All Ideologies have been influenced by historical traditions and overlapping ‘ism’

Classifying ideologies helps us understand them

Two common methods:– Left-Right continuum– Political-Economic Grid

Roots of the Left-Right Continuum Evolved from the

French Revolution Based on seating

arrangement in the national assembly

Following the French Revolution the left and right came to represent attitudes about change and the status quo.

Those who demanded change(Radicals and Liberals) were on the left.

In the center were the moderates who generally supported status quo and minor change.

On the right, Conservatives favoring maintaining status quo, but Reactionaries on the extreme right, called for a return to the ways of the past.

Left-Right in the 20th century A More comprehensive view of the Modern Spectrum

Examining Political attitudes What should the nature of Political Authority be in any

society?

Examining Economic AttitudesTo what extent should economic equality be emphasized

Criticism of the Left-Right Continuum Less suited to analyzing beliefs and

relationships that exist in the 20th century. Ideologies such as Communism and

Socialism have been substantially revised in the face of differing views held by leaders, evolving economic conditions and changing conditions.

For Example . . .

In theory Communism(emphasizing public ownership) would beOn the left, Fascism(emphasizing private ownership) would be on the right.

In practice . . .

States based on both Ideologies have established strong Gov’tscontrolled by one political party or one strong leader whosuppressed opponents, used terror and restricted rights.

In order to more accurately place Communism and Fascism, the traditional continuum had to be modified.

Political-Economic Grid The following grid is a more appropriate

approach to representing political and economic ideologies in relation to one another.

Definitions

Communism: A political and economic system based on community or state ownership of wealth, property, and the means of production, with each person working for according to ability and receiving according to need.

Socialism: An economic and political system in which society as a whole rather than private individuals own all property and operate all businesses.

Liberalism: A philosophy that supports guarantees of individual freedom, political change, and social reform.

Conservatism: A philosophy that supports the traditional order and resists political and social change.

Fascism: Authoritarian political beliefs, characterized by extreme nationalism, reliance on military power to achieve national goals, and a state-controlled private enterprise economy.

Questions . . . Why was the left-right continuum more

complicated in the 20th century? What are the strengths and weaknesses of

the traditional continuum? What are the advantages and disadvantages

of the political-economic grid to better understand political and economic systems?