What do Americans believe and why do they believe it? People quickly label others as 'liberal' or 'conservative' without really knowing what those terms mean, when, in reality, they probably have more in common than they realize. Despite our distinct differences in our opinions about what policies are best for the nation, Americans do have a broad set of values we hold, which is described as our political culture. So what values do we all have in common?
Americans believe in what we refer to as natural rights, the basic rights that all humans have merely because we are human.
Americans believe in the concept of liberty, where citizens ought to have as much freedom as possible. Please note this does not translate into the idea of absolute freedom to do whatever a person desires. There are always some limits to liberty, but Americans believe in allowing the least restrictive environment in terms of freedom.
Our nation also strongly values equality of opportunity, both socially and politically. Americans believe that every citizen, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or any other criterion, ought to have the same opportunities in life. Do not mistake this for the idea that all people are literally equal in their abilities, talents, and goals in life.
We also esteem the concept known as the democratic consensus, which reflects our willingness to accept the results of a democracy -- that we accept and respect the decisions made by our voters and government. Most of these decisions are made by majority and plurality vote. Issues decided by a majority vote are decided when more than one-half of a group votes in the same manner. This is different than a plurality, which means a decision is made by having the most votes (which isn't always a majority).
Americans also greatly work to ensure our political system uses the idea of the "rule of law." This phrase represents the idea of the government establishing only one set of laws to which everyone is answerable. No one, even government officials, is above the law.
Another value that Americans hold is that of civic duty, where citizens feel obligated to serve their community voluntarily for the good of everyone.
Many of these values are those held by people of other nations, but one distinct part of our political culture that has existed for some time is the notion of the American Dream, which asserts that in the United States, a person who dedicates themselves to working hard will achieve a nice quality of living. They will have a nice house, cars, and plenty of provisions for their family.
Can you answer: Is the 'American Dream' still a reality in the 21st century? Does hard work guarantee success?
Sources of our political culture
If we have these shared values as a society, how did we come about these values? This is a process we refer to as political socialization, where we pass down common values from one generation to the next. There are several mechanisms for transferring our values to future generations.
By far, the most significant source of political socialization is the family. A person spends most of their time with their family, and the parents, in particular. Parents and other family members often don't realize they are teaching political values, but when they require all their children to obey the same rules, they are teaching the rule of law. They teach the concept of liberty -- allowing children to have as much freedom as possible without endangering their child.
Our educational systems also imprint certain values upon children. Public schools provide children with equality of opportunity and have ideas like natural rights and liberty embedded into curriculum.
Religious institutions also promote society's values. The major religions in the United States -- Christianity, Judaism, and Islam -- all promote equality, liberty, and equality.
Finally, mass media has an effect on what the people of America value. Television shows, specifically, hold great sway over how people think and what they find acceptable. Children learn so many key aspects of how to interact with others through programs such as Sesame Street, or Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Radio, and now the Internet, have similar effects.
All of these influences on the youth of America can backfire, if not used properly. Poor parenting, skewed religious institutions, bad schools, or shows designed for adults can have a detrimental effect on the values of children.
Political Ideologies
Although Americans can agree on some broad values and principles, we have distinct differences on precise beliefs and policies. For instance, Americans believe in allowing as much liberty as possible, but what constitutes liberty? Should a woman have the right to choose to have an abortion? Should we allow criminals to be executed for certain crimes? These are the types of questions on which Americans differ.
The consistent set of specific beliefs about government and politics held by people tends to be known as a political ideology. In modern American politics, there are two main ideologies which describe the views of Americans: liberalism, and conservatism. We will address these two positions and other growing ideologies in the nation. To make the understanding of ideologies easier, we will break each one down into two sub-categories: economic beliefs, and social beliefs.
Liberalism is an ideology that socially attempts to place the rights of the individual as of primary importance and that progress is ultimately change is needed to make that progress. Economically, liberals tend to believe that capitalism is significant to our way of life, but capitalism should be regulated by the government.
Let's examine the basic economic issues of liberals:
The Role of Government: Liberals typically hold to the idea that government is necessary to prevent abuses in society. Most liberals believe in a regulated form of capitalism, where competition should exist between companies, yet the government acts as a regulatory force to make sure businesses are not exploitative.
Tax policy tends to emphasize stronger spending on social programs that provide services to citizens, such as Medicare, Medicaid, welfare programs, etc. Defense spending is important, but considered secondary to domestic spending to promote a better standard of living for poorer and middle class Americans in particular. Incidentally, liberals tend to support a tax policy that places higher tax rates on citizens who earn the highest incomes.
