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Internet Activities: Ideologies
 
 
 
Just the Facts, Please

There is a great deal of dissatisfaction with using the terms left, right, moderate, and others to describe a person’s political beliefs. Nevertheless, many continue to use these terms.

1. Access the following Web site:

http://www.maitreg.com/politics/articles/middle.asp

Read the brief analysis highlighting the problems associated with political labels and then go to one of the US political party links. What is it about that political party that makes it either "left" or "right" wing?


2. Now go to the following Web site:

http://www.self-gov.org/quiz.html

Take the "World’s Smallest Political Quiz." What was your ideology?

 
The United States political climate has been dominated by two political ideologies for many years, the liberal and the conservative ideologies. Each ideology has a different focus on what government should do, and each has different political issues with which it is associated.

Visit the American Conservative Union’s website at the first URL listed above. Select the link to "Statement of Principles" in the left-hand column labeled "Inside the ACU." Read the statement of principles, and answer the first set of questions.

Select the back button on your browser to return to the main page of the ACU. Then scroll down and select the link that allows you to "Take the ACU Ratings Quiz." This test allows you to compare yourself with the ACU’s ratings on conservative positions on major bills in Congress. Take the test. Cast your votes and compare yourself against others who have been identified as conservative or liberal. (The higher your score, the more likely you would agree with the conservative position on the issues you voted on.) Answer the second set of questions.

Go to the second URL listed above to the Americans for Democratic Action’s website. The ADA is one of the major liberal political organizations in the United States. Select the link to "Issues" in the left-hand column. Then select the link to "Social and Domestic." Answer the third set of questions.
 
       
   
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Exploration

Activity Title:

Activity 6-1: Ideology


Activity URL:

http://www.conservative.org/
http://www.adaction.org/


Activity Question:

FIRST SET OF QUESTIONS:

The ACU’s main thrust in its statement of principles is that liberty can remain secure only if government is _____________ (limited or expanded).

The ACU states that __________ is the only economic system that is compatible with political liberty.

Discuss the ACU’s position on collectivism’s relationship to capitalism. Do you agree with them? Why or why not?


SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS:

What is your score?

Does your score match your own appraisal of your political ideology?


THIRD SET OF QUESTIONS:

Summarize one position taken by the ADA on a domestic issue.

In one paragraph describe some of the fundamental differences between the liberal and conservative philosophies, and describe how these differences affect their positions.

Do you agree more often with the liberal or the conservative viewpoint?

Activity Description:

Goal: To learn to discriminate between liberal and conservative political ideology.

  
       
   
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