political spectrum lesson 1

Ideologies

REACTIONARY

RADICAL

LIBERAL

MODERATE

CONSERVATIVE

Arrange these political ideologies from left to right…

Left RightCenter

Let’s check if you are right by watching this video…

REACTIONARYRADICAL

LIBERAL MODERATE CONSERVATIVE

Left RightCenter

The Basic Political Spectrum

Characteristics

Characteristics of the Left/Right Political Spectrum

1. Classifies political movements and thinkers as left-wing or right wing.

(Tansey, 2004)

Modern French National Assembly

“…the pro-monarchist conservatives sat on the

right, and the revolutionary revolutionary republicansrepublicans sat on the left of a semi-circular

assembly.” (Tansey, 2004)

Revolutionary Republicans

Pro-monarchist Conservatives

French National Assembly (1789)

Revolutionary Republicans

Pro-monarchist Conservatives

Early Political Spectrum

LEFT WING RIGHT WING

“…the pro-monarchist conservatives sat on the

right, and the revolutionary revolutionary republicansrepublicans sat on the left of a semi-circular

assembly.” (Tansey, 2004)

Characteristics of the Left/Right Political Spectrum

1. Classifies political opinions as left-wing or right wing. (Tansey, 2004)

2. The left is pro-change, while the right, is anti change. (Tansey, 2004)

Change

ChangeChange

Characteristics of the Left/Right Political Spectrum

1. Classifies political opinions as left-wing or right wing. (Tansey, 2004)

2. The left is pro-change, while the right, is anti change. (Tansey, 2004)

3. The direction of change is from right to left.

SPECTRUM

Spectrum is “a continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed (as by passage through a prism) so that its component wavelengths are arranged

in order.

-Meriam-Webster Online

Like this…

And this one…

Left-wing Right-wing

Change

Centrists

In Political Science…

“Spectrum” also refers to…

“any of various continua that resemble a color spectrum in consisting of an ordered arrangement by a particular characteristic

(as frequency or energy).”

-Meriam-Webster Online

“The labels used on the spectrum are not pure categories, but they make up a

continuum, or value line, and citizens and politicians fall somewhere on that line

depending on what they believe.”

-cyberlearning-world.com

Characteristics of the Left/Right Political Spectrum

1. Classifies political opinions as left-wing or right wing. (Tansey, 2004)

2. The left is pro-change, while the right, is anti change. (Tansey, 2004)

3. The direction of change is from right to left.

4. The labels used on the spectrum are not pure categories, but they make up a continuum, or value line.

Characteristics of the Political Spectrum

1. Classifies political opinions as left-wing or right wing.

2. The left is pro-change, while the right, is anti change.

3. The direction of change is from right to left.

4. The labels used on the spectrum are not pure categories, but they make up a continuum, or value line.

Re +Re +

Something to think about…

Among the five political labels, where should we associate communism and capitalism?

Why do you think is the reason why the political conservatives during the French Revolution chose to seat on the right-hand side of the

Speaker?

www.politicalcompass.orghttp://www.theadvocates.org/

Do you want to know where you fit on a political spectrum? Check out these sites: