Lesson 4

UNDERSTANDING
POLITICAL
IDEOLOGIES
Political Ideology: Its Role and Functions
Ideology
➢It refers to a set of beliefs and ideas that shape an
individual’s or a group’s views, actions, and interactions
with the world.

Political Ideology
➢It is a set of beliefs and ideas that define political
activities, policies, and events.
 Political Ideology

• It is comprised of related and supporting ideas that

advance a certain idea of what society and
government is or what it should be.
• It emphasizes certain values, principles, and ideals
which distinguish it from other political ideologies.
• Example: Liberalism emphasizes individual freedom
while Fascism gives primary importance to the state
over the individual.
 Political Ideology

• It proposes ideas regarding the most effective

government, and the social and economic structure
that will enable the state to uphold its principles
and realize its goals.
• It becomes the basis for the values, principles, and
ideas to which the state subscribes to define its
laws, programs, and political activities.
 Political Ideology

• It is the basis for the development of a political

culture.

Political Culture
➢It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, and behavior that
define political processes and governance.
An ideology is considered to have four key functions:
1) it explains how society and politics are
organized and how various aspects of politics work;
2) it evaluates whether a certain political actions
or program is good or bad;
3) it orients those who subscribe to it to have a
sense of identity and direction; and
4) it provides a program or plan of action that will
bring about political change.
The Political Spectrum
➢It is a graphic representation of political ideologies
along a line from left to right.
➢The left side of the line includes those that adhere to
liberal and socialist ideologies;
➢The right side of the line presents those that conform
to conservative and fascist ideologies; and
➢The center of the line represents a moderate or
“centrist” ideology which balances the ideas from the
left and right sides of the political spectrum.
 The following is a presentation of the major political
ideologies arranged along the political spectrum.

The concept of the political spectrum is where we get the

popular terms “left wing/left-leaning”, “right wing/right-
leaning”, and centrist” when discussing political views.
“Leftist” ideas
In the modern context, include ideologies that value
freedom over government control. These include
liberalism, social democracy, socialism, and anarchism.

“Rightist” ideas
Emphasize government power and authority, often at
the expense of individual freedom. These include
neoliberalism, conservatism, reactionism, and fascism.

As one goes from the center to the other end of

the spectrum, the ideologies become more extreme.
Note that similar
ideologies do not
necessarily agree on
some views regarding
politics, economy, and
society, and that
ideologies often give
rise to other branches
that may espouse some
extreme or radically
unique views on politics
and society.
Aside from political spectrum, other tools have
emerged that can help us get a better picture of
political ideologies that influence a state and even
those of individuals.

• The Nolan Chart and the Political Compass are

diagrams that plot political ideologies along two axes
based on the political spectrum (left - right) and
social freedom (authoritarian – libertarian).
Political Compass

Nolan Chart
These diagrams take into consideration the possibility
that political ideas from one side of the spectrum may
overlap or relate with those from the opposite side,
and that citizens and groups may espouse ideas that
are influenced, in various degrees, by both sides of
the political spectrum.
Major Political Ideologies and Related Ideas
The following are the major ideologies most prevalent
in states throughout the world.
• Liberalism
• Social Democracy
• Socialism
• Anarchism
• Neoliberalism
• Conservatism
• Reactionism
• Fascism
 Liberalism
➢It considers economic and social inequality as
undesirable and seeks to establish a society that
provides opportunities for growth to all individuals.
➢All citizens must have access to essential services such
as health care, education, and social security.
➢It upholds the recognition of human rights and
freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of
religion, gender equality, and a secular government.
 Social Democracy
➢It seeks to implement socialist reforms in society
within the framework of a democratic government and
capitalist economy.
➢Social democrats advocate government regulation of
the economy, income distribution, and the promotion of
social welfare.
➢It envisions the establishment of a socialist state
through legal, non-violent means.
 Socialism

➢It envisions the establishment of a state

characterized by public ownership of resources and
the means of production.
➢There is democratic control over the use of resources
and the production of goods and services are done in a
cooperative manner.
➢The government ensures that all citizens have free
access to goods and services.
❑Communism
It is a socialist ideology that believes that
inequality is a result of capitalism and the existence of
class system.
❑Marxism
It is a communist ideology that believes capitalist
societies are characterized by class conflict or the
struggle between the working class and the capitalists.
 Anarchism
➢The most extreme ideology on the left as it
advocates the total dismantling and elimination of
the state.
➢For anarchists, the state is undesirable as its
various aspects such as control, political authority,
and hierarchy represent everything that is
detrimental to freedom and individualism.
➢Anarchists advocate the establishment of self-
governed communities where individuals manage
their affairs through cooperative effort and mutual
respect.
 Neoliberalism

➢This ideology is based on laissez-faire economics

which upholds free market and trade liberalization.