Defense / Military spending: resources should be devoted to ensuring the best trained and equipped military, yet they tend to stick to the idea that the nation could be doing this for less money.
Healthcare: many liberals have endorsed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as an ideal example of the government need to become involved with the healthcare business. Because so many Americans did not have adequate health insurance (or any insurance), liberals felt compelled to support the ACA, even though part of the law meant spending more tax dollars on programs like Medicaid.
Labor policy: many liberals tend to support labor unions and government regulations of working conditions. These standards, enforced by the government, are the only way to make certain businesses and corporations do not exploit their workers.
Economy / jobs: the government has a role in helping to stimulate the economy during times of difficulty and sometimes deficit spending is needed to "prime the pump."
Welfare spending: the government has an obligation to sustain a minimum standard of living for all Americans. Thus, devoting tax dollars for food, shelter, and clothing is the responsibility of the government. Additionally, the liberal base also takes the position that welfare recipients should not be drug tested as a condition of receiving benefits.
And now for the social issues:
Abortion: the concept behind the liberal stance on abortion is considered pro-choice. Liberals believe that a woman has the right to choose to what she will or will not do to her own body without government interference. This includes the right to privately choose to terminate a pregnancy.
Same-sex marriage: this concept has become near universally supported by liberals, as they believe no constitutional reason exists to deny homosexual couples the right to marry whomever they choose.
Criminal punishment: the liberal stance here is that criminals should not only be punished, but rehabilitated, preventing them from returning to a life of crime. Also, liberals support the notion of loosening the sentences of non-violent offenders, particularly those convicted of minor drug offenses.
Capital punishment: liberals tend to believe the death penalty is not a viable punishment for criminals, though reasons for supporting that stance vary.
Environmental issues / climate change: liberals believe in protecting the environment, limiting the dependence on fossil fuels, and developing 'greener' forms of energy. They also endorse as fact the idea that the earth's temperature is rising due to man's abuse of the planet.
Immigration reform: liberals typically believe in loosening immigration laws to allow more people to enter the country and be placed on a path to citizenship. They emphasize that America has a strong history of immigration that has made the country a more diverse place.
Gun rights: government regulation of guns is a necessity, and Americans have a constitutional right to own a gun, liberals wish to see what they call 'common sense' restrictions enacted, including universal background checks for firearms purchases.
Legalization of drugs: liberals are more apt to take the position of legalizing certain drugs, mainly marijuana. The concept behind this is that the negative effects of marijuana have been greatly exaggerated, and legalizing the plant would create a large taxable revenue for government services, and undercut the power of drug cartels within this country and Mexico.
Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive, or comprehensive list of every issue. With that in mind, let's examine conservatism. This ideology promotes preserving traditional institutions, and that when society changes, a slow progression is a better option. In terms of government, conservatism promotes the idea that less government is actually more appropriate.
The economic issues ...
The Role of Government: the government ought to be limited in its authority to maintaining a national defense, keeping law and order within the nation, and stay within the confines of its specifically listed powers in the Constitution.
Tax policy: Tax dollars should be spent primarily on defense, while the number of dollars devoted toward social programs should be greatly reduced. Conservatives believe the government does not have a responsibility for the well-being of most citizens. This should not be misunderstood -- many conservatives hold to the idea that the government should make exceptions to assist citizens with physical and mental disabilities. A reduction in tax dollars devoted to social programs would also allow the government to greatly reduce taxes on all Americans.
Defense / Military spending: The government should devote a bulk of tax dollars to maintenance of the military and projecting power across the globe, as to be able to respond to any situation in the quickest and most efficient means possible.
Healthcare: Conservatives typically disapprove of the Affordable Care Act, regarding it as both unconstitutional and an unwise policy. Health insurance should be provided by private companies, not the government. The government should not intervene in this area of business.
Labor policy: most conservatives tend to see labor unions as more harm than good. They operate under the idea that an employer sets the conditions and pay for workers. If the workers are unhappy with their job, they are free to seek employment elsewhere. According to the conservative approach, an employer would seek to create great working conditions to attract workers, and keep them happy and productive.
Economy / jobs: The government should intervene in business only when absolutely necessary. In terms of the economy, the government scale back the number of business regulations in existence and allow for the free market to determine the success or failure of corporations. When government regulations are diminished, job growth will come through the actions of private businesses.
