What is your Politics? What is your Political ideology?
Politics! Politics! Politics!
By now, you will be tired of my rants on Politics! Fear not, I can give you some relief. This article may not be that long or boring; also, this is not an issue-based article.
Every time you might have a conversation with a politically aware person, it is likely that you will be asked about your ideology, which is indirectly asking you, What are your politics? It doesn't mean which party you support; rather, it is about your ideology. Of course, politics is much more than ideology, but your ideology itself is one of the biggest determinants of your politics.
This article is designed to help you understand what are the various ideologies and help you understand more about your political ideology. So stick around till the end to understand this topic in a much better way.
Please note- This article is not an article meant for experts in Political Science rather for people who want to understand these topics better. No ideology is being endorsed, promoted or glorified here.
What is ideology?
Ideology is a system or a collection of ideas. When multiple interrelated ideas are put together and labelled, you get an ideology. It can also be argued as a set of beliefs and values. Ideology is also very well noted in the study of religions and sociology. But currently, we will focus only on political ideologies.
Ideology holds a very significant place in political theory and political philosophy. Ideologies began during the period of the Enlightenment, but they got crystallised properly only during the French Revolution. But it took more than a hundred years to shape and reform ideologies as we know them today. Although political thinkers and scientists do consider several ancient ideas as part of ideologies as well, such as Taoism, Confucianism, and various mentions in Plato's works, etc., let's not go in that direction and merely stick to modern ideologies that we use daily today.
So now you have understood what an ideology is. Now, let us look at various ideologies. Do see if these keywords ring your bell.
Liberalism
This is one of the oldest ideologies in modern times. Developed during the Enlightenment period, continues to evolve and expand to this day. Liberalism sees the individual as the most important character in society and values the 'liberty' of an individual. Liberalism owes to expanding rights, freedoms, and providing protection to the individual. Provide protection from whom? The State and Society.
Liberals believed that for a long time, individuals were subjugated to the pressures of society as well as the state. The family, state and society used to dictate how people lived. Hence, they need to be freed from the same. The liberation from state and society gave birth to liberty and thus, liberalism. The father of Liberalism is English thinker John Locke, who gave the idea of the Three Natural Rights- Right to Life, Right to Liberty and Right to Property. These three combined gave birth to the American Revolution. Today, liberalism has different strands- social, economic and political.
Liberalism opposes castes, traditions, authority and replaces them with rights, freedom and constitutionalism. Instead of monarchy or dictatorship, liberalism supports Democracy and Republicanism, which is based on Constitutionalism or supremacy of the constitution. Other important thinkers of liberalism include J.S. Mill, Adam Smith, and John Rawls, among many others.
There are three types of liberalism which has evolved over a period of time.
Classical Liberalism- This is the oldest type of liberalism, which is largely not followed today. Classical liberalism emphasises on minimal role of the state. According to them, the state should do only minimal functions, such as protection. They also opposed the state's role in the economy. This was also in the light of the scientific revolution, the industrial revolution, and the expansion of colonialism.
Modern Liberalism- Classical Liberalism was excellent, but it came with baggage. The age of industrialisation brought positive changes in society, at the same time, it brought inequalities, poor working conditions, poverty, lack of dignity at the workplace and much more. The laissez-faire economics was no longer working. That was when liberals revived the concept of the state to a modern welfare state. The role of the state was now not just protection but reducing inequality, regulation, and providing facilities to those who do not have them. John Maynard Keynes developed the theory of Keynesian Economics, which became a crucial pillar of modern liberalism. US President Franklin D Roosevelt was the biggest proponent of it as well as a practitioner of it through Keynesian Economics. He expanded the US government, brought the US out of the Great Depression and changed the Democratic Party. The European Union today can be best described as an example of a Modern Liberal entity that follows regulated capitalism.
Neo-Liberalism- Modern liberalism was going on in the US and several European countries. It turned out to be insufficient to address other problems, too. State intervention in a lot of problems was not successful. That was when Modern Liberalism branched out to Neo-Liberalism. Neoliberalism was a way to get back to Classical Liberalism because Conservatives were trying to make a massive comeback. Neoliberals want to roll back the government to a minimal state where free-market and a lack of regulation are seen as a major solution. Ronald Reagan's famous speech on this was a radical shift within politics at that time. The Republican Party under Reagan and Bush is reflective of this. It also backs International institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, World Trade Organisation to monitor international trade and the flow of wealth.
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These are the three types of liberalism, but there are many more types of liberalism. But it's largely for political junkies. This much is what you need to know about it.
Conservatism
Compared to liberalism, conservatism or the conservative movement is a newer ideology. The period of 1600-1800 was an era of rapid change and revolutions. Hence, there were a lot of groups who wanted to stop the rate of change and try to retain the status quo. Mainly after the French Revolution, the overthrow of the monarchy was not accepted by many, and they tried to restore it in 1815. From then on, conservatism became an active political movement across the world. Important thinkers of conservatism include Edmund J Burke, Friedrich J Hayek, and Robert Nozick, among many others.
