in the middle of the left-right spectrum, often seeking a balance between the priorities of the left and right.
The social contract is a philosophical concept that outlines the implicit agreement between a government and its citizens, where individuals surrender certain rights and freedoms in exchange for the protection and order provided by the state. This term is central to understanding the historical development of government and the various political ideologies that have shaped modern societies.
Natural Rights: The inherent rights that all individuals are entitled to, such as life, liberty, and property, which form the basis of the social contract.
State of Nature: The hypothetical condition of humanity before the establishment of organized society, where individuals live without any formal government or social structure.
Sovereignty: The supreme power or authority of a state, which is granted by the social contract and can be used to enforce the terms of the agreement.