Welfare spending: conservatives have adopted the stance that individual Americans have a responsibility to take care of themselves, and should not be so reliant upon the government to do so. Thus, spending on welfare programs should greatly be decreased, or more stringent requirements placed on the program to prevent abuse -- including requiring of drug testing for recipients of benefits.
And now for the social issues:
Abortion: conservatives believe that a woman's right to choose does not include an abortion. Life begins at conception and abortion is regarded by many as killing a child. Conservatives are, however, divided over the issue of abortion when it results from a rape or incest.
Same-sex marriage: conservatives believe in the traditional definition of marriage, which classifies it as an institution between one man and one woman.
Criminal punishment: the notion of prison is primarily for punishment, and while rehabilitation is a noble goal, tax dollars should be devoted to other resources before being spent on criminals.
Capital punishment: the belief is that some crimes are so heinous that death is the only viable option for justice, and the only certain way to prevent some criminals from reoffense.
Environmental issues / climate change: conservatives believe in using the earth's natural resources, with few government regulations. Also, climate change may be occurring, but it cannot be directly attributed to man-made causes, as the earth naturally goes through warming and cooling cycles.
Immigration reform: existing immigration policies should be more stringently enforced. Immigration should be limited to those who can best benefit the development of the nation, and that merely allowing people to cross the borders only adds to an overburdened budget. Moreover, the bulk of illegal immigrants traveling to the United States often takes jobs under the table, where they do not pay taxes, and yet are still allowed educational opportunities at the expense of tax payers.
Gun rights: conservatives strongly support the 2nd Amendment and the right of law abiding citizens to own firearms.
Legalization of drugs: typically, conservatives believe the drugs classified as illegal should stay that way. They point to the great number of lives lost due to the use of illicit drugs.
Okay -- so what happens if you don't take the same positions as the typical liberal or conservative? That's perfectly normal and if you don't meet one or two of those positions, you can still classify yourself as one of those ideologies.
Additionally, many Americans have beliefs that are almost split in terms of the liberal versus conservative ideologies. When a person holds economic beliefs that are conservative and social values that are liberal, we refer to that as libertarianism.
Contrary to that is the notion that some folks hold conservative social values and liberal economic views. The best description for this is a type of populism. This description best exemplifies the typical West Virginian.
Factors that explain political ideologies
Now that we have covered a basic understanding of political ideologies in America, we can examine the factors that explain why people are the way they are. In some ways, these factors help profile or predict what someone may think or believe.
Education level is a great predictor of a political ideology. Put simply, the more educated a person is, the more liberal they tend to be. However, keep in mind that education is not a direct reflection of intelligence. A person can lack formal education but be very intelligent. An educated person can also lack a high level of intelligence.
Higher education tends to make people more liberal because in a college environment, people are exposed to more diverse ways of thinking and life.
Race and ethnicity also give a strong indicator about political ideology. African-Americans tend to be more liberal, as they have benefited from liberal policies such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and government assistance programs.
Hispanics or Latinos also have a propensity for being more liberal, as current liberal policies on immigration are more permissive and thus appealing. Also, Hispanics, like African-Americans, have been disproportionately poorer, and benefit from government assistance programs.
It is important to note that one sub-group in the Hispanic community tends to be more conservative -- Cuban-Americans. This stems from the fact that they have often lived in an extreme communist government and have no desire to see policies enacted that resemble what they left.
Asian-Americans are more difficult to predict, but often tend to be more conservative, due to their social values and strong emphasis on a traditional family structure.
White Americans do not have any predilection or correlation with any particular ideology.
Religious beliefs also play an important role in helping to shape political ideology. Muslims and Hindus tend to be conservative because of their strong value of traditional ways of life.
Jews have tended to be more liberal, largely in part to the great deal of persecution Jews have faced throughout history. As such, they support a more permissive way of life where every person can live as they see fit without fear.
The ideology of depends largely upon which specific denomination (sub-group) they fall into. Catholics have typically been liberal, often because of the persecution they've faced in the history of the United States. It has not always been as widely accepted as other denominations.
Methodists and Episcopalians tend to be more liberal, like the Catholic Church.
Baptists and Mormons are guided by their more conservative social principles and thus, tend to be conservative.
Gender is another factor that is a predictor of ideology. Women tend to identify as liberal more often than men. Women have benefited from liberal policies that have helped them to achieve a stronger measure of equality and still have not gained equality in some aspects of life. Also, women are typically more nurturing and emotional than men, thus more supportive of liberal policies that help those in need.
Income level represents an indicator of ideology as well. The higher a person's income, the more likely it is that person is conservative. This is due to the fact that people with higher incomes are often more involved with the business world and favor the 'hands off' policy of government with respect to the economy.
