Political Ideology
A cohesive set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and the role of government that shapes a person’s views.
Criticisms of Liberalism
•Too much reliance on gov’t solutions, higher taxes, & bureaucrats •Forgets that gov’t has to be limited •When gov’t grows too big, it tends to start dictating us •Too many gov’t controls & too much taxation undermine the self-help ethic •Welfare & regulatory state pushed by liberals will destroy true equality of economic opportunities Criticisms of Liberalism |
LIBERAL IDEOLOGY: DEMOCRATS
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CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY: REPUBLICANS
•Private property rights & belief in free enterprise (free market economy) •Keep gov’t small except in national defense •Gov’t needs to ensure order; more pessimistic about human nature •Preference for the status quo & desire change only in moderation •Taxes should be low for everyone •Prayers in public schools should not be banned •Abortion is the murder of a fetus •Strong defense budget •Don’t make America a welfare state •Lock up criminals for crimes •Human needs cared for by families/charities •Emphatically pro-business •Favor dispersing power broadly to avoid concentration of power at the national level •Subordinate economic & social equality to liberty and freedom •Government social activism has been expensive & counterproductive |
Criticisms of Conservatism
•Hostility to government as counterproductive & inconsistent •Conservatives have a selective opposition to government •Government deficits grew during the 1980s when conservatives were in control •Insensitivity to the social needs of the homeless & mentally ill •Too much faith in our market economy •Failure to acknowledge & endorse policies that deal with racism & sexism |
LIBERTARIANS:
NO GOVERNMENT (OR AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE) •cherishes individual liberty & insists on a very limited gov’t (Federal gov’t should only be used for national defense) •Preaches opposition to gov’t & its programs •Opposes all gov’t regulation •End gov’t subsidies for businesses & farmers •No gun laws, no drug laws, no gambling laws |