Ideologies and Political Beliefs

Ideologies are the sets of basic beliefs about the political, economic, social and cultural affairs held by the majority of people within a society. Nearly every opinion on the appropriateness or inappropriateness of government policy, ranging from welfare to gun control, is a reflection of a person’s political ideology.

A political ideology is a set of related beliefs about political theory and policy held by an individual, group of individuals or a particular social class. Many political parties base their political action and election program on an ideology.

Major Political Ideologies

Liberalism is one of the major political ideologies of the world. It focuses on individualism, self-reliance, personal responsibility, equality before the law and limited government.

Democratic socialism has been quite successful in Western Europe and Scandinavia. The 1970s and 1980s witnessed a flowering of new and popular ideologies, such as feminism and ecologism, and a revival of others, notably liberalism.

About the Book

This comprehensive book on political ideologies provides a clear and accessible introduction to the political creeds and doctrines that have dominated and shaped world politics. This is an excellent resource for graduate students.