Geographical location often indicates what people think and believe. The Northeast tends to be more liberal, the South more conservative, and the Midwest tends to be populist (with emphasis on the conservative social values). Urban areas tend to more heavily populated with liberals, and rural areas more traditional and conservative.
Sexual orientation plays a role in shaping beliefs also. While heterosexuality gives no indication about ideology, homosexuals have gravitated more towards liberal policies, which are more accepting of their lifestyle.
Age can change a person's ideology. The older a person becomes, the more apt they are to develop conservative tendencies. As people naturally age, they start to acquire more wealth, and value stability, which lead them to worry over change. Younger people tend to be more liberal because youth naturally sees the previous generation as different, and they have far less to lose in terms of wealth.
Family represents the heaviest influence on any person's ideological beliefs. If a person is raised in a home environment where both parents are liberal, that child will most likely be liberal. The same would hold true for any ideology. However, what if a person has two parents with differing ideologies? In this instance, the child usually adopts the ideology of the parent they most identify with.
Additionally, single parent families tend to take on more liberal traits. In most instances, the single parent is the mother, and often is the beneficiary of government assistance. These factors lead to a more liberal stance.
Where do most Americans fit with their political ideology?
Most Americans have developed a distaste for labels of their political ideology. As such, Americans tend to label themselves as "moderate" more than anything else. It has a safe sound to it. Not too far to the left, not too far to the right. Safely in the middle.
Liberals and conservatives are linked with the Democratic, and Republican parties, respectively. And both parties have done an effective work in giving the words 'liberal' and 'conservative' negative connotations.
Americans believe in what we refer to as natural rights, the basic rights that all humans have merely because we are human.
Americans believe in the concept of liberty, where citizens ought to have as much freedom as possible. Please note this does not translate into the idea of absolute freedom to do whatever a person desires. There are always some limits to liberty, but Americans believe in allowing the least restrictive environment in terms of freedom.
Our nation also strongly values equality of opportunity, both socially and politically. Americans believe that every citizen, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or any other criterion, ought to have the same opportunities in life. Do not mistake this for the idea that all people are literally equal in their abilities, talents, and goals in life.
 |
| Outvoted! You mad, brah? |
Americans also greatly work to ensure our political system uses the idea of the "rule of law." This phrase represents the idea of the government establishing only one set of laws to which everyone is answerable. No one, even government officials, is above the law.
Another value that Americans hold is that of civic duty, where citizens feel obligated to serve their community voluntarily for the good of everyone.
Many of these values are those held by people of other nations, but one distinct part of our political culture that has existed for some time is the notion of the American Dream, which asserts that in the United States, a person who dedicates themselves to working hard will achieve a nice quality of living. They will have a nice house, cars, and plenty of provisions for their family.
Can you answer: Is the 'American Dream' still a reality in the 21st century? Does hard work guarantee success?
Sources of our political culture
If we have these shared values as a society, how did we come about these values? This is a process we refer to as political socialization, where we pass down common values from one generation to the next. There are several mechanisms for transferring our values to future generations.
By far, the most significant source of political socialization is the family. A person spends most of their time with their family, and the parents, in particular. Parents and other family members often don't realize they are teaching political values, but when they require all their children to obey the same rules, they are teaching the rule of law. They teach the concept of liberty -- allowing children to have as much freedom as possible without endangering their child.
Our educational systems also imprint certain values upon children. Public schools provide children with equality of opportunity and have ideas like natural rights and liberty embedded into curriculum.
Religious institutions also promote society's values. The major religions in the United States -- Christianity, Judaism, and Islam -- all promote equality, liberty, and equality.
Finally, mass media has an effect on what the people of America value. Television shows, specifically, hold great sway over how people think and what they find acceptable. Children learn so many key aspects of how to interact with others through programs such as Sesame Street, or Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Radio, and now the Internet, have similar effects.
All of these influences on the youth of America can backfire, if not used properly. Poor parenting, skewed religious institutions, bad schools, or shows designed for adults can have a detrimental effect on the values of children.
Political Ideologies
Although Americans can agree on some broad values and principles, we have distinct differences on precise beliefs and policies. For instance, Americans believe in allowing as much liberty as possible, but what constitutes liberty? Should a woman have the right to choose to have an abortion? Should we allow criminals to be executed for certain crimes? These are the types of questions on which Americans differ.
