Political Ideologies: A Comparative Analysis

The differences between the political ideologies, as well the their political economic counterparts, comes down to the distribution and weight placed on freedom versus equality. They are the basic beliefs about how politics should be constructed. They differ from political attitudes because they concern political issues rather than focus on the pace and scope of change. Ideologies focus on issues such as welfare, civil liberties, and national defense. Political attitudes take on different ideological content when in the context of different societies, whereas the ideologies stay the same regardless of context. It is all about the ideal relationship between freedom and equality. When studying and comparing the political-economic systems, it …show more content…
Social Democracy is concerned with balancing the ideals of liberty and freedom, and for this, it is the most centered of all ideologies. Also called socialism, a social democracy accepts a strong role for private ownership and market forces while maintaining an emphasis on economic inequality. This sort of government demands a strong state that recognizes the importance of individual liberty. The state must be legitimate as it is responsible for collecting the taxes that take care of the human needs of its …show more content…
Social democracy functions on a foundation of capitalism, like liberalism. They believe in private property and open markets. They reject communist calls for a revolution, and believe change can come democratically. Based on the ideals of Eduard Bernstein. Social Democracy departs from liberalism in its attempt to balance individual freedom and collective equality. Social democrats are more cautious than liberals about the benefits of private property and market forces, while still acknowledging that they do have a place in an governmental system. They believe that unchecked economic development produces great inequality by concentrating the wealth in the hands of the few, this ideal comes from communism. This can polarize society of rich versus poor. The state is not a threat to society or economy, but the a creator of social rights that are otherwise lost in the market. The state should make available a wide array of public goods. These can include health care, pensions and higher education. Strong state regulation takes precedence over competition. Trade is advocated for as long as it does not endanger domestic jobs and businesses. Higher level of social expenditures to ensure basic benefits for all. This comes through taxes. Taxes are much higher in social democracies than in liberal states. Social democracy can avoid the excesses of liberalism, while