Political Ideologies: Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major political ideologies and related concepts discussed in the lecture notes.

Political Ideology

A systematic set of ideas used to mobilize citizens, legitimize or challenge power, and give meaning to social and political life.

Conservatism

Ideology favoring tradition, resisting rapid change, and often limiting human freedom to preserve established values; may distrust human reason and egalitarianism.

Liberalism

Moral and political ideology centered on individualism and liberty; stresses natural rights that pre-exist the state and prioritizes protection of personal freedoms.

Marxism

Ideology based on Karl Marx’s analyses of material conditions, class struggle, and the need for proletarian revolution to achieve a classless society.

Alienation

Marxist concept describing workers’ separation from the products of their labor, leading to estrangement from self and society under capitalism.

Class Struggle

Ongoing conflict between the bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (workers) over economic power and control of the state.

Materialism (Marxist)

View that people’s ideas and consciousness are shaped primarily by their material living conditions.

Revolution (Marxist sense)

A violent overthrow of the capitalist system by the proletariat, seen as an inevitable step toward communism.

Anarchism

Belief in a stateless society where individuals coexist peacefully without coercion, compulsion, or hierarchical authority.

Fascism

Ideology proclaiming the supremacy of the group or nation over the individual, demanding absolute loyalty to a supreme leader and valuing self-sacrifice for unity.

Feminism

Movement and ideology seeking to end gender-based inequality and challenge stereotypes that subordinate women.

Patriarchy

Systemic structure of male domination that oppresses and exploits women across social, economic, and political spheres.

Gender

Socially constructed roles, behaviors, and characteristics labeled male or female, shaped by culture, politics, and environment.

Liberal Feminism

Branch of feminism that pursues legal and policy reforms to integrate women fully into mainstream society and address their specific needs.

Radical Feminism

Feminist perspective that questions and seeks to transform the core values and institutions that perpetuate women’s subordination.

Marxist / Socialist Feminism

Approach that links women’s oppression to the capitalist economic system and global corporate power, advocating systemic change.

Ecologism (Environmentalism)

Ideology viewing nature as an interconnected whole—including humans, non-humans, and inanimate elements—and demanding ecological concerns be central to politics.