➢Neoliberals believe that economic growth is key to

human progress, and that the government must not
intervene in the activities of markets and
capitalists.
 Neoliberalism

This ideology gained popularity during the 1980s and

was implemented by the governments in United
Kingdom and United States. In particular, the Reagan
Administration of the United States advocated
“trickle down” economics – a policy that reduced taxes
on the wealthy and businesses.
It was believed that the policy would result in
economic benefits for the rest of the population of
the United States.
 Conservatism
➢This ideology upholds a strong, stable government
and the firm implementation of laws.
➢Conservatives value continuity of tradition and are
more nationalistic, religious, and moralistic in their
political views. This view upholds the existence of a
free market with limited intervention from the
government.
➢Conservatives also prefer a strong military and
advocate a strong presence in international affairs.
 Conservatism

➢It is the view of conservatives that social problems

are not the concern of the government and should
be addresses at the local or community level.
➢Conservatism is also wary of any change or reform,
and are generally opposed to socialist ideas.
 Reactionism

➢It advocates a return to the “old ways”.

➢Reactionaries consider the present state of society
as flawed and looks to the past which they consider
as a more orderly and better time.
➢Society should change in a way that traditional
practices and previous state policies are revived.
 Fascism
➢This is a radical right-wing ideology that is based on
fierce nationalism and authoritarianism.
➢It advocates a very strong central government, with
many of the aspects of democratic government
subject to restrictions or even eliminated.
➢For fascists, society is in danger from various
threats such as invasion, war, or rebellion, and a very
strong government with unlimited powers is needed
to address these threats.
 Fascism
➢The fascists government is centered on a
dictatorship, and political opposition and dissent is
suppressed.
➢For fascists, the interests of the state is
considered paramount, and individual liberties and
interests must give way to the interests of the
state.
 Ideology and Governance
Ideology is a major influence on the way government
organizes itself and conducts its activities.

❑ In actual practice, most advocates of political

ideologies do not fully embrace all ideas of their
preferred ideologies. Many government seek a
balance between left-leaning policies and right-
leaning policies, while some states declare
themselves to be fully committed to a certain
ideology.
oStates that advocate communist and socialist ideologies
include China, Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam.

oFascist regime emerged in Spain during the 1930s during

the reign of Francisco Franco, while the Peron
administration of Argentina was also primarily influenced
by Fascist ideals.

oMany states have active political parties that advocate

ideologies across the political spectrum.
❑Political systems may be established based on a single
ideology or a combination of ideas from various
ideologies.

Authoritarianism and totalitarianism are influenced by

right-wing ideologies.
Authoritarianism is a political system with a strong central
government, limited freedom for citizens, and constraints
on political institutions.
Totalitarianism is a political system where government
authority is unlimited and the state has control over the
public and private lives of its citizens.
Libertarianism is a political system where the
government has limited influence over the
economy and society, appeals to some liberal.
In Philippine politics, one important evidence of the
influence of political ideologies in governance is the
Philippine Constitution. The 1987 Constitution has
various sections that embody certain liberal, socialist,
conservative, and even fascist ideas.

Section 18 of Article VII defines the President’s power

to suspend the writ of habeas corpus for a limited period
of time and declare martial law in times of emergency is
an essentially fascist power.
Article III (Bill of Rights) and Article XIII (Social
Justice and Human Rights) are expressions of
liberal and socialist ideas, as the rights included
uphold individual liberties.

Article XV (The Family) is influenced by

conservative ideas as it upholds the value of the
Filipino family.
❑Filipino party politics, however, is not fully
influenced by political ideology in the sense that
adherence to a certain political ideology does not
define the identity and purpose of political parties in
the country.
❑In fact, the programs and platforms of major
political parties at present are very similar to one
another.
The prevalence of patronage politics where
politicians use state resources to reward supporters,
is also another factor that prevents the emergence of
an ideology-based party politics in the country.
One political ideology that has gained popularity among
Filipino politicians in recent times is populism.
Populism emphasizes the interests of the masses. This
view often presents the masses as being oppressed by
the elite or an oligarchy, and that is the role of the
government to limit the privileges of the elite and
uplift the condition of the masses.
 There are several non-government interests groups and
organizations that are influenced by political ideologies.
• AKBAYAN and Kilusang Mayo Uno profess an agenda that is
primarily influenced by socialist ideas.
• Communist Party of the Philippines is an organization that
advocates the establishment of communism in the country
through an armed struggle.
• Religious organizations primarily adhere to conservative beliefs
and ideas.

These and other organizations continually interact with the government

in an effort to uphold their respective agendas.
 Ideology and Citizenship

❑All individuals have their respective ideologies that

enable them to make sense of the world and their place
in it.
❑Political ideologies are a product of state
indoctrination and an individual’s own background,
experiences, and acquired knowledge.
❑Political ideologies, therefore, are a basis of citizen
action and participation in governance.
The influence of political ideology on citizen action is
evident in four key areas:

▪ Respect for law and order;

▪ Political participation;
▪ Humanitarianism; and
▪ Political dissent, protest, and civil disobedience.