The Ideological The Ideological Connection:Connection:

Party ideologies & what they Party ideologies & what they stand (or stood) forstand (or stood) for

Reminders:Reminders:

Paper topics due Tuesday, February 3rdPaper topics due Tuesday, February 3rd These should contain:These should contain:

A brief statement of the topic as you A brief statement of the topic as you propose to define itpropose to define it

A preliminary bibliography of sources you A preliminary bibliography of sources you are likely to useare likely to use

Including a brief Including a brief annotationannotation of what you of what you expect to find in them or how you expect to use expect to find in them or how you expect to use themthem

Recap: Ways of Recap: Ways of distinguishing parties:distinguishing parties:

Size or strengthSize or strength RoleRole By their ideology or ideological familyBy their ideology or ideological family By the ways in which they are By the ways in which they are

organizedorganized

The European Experience:The European Experience:

Ideological families:Ideological families: Socialism (including Communism, Socialism (including Communism,

Socialism and Social Democracy)Socialism and Social Democracy) Christian DemocracyChristian Democracy LiberalismLiberalism ConservatismConservatism

The Party Spectrum TodayThe Party Spectrum Today

(ex-)Communists(ex-)Communists Greens, left-libertariansGreens, left-libertarians Social DemocracySocial Democracy Christian DemocracyChristian Democracy Liberalism (Radicalism)Liberalism (Radicalism) ConservatismConservatism The new rightThe new right

How strong is the How strong is the ideological connection?ideological connection?

Should we think of parties as Should we think of parties as members of ideological families?members of ideological families?

If so, are parties If so, are parties

carriers of political ideologies? carriers of political ideologies?

OROR bearers of ideological labels?bearers of ideological labels?

What is a political ideology?What is a political ideology?

A A political ideologypolitical ideology is a a set of beliefs is a a set of beliefs more or less more or less constrainedconstrained or or inter-relatedinter-related

about society, economy & what about society, economy & what has beenhas been or or can can bebe achieved through politics achieved through politics

Typical components:Typical components: Rights and dutiesRights and duties View of the economyView of the economy A vision of the futureA vision of the future

Specificity & constraintSpecificity & constraint

However, ideologies vary:However, ideologies vary: Some are more clearly stated than others:Some are more clearly stated than others:

e.g. Socialism, Communism, classical liberalisme.g. Socialism, Communism, classical liberalism Others are less clearly defined:Others are less clearly defined:

ConservatismConservatism Some variants of Christian DemocracySome variants of Christian Democracy PopulismPopulism The contemporary new rightThe contemporary new right

ConservatismConservatism

What is Conservatism?What is Conservatism? Conservatism according to Sir Conservatism according to Sir

Edmund BurkeEdmund Burke Conservatism in practice:Conservatism in practice:

One nation conservatism in the UKOne nation conservatism in the UK ThatcherismThatcherism Social v. fiscal conservatismSocial v. fiscal conservatism

Christian DemocracyChristian Democracy

Origins: Origins: Response to godless Communism?Response to godless Communism? Response to “the social question”Response to “the social question”

Characteristics:Characteristics: Wholistic or organic world-view: see Wholistic or organic world-view: see

society as a fabric, with upper and lower society as a fabric, with upper and lower stratastrata

Centre-right v. centre-left variants Centre-right v. centre-left variants Italy, Germany, Netherlands, AustriaItaly, Germany, Netherlands, Austria

LiberalismLiberalism

What is it about?What is it about? Classical v. ‘reform’ liberalismClassical v. ‘reform’ liberalism

The government which governs least The government which governs least governs best v.governs best v.

state intervention to ensure equal state intervention to ensure equal rights, equal opportunityrights, equal opportunity

American usageAmerican usage ThatcherismThatcherism

Ideological changeIdeological change

Do parties today stand for the same things Do parties today stand for the same things that they stood for 50-150 years ago?that they stood for 50-150 years ago?

Suppositions:Suppositions: There has been a decline or disappearance of There has been a decline or disappearance of

political ideology (political ideology (end of ideology thesisend of ideology thesis))

vs.vs. Ideological change:Ideological change: parties retain earlier parties retain earlier

commitments, but their understanding of what commitments, but their understanding of what can be done and how it should be done has can be done and how it should be done has changedchanged

Or no change at all?Or no change at all?

Socialism, social democracy & Socialism, social democracy & CommunismCommunism

Origins: Marx and non-MarxistOrigins: Marx and non-Marxist Early socialism: orthodoxyEarly socialism: orthodoxy 19 & 2019 & 20thth century splits century splits

Revisionism and social democracyRevisionism and social democracy Democratic socialism & socialismDemocratic socialism & socialism CommunismCommunism

What divides them?What divides them?

Strategy and tactics:Strategy and tactics: What do you do while you wait for an What do you do while you wait for an

inevitable revolution?inevitable revolution? Can you involuntarily push history along?Can you involuntarily push history along? Can you achieve socialism via the ballot Can you achieve socialism via the ballot

box and parliamentary democracy?box and parliamentary democracy? How much public ownership of the How much public ownership of the

means of production?means of production?

Social Democracy today: Social Democracy today: What is left of the left? What is left of the left?

Building socialism or managing Building socialism or managing capitalism?capitalism? Backing off from public ownershipBacking off from public ownership The Keynsian welfare state:The Keynsian welfare state:

Managing the welfare state Managing the welfare state Full employmentFull employment Generous safety net – insurance against risks of Generous safety net – insurance against risks of

life in industrial and/or capitalist economieslife in industrial and/or capitalist economies

The cold war and its impactThe cold war and its impact

Third way politicsThird way politics

Tony Blair’s Tony Blair’s New New Labour PartyLabour Party Old v New LabourOld v New Labour

More links with capital – e.g. public-private More links with capital – e.g. public-private partnershipspartnerships

Tougher stance on the administration of justiceTougher stance on the administration of justice

The SPD in GermanyThe SPD in Germany The PvdA (Dutch Social Democrats)The PvdA (Dutch Social Democrats)

Social Democracy today?Social Democracy today?

Other party familiesOther party families

Do Do greengreen or or left liberatian left liberatian parties parties share a common ideology set of share a common ideology set of beliefs?beliefs?

Do Do new right new right (sometimes called (sometimes called new right populistnew right populist) parties share a ) parties share a common ideology or set of beliefs?common ideology or set of beliefs?