A political ideology is defined as a “set of beliefs and ideas that one can apply onto politics and events; one’s political ‘moral code’ and world view”. In America, two of the major ideologies that shape our political landscape are Liberalism and Conservatism; these set of beliefs align with the Democratic and Republican parties, although not all party members heavily favor one side. In fact, recent studies have suggested that roughly forty percent of Americans currently identify as Independents, and of those citizens who are either left or right winged, many of them are conglomerated about a more moderate position within the political spectrum. |
But what exactly are the differences between ideologies, and why do such trends exist? The essential difference between the political belief system is government involvement in different aspects of society. One who identifies with a liberal ideology will likely believe in an increased role of government in economic policies, while maintaining a hands-off regulation in the social life of citizens. Alternately, a conservative is likely to believe in decreased government control in economic |
policies, with an increased presence in social life. A few other belief systems exist as well: libertarians believe in little government at all in either sectors, and authoritarians favor heavy government control in both the economy and social life of the people. At the center of ideologies are the moderates, many of which are independent voters, but it is important to note that not all independent party citizens are moderate.
When it comes to personal beliefs, my political views are complex; I do not feel as though I identify with one particular political ideology. I suppose I would have most in common with moderate voters, and would register as an independent voter if I were old enough to be able to vote. I believe that I attribute the eclectic nature of my beliefs to my unique political socialization and tendency to be open-minded and seek objective outlooks on things. Considering the high percentage of youth who vote along the same lines as their parents, family affiliation is a surprisingly not a major aspect of the creation of my beliefs. |
Instead of pressuring my sisters and me to belief in their political, social and religious views, my mother and father stress that we think freely and form our own individual opinions without predispositional bias. Both of my parents are Republican voters, yet their ideology aligns with a libertarian perspective; they see flaws in both the liberal and conservative ideology and encourage my siblings and me to see less in absolutes. In addition, I have two different groups of friends that fall on opposite sides of the political spectrum, and this in itself has taught me moderation and how to be careful with my words. I also have come to the conclusion that when regarding the economic and foreign policy of both belief systems, it is not necessarily that one side is right and the other is wrong; rather, both sides just have different ways of doing things and are completely valid in their own respect.
Considering the fact that I just turned seventeen a week ago, I do not feel as though I have experienced enough of the real world to be completely certain my political beliefs. I do not pay rent, taxes, mortgage or gas and electric bills, so why exactly should I have my economic ideology set in stone? I feel as though open-mindedness is inhibited when we subject ourselves to such certitude. I suppose that there should be some form of economic support for those who are under tough living circumstances, but it should ultimately be up to the perseverance of the individual to improve his or her situation. I generally believe that both the pursuit of higher education and healthcare should be reasonably priced and affordable for those willing to work hard for it, but would not entirely agree with completely free programs; although it seems like a great idea, there are always unforeseen ramifications like higher taxes, less freedom of personal choice and maybe even less money available to educators and practitioners in the medical field. While these free and government regulated systems may work in Scandinavia and western Europe, converting the United States to this system would be extremely difficult, especially without the consent of the majority. Comparing the higher prices of services and lower taxes of the American system to the lower costs of services but much higher taxes of the more liberal system, I honestly believe that for the average middle class citizen, the benefits equate to being about even. Of the utmost importance to me, regardless of economic model, is the ability and incentive to move upward economically and a free market economy free of corruption and monopolies.
The social aspect of politics is where a greater level of my feelings and strong opinions are. As previously mentioned, I was raised in an environment where religion was not forced upon me, and I had a strong personal freedom of choice that youth raised in other families might not have had. Therefore, my beliefs on social issues tend to be more progressive and open-minded. First of all, I would like to address marriage rights and equality. According to a Washington Post-ABC New Poll, a record 61% of Americans currently support same-sex marriage across the nation. I feel as though given this statistic, it would be only natural that our democratic government represents the beliefs of its citizens and grants a national guarantee of such a basic right to a misrepresented group of people, and am relieved by the recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage rights. Allowing others to marry honestly will not affect the personal lives of those who oppose it; in addition, it would be moral injustice to force one’s personal beliefs upon a group of people who do not subscribe to one’s views, regardless of where the motivation for those opinions came from. The same goes for abortion. In no ideal situation would the death of a child be okay, but by abolishing abortion, our government would witlessly blind themselves to a variety of circumstances where abortion may be the better choice to prevent needless suffering before death. The government would indeed be overstepping its boundaries and duties by becoming too involved in personal body rights; therefore, maintaining the legal status of these topics is vital to the preservation of democracy.
Works Cited
- http://www2.palomar.edu/users/pbowman/PS%20101/Political%20Ideology.pdf
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/poll-gay-marriage-support-at-record-high/2015/04/22/f6548332-e92a-11e4-aae1-d642717d8afa_story.html
- http://www.npr.org/2012/03/26/149402358/just-how-independent-are-independent-voters