Lesson 1 - Developing Political Ideologies PDF

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Why Study Politics? Why is it important? 

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Each of us lives in a community; politics is about the decisions that a community makes o Every impact of our life is impacted by the decisions that the community around us makes Everything that we do in life is directly or indirectly regulated by our society o How our society functions, what we watch, who we date, how we allocate our money, etc.

Why is it valuable? 

Studying politics is valuable because a degree in political science is a gateway to a variety of careers o Public service (most Prime Ministers and political figures have a background in political science or political economy) o Civil service (many people with political science degrees are hired by elected officials in all levels of government) o Law o Education o Journalism o Non-Governmental Organizations (human rights agencies, etc.) o Business

Three skills you’ll gain as a political science major:   

The ability to think critically The ability to do research The ability to communicate your ideas, both verbally and in writing

Political Ideologies What is an ideology? Philosophy A deep and thoughtful effort to search for universal truths Contemplative, sometimes abstract Trying to understand the world at its most fundamental level

Theory Much more practical, applied, and analytical than a philosophy An effort to show a relationship Does A+B=C? Are A and B equally responsible for C?

Ideology Tries to both understand the world, and analyze the world Many, if not most, ideologies have emerged from an abstract philosophy Unlike philosophy, political ideologies are often geared towards trying to convince people to think in a certain way; meant to shape and mold the way people think; to motivate people to engage

in a political action Because they’re about shaping the way large numbers of people think, they tend to be simplifications or distortions of the philosophies that inspired them; often, philosophies are so abstract or complex, it simply cannot be aimed at such a broad audience How can different ideologies be linked to each other?  

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Often seen in the linear depiction of the political spectrum, ranging from the far left to the far right The terms “left” and “right” to describe political leaning were coined in the French Revolution o King Louis XVI called together the Estates (representing the different segments of society) o Estates that opposed change, and favoured the status quo, stood on the right side of him o Estates that wanted change, and favoured more reform-oriented elements, stood on the left side of him o In the Revolution, the King was overthrown and the French created a legislature o Instead of the King, the Speaker of the National Assembly stood in the centre of the room o The conservative estates tended to sit on the right side of the Speaker and the progressive estates tended to sit on the left; the phrase stuck Political leaning can also be illustrated in a circular model o One quadrant is democratic o One quadrant is totalitarian (Stalinism, Maoism, fascism, Nazism) o One quadrant is the left o One quadrant is the right

How do we acquire different ideologies?  

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Both political socialization and political indoctrination can be defined as the process in which people develop different attitudes about the political process, political norms, political values Political attributes can be acquired at a very young age and can develop more and more throughout life o An American study showed that most 7-year-olds have decided which political party they most identify with People’s political ideologies and beliefs do change, but typically that change is gradual and not radical After decades of the communist ideology, Eastern Europe is still affected by the regime of the USSR and the attitudes of current voters are reflective of that

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There are large differences between the two ways of acquiring or transforming a political ideology: Political Socialization More common in democratic regimes Includes overt and deliberate elements, but with no fixed plan or goal Telling you how the system works, and leaving your opinion up to you to decide

Political Indoctrination More common in non-democratic regimes Overt and deliberate

Telling you how to think, rather than letting you decide for yourself...