ap gov ideologies

Political ideology

a collection of beliefs about how society should work, how power should be used, and what role the government should play.

Liberal ideology

supports an important role for government, economic regulation, social welfare programs, and individual freedom on personal/moral issues.

Conservative ideology

supports a minimal role for government in the economy and society, traditional moral values, and limited government spending on social programs.

Political platform

a political party's core principles, goals, and official positions on political issues

Political culture

The broadly shared set of political values, beliefs, and norms in a society.

Political socialization

The process by which individuals within a society acquire their political values and opinions.

Liberal view of government

Government should play an important role in society.

Conservative view of government

Government should play a minimal role in society.

Liberal economic position

favor government regulation of the economy for more efficiency and to protect workers, consumers, and the environment.

Conservative economic position

favor minimal government regulation of the economy and believe market forces can produce efficiency and solve most problems

Liberal taxation position

favor taxation of businesses and wealthy people to support spending on public goods.

Conservative taxation position

favor reduced taxation of businesses and wealthy people to stimulate the economy.

Liberal position on moral issues

Government should not regulate personal and moral issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and marijuana.

Conservative position on moral issues

Government has an important role in regulating moral issues to uphold traditional moral beliefs.

Liberal social welfare position

favor increased government funding of social welfare programs such as housing, food, and healthcare.

Conservative social welfare position

favor reduced government funding of social welfare programs and believe citizens should be expected to provide for themselves.

Liberal position on federalism

favor greater federal power.

Conservative position on federalism

favor states' rights.

Liberal national security position

favor reducing military spending and support global affairs, diplomacy, and foreign aid.

Conservative national security position

favor increasing military spending and limiting involvement with foreign nations and foreign aid.

Liberal education position

favor increased funding of public education.

Conservative education position

favor vouchers and support for private and religious education.

Liberal immigration position

support legal immigration and a citizenship path for certain groups of undocumented immigrants.

Conservative immigration position

favor reduced legal immigration and oppose a citizenship path for undocumented immigrants.

Liberal abortion position

favor abortion rights and are pro-choice.

Conservative abortion position

oppose abortion rights and are pro-life.

Liberal civil rights position

favor expanded civil rights protections and affirmative action.

Conservative civil rights position

favor limited civil rights protections and oppose affirmative action.

Liberal environmental position

favor regulations to protect the environment and combat climate change.

Conservative environmental position

oppose government action to regulate business for environmental purposes and view climate change as a less important problem.

Liberal gun control position

favor restrictions on gun purchases and ownership.

Conservative gun control position

oppose restrictions on gun purchases and ownership.

Liberal healthcare position

support expanded access to healthcare and increased government involvement in healthcare.

Conservative healthcare position

favor a private-sector, free-market healthcare system with less government involvement.

Libertarian ideology

An ideology that shares beliefs with both liberal and conservative ideologies and has an emphasis on individual liberty

Libertarian view of government

Government should exist mainly to protect individual liberty and private property rights.

Libertarian economic position

oppose government regulation of the economy and favor allowing markets to function freely.

Libertarian personal freedom position

believe government should not interfere in people's personal decisions involving marriage, sex, drugs, gambling, and other issues.

Libertarian example

might favor legalizing the commercial sale of marijuana and reducing government spending on prisons.

Why libertarianism is similar to conservatism

Both generally favor limited government regulation of the economy and free markets.

Why libertarianism is similar to liberalism

Both generally support individual freedom and oppose government interference in personal choices.

Key libertarian idea

"Leave people alone"—government should stay out of both economic activity and personal choices.

Liberal vs. conservative economy

Liberals favor more government regulation; conservatives favor minimal regulation and greater reliance on market forces.

Liberal vs. conservative social welfare

Liberals favor increased social welfare funding; conservatives favor reduced funding.

Liberal vs. conservative military

Liberals favor reducing military spending; conservatives favor increasing military spending.

Liberal vs. conservative immigration

Liberals generally support legal immigration and some paths to citizenship; conservatives favor reduced immigration and oppose citizenship paths for undocumented immigrants.

Liberal vs. conservative abortion

Liberals are generally pro-choice; conservatives are generally pro-life.

Liberal vs. conservative guns

Liberals favor gun restrictions; conservatives oppose restrictions on gun purchases and ownership.

Liberal vs. conservative healthcare

Liberals favor expanded government involvement; conservatives favor private, free-market healthcare with minimal government involvement.

Liberal vs. conservative environment

Liberals favor environmental regulations; conservatives generally oppose government regulation of business for environmental purposes.

Liberal vs. conservative civil rights

Liberals favor expanded civil rights protections and affirmative action; conservatives favor limited protections and oppose affirmative action.

Party affiliation vs. political ideology

Party affiliation is related to political ideology but is different from it. Members of a political party may not agree with every part of that party's ideology.

Party constituencies

Party constituencies can change over time, and changing constituencies may influence a party's ideological system.