Conservatism doesn't want to digress into abstract ideas and idealism rather stick to how things are. They prefer the status quo over change. They emphasise traditions, hierarchy in society, human imperfection, an organic society and most importantly, adherence to an authority, which you can say is the state or even an authority such as religion.
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Are they opposed to change? This is often used as a misnomer. The answer is yes, as well as no. They accept changes in a slow manner, but oppose radical changes.
There are various types of conservatism- economic, social, traditional, liberal and national. Economic conservatives vouch for free markets, social conservatives call for culture and traditions to be preserved and embraced, liberal conservatives call for a minimal state, and lastly, national conservatives prioritise national interest, nationalism and patriotism. Liberal conservatives are also known as Libertarians.
But the most important type which we should focus on his neo-conservatism. It is an ideology that came out of liberalism during the Cold War period. They insisted that liberalism was failing mainly in the US during the Cold War. They mixed some liberal ideas with old conservative ideas. Neo-Conservatives believed that the US had moral authority in the world and must expand its role in world affairs through a strong military, oppose communism, promote democracy and return to free-market capitalism. Today, this might sound odd and controversial, but since the Reagan era till Obama, US foreign policy has been this only.
Politico-Economic Ideologies
Capitalism
It is a polico-economic ideology that believes that the means of production (eg land, labour, machinery, etc.) should be owned by individuals or a group of individuals. Although it originated in the 16th and 17th centuries, it became dominant in the 19th and 20th centuries, opposing feudalism. It has origins in liberalism, which emphasises the rights of individuals to conduct economic activities and benefit from them. Capitalism today also includes free-market theories. Its earliest thinkers are Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek, among many others.
The supporters of capitalism believe that it is an economic ideology that promotes employment, more opportunities, and thus supports innovation, poverty reduction and economic growth. They oppose government control of economic resources, the distribution of wealth, but support the concept minimal state (low taxes and no regulation).
Socialism
It is an economic cum political ideology that supports collective or public ownership of the means of production. It grew as an opposition to capitalism. The most important thinker of socialism is Karl Marx. Although socialism grew more controversial as it calls for an overthrow of capitalism by whatever means possible.
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Socialists believe that capitalism has created a system that exploits workers and creates unfair economic practices in the market. They call for more rights and support for employees and more regulation of the economy. They were also strong critics of colonialism.
Types of Socialism
As already mentioned, the establishment of socialism is where it gets controversial to many people, but not all types of socialism call for violent means of overthrow. That is where various types come into the picture.
Fabian socialism- Also known as evolutionary socialism, calls for a slow transition to socialism from other types. Jawaharlal Nehru is an important thinker of Fabian socialism.
German social democracy- It is an evolutionary socialism, which calls for workers to form political parties, contest elections and pass appropriate policies.
Revisionism- It is an ideology that calls for socialism as a constant movement. It was revolutionary socialism.
Democratic socialism- It combines social ownership with the formation of a democratic governance model. This is largely practised in various countries across the globe. Bernie Sanders of the USA claims to be a democratic socialist.
Social Democracy- It brings together free-market capitalism along with a strong welfare model. This is what is followed in various Nordic and Western European countries.
Market socialism- Combines features of both capitalism and socialism with market features.
Then there are multiple different types of socialism, which exist but are beyond the scope of the article.
Communism
It is one of the most abused and misunderstood terms by a lot of people. It is an economic cum political ideology that calls for workers to take control of the means of production. It is claimed as an extreme form of socialism and is also a revolutionary type of socialism, which was theorised by Karl Marx. It was not Karl Marx who put it into practice, but rather Vladimir Lenin. Lenin created a party to take control of the Soviet economy.
Communists argue that the class struggle or fight between the bourgeoisie class and the working class is fundamental because the capitalist class will always exploit workers in the name of profit and efficiency. They demand higher wages, better working conditions, and the formation of trade unions. Just like socialism, communism also opposed colonialism and imperialism.
Anarchism
It is an ideology that calls for a stateless society. It is not just an ideology, but rather a hypothetical "state of nature" in itself. Many ideologies talk about anarchy as well. Often, anarchy is debated by different sides both as a negative and a positive concept. But when we see it in isolation, you don't have to be terrified of it or you don't have to see it as a dangerous situation. You can also see it as a utopian concept as well.
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Marxism
It is often misused along with socialism and communism, but it is not true. It is a doctrine given by Marx and Engels for the creation of a classless and eventually stateless society. Marx brought it out as a critique of Hegel's idealism. Later, came his critique of capitalism, feudalism and colonialism. Class struggle and the Theory of Alienation were talked about as the critical components of establishing Marxism.
