Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Ideology refers to a set of beliefs or ideas that shape political behavior and policy preferences. It provides individuals with frameworks for understanding society and guides their views on how it should be organized.
Related terms
Liberalism: Liberalism is an ideology that emphasizes individual rights, limited government intervention, free markets, and equality under the law.
Conservatism: Conservatism is an ideology that values tradition, social stability, limited government control over individuals' lives, and gradual change rather than rapid reform.
Socialism is an ideology advocating for collective ownership or control over resources and means of production with the goal of reducing inequality through wealth redistribution.