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Nationalism
There is no universally accepted definition, but rather several definitions that can be argued as Nationalism. It is a movement cum ideology that focuses on establishing a nation or a nation-state based on some common or shared characteristic(s). For a common man, people would say nationalism represents unconditional love and appreciation for one's country. But for a political scientist, it would be much more than that.
There are several types of nationalism, such as ethno-nationalism, territorial nationalism, civic nationalism, cultural nationalism, colonial nationalism, stateless nationalism, settler nationalism and much more. All these are beyond the scope of this article.
Fascism
It is a form of extreme nationalism backed by dictatorial rule. Fascism originated in Mussolini's Italy, where Benito Mussolini himself called his party Fascist and gave the Doctrine of Fascism in his book. This ideology spread to neighbouring Germany, to what we know as Nazism. Fascism prioritises the superiority of the Nation and the State. It tries to control various aspects of society on how people live and interact with each other. Censorship, violence, and propaganda take precedence over liberalism, freedom, democracy and dissent. It glorifies the military, youth and masculinity. It rejects various forms of modernity and modernism. Economically speaking, it follows a mix of socialism and capitalism that calls for autarky and national interest over profit. Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Military Japan, etc. are clear examples of fascism. Fascism opposes Marxism. (Tell why?)
Totalitarianism
It is a form of government that totally calls for the cession of individual freedom and gives it into the hands of the state. A totalitarian government control all aspects of a person's life. It is the most extreme form of state control on society, economy, and politics of a country. They will oppose liberalism, secularism, democracy, marxism, and mild forms of any ideology. Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Stalinist USSR, Mao's China, and Kim Jong Un's North Korea are the best examples of Totalitarian governments around the world. George Orwell's 1984 also describes an example of a hypothetical totalitarian state.
What is the Ideological Spectrum?
It is a model used for comparing various parties and ideologies. One of the oldest and most prominent forms of the ideological spectrum is the Left-Right Spectrum. It represents a horizontal axis for representing various political ideas. The single axis measures varying tendencies of supporting and opposing economic changes in society. This idea goes back to the time of the French Revolution, where the Left-Right seating pattern was based on their political beliefs. Those who supported equality and democracy sat on the left while those who believed in traditions and hierarchy sat on the right. Since then, to date, this forms the main parameter of judging ideologies of political leaders, parties and governments across the world. They are also referred to as left-wing and right-wing.
Compared to the traditional left-right duopoly, there are new alternatives to the older version- New-Right and New-Left. The New Right emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as a reaction to the weakening Left in Western countries. It combined Social Conservatism and Economic Liberalism to pave the way for the New Right. They had continued dominance till recent times in Europe and the US. New Right is pro-immigration, family values, anti-welfare and supports strong defence and foreign policy. (Can ring bells with Neo-Conservatism). Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan are champions of it. The New Left came as a reaction to the rise of Liberalism and also to oppose the traditional Left. They focused on Strong Welfare, Civil Rights and Green Politics. Noam Chomsky, Lyndon B Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr, and many more are the celebrated New Left Thinkers.
Lastly, we have Newer ideologies, Alt Right and Newer Left. Alt Right is what we refer to as 2000s Right Wing Movements, which are socially conservative and anti-globalist. MAGA is an example of the same. The Newer Left is a reaction to the Rise of the New Right, which brought the left-wing parties of the West towards the Centre and pragmatic politics. The New Democrats movement under Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Joe Biden are example of it. Similar is the case with the New Labour Party in the UK under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Limitations of the Ideological Spectrum
Most of the people are free thinkers and do not always stick to traditional left-right economics. For example, you can be a socialist but also call for regulated capitalism; you, as a capitalist, can also support social welfare. This is where there was an emergence of Centrism, where people who do not believe in the extremes of left-right duopoly but rather like to follow a mix of both left and right-based ideologies. That is also why we use the words left-leaning and right-leaning instead of left wing and right wing. For the extreme ideologies, we use far left and far right.
What is Political Compass?
Even though the single-axis Left-Right Spectrum is still in use, many thinkers have suggested the use of a two-axis spectrum to evaluate political ideologies. On the X axis, you have varying economic ideologies, and on the Y axis, you have varying degrees of social policy. Hence, this method overcomes the limitation of underscoring social policy, which was there in the earlier left-right spectrum. Political Compass shows your place on the axes by providing you with a quiz to analyse your politics.
What is the best political ideology?
The general question you will ask is What is the best political ideology? The honest answer is that there is nothing as best ideology. Best is, moreover, extremely contextual. It is important to understand that it is not one or two ideologies that always work, but rather a mix of several ideologies, which is why mild and moderate ideologies still hold to the ground. Also, politics is all about adjustment and compromise. As I also mentioned before, very few people believe in extreme ideologies, and most people tend to stay towards the centre. Hence, ideological extremism is not going to work in the long run.
So, comment below what your politics or what is your ideology are? If you are still doubtful, please take the Political Compass test here. Comment your doubts and political ideology down below.
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