The consistent set of specific beliefs about government and politics held by people tends to be known as a political ideology. In modern American politics, there are two main ideologies which describe the views of Americans: liberalism, and conservatism. We will address these two positions and other growing ideologies in the nation. To make the understanding of ideologies easier, we will break each one down into two sub-categories: economic beliefs, and social beliefs.
Liberalism is an ideology that socially attempts to place the rights of the individual as of primary importance and that progress is ultimately change is needed to make that progress. Economically, liberals tend to believe that capitalism is significant to our way of life, but capitalism should be regulated by the government.
Let's examine the basic economic issues of liberals:
The Role of Government: Liberals typically hold to the idea that government is necessary to prevent abuses in society. Most liberals believe in a regulated form of capitalism, where competition should exist between companies, yet the government acts as a regulatory force to make sure businesses are not exploitative.
Tax policy tends to emphasize stronger spending on social programs that provide services to citizens, such as Medicare, Medicaid, welfare programs, etc. Defense spending is important, but considered secondary to domestic spending to promote a better standard of living for poorer and middle class Americans in particular. Incidentally, liberals tend to support a tax policy that places higher tax rates on citizens who earn the highest incomes.
Defense / Military spending: resources should be devoted to ensuring the best trained and equipped military, yet they tend to stick to the idea that the nation could be doing this for less money.
Healthcare: many liberals have endorsed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as an ideal example of the government need to become involved with the healthcare business. Because so many Americans did not have adequate health insurance (or any insurance), liberals felt compelled to support the ACA, even though part of the law meant spending more tax dollars on programs like Medicaid.
 |
| Clenched fists solve labor problems, right? |
Economy / jobs: the government has a role in helping to stimulate the economy during times of difficulty and sometimes deficit spending is needed to "prime the pump."
Welfare spending: the government has an obligation to sustain a minimum standard of living for all Americans. Thus, devoting tax dollars for food, shelter, and clothing is the responsibility of the government. Additionally, the liberal base also takes the position that welfare recipients should not be drug tested as a condition of receiving benefits.
And now for the social issues:
Abortion: the concept behind the liberal stance on abortion is considered pro-choice. Liberals believe that a woman has the right to choose to what she will or will not do to her own body without government interference. This includes the right to privately choose to terminate a pregnancy.
Same-sex marriage: this concept has become near universally supported by liberals, as they believe no constitutional reason exists to deny homosexual couples the right to marry whomever they choose.
Criminal punishment: the liberal stance here is that criminals should not only be punished, but rehabilitated, preventing them from returning to a life of crime. Also, liberals support the notion of loosening the sentences of non-violent offenders, particularly those convicted of minor drug offenses.
Capital punishment: liberals tend to believe the death penalty is not a viable punishment for criminals, though reasons for supporting that stance vary.
Environmental issues / climate change: liberals believe in protecting the environment, limiting the dependence on fossil fuels, and developing 'greener' forms of energy. They also endorse as fact the idea that the earth's temperature is rising due to man's abuse of the planet.
Immigration reform: liberals typically believe in loosening immigration laws to allow more people to enter the country and be placed on a path to citizenship. They emphasize that America has a strong history of immigration that has made the country a more diverse place.
 |
| More lenient immigration policies are part of the liberal perspective |
Gun rights: government regulation of guns is a necessity, and Americans have a constitutional right to own a gun, liberals wish to see what they call 'common sense' restrictions enacted, including universal background checks for firearms purchases.
Legalization of drugs: liberals are more apt to take the position of legalizing certain drugs, mainly marijuana. The concept behind this is that the negative effects of marijuana have been greatly exaggerated, and legalizing the plant would create a large taxable revenue for government services, and undercut the power of drug cartels within this country and Mexico.
Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive, or comprehensive list of every issue. With that in mind, let's examine conservatism. This ideology promotes preserving traditional institutions, and that when society changes, a slow progression is a better option. In terms of government, conservatism promotes the idea that less government is actually more appropriate.
The economic issues ...
The Role of Government: the government ought to be limited in its authority to maintaining a national defense, keeping law and order within the nation, and stay within the confines of its specifically listed powers in the Constitution.
Tax policy: Tax dollars should be spent primarily on defense, while the number of dollars devoted toward social programs should be greatly reduced. Conservatives believe the government does not have a responsibility for the well-being of most citizens. This should not be misunderstood -- many conservatives hold to the idea that the government should make exceptions to assist citizens with physical and mental disabilities. A reduction in tax dollars devoted to social programs would also allow the government to greatly reduce taxes on all Americans.
Defense / Military spending: The government should devote a bulk of tax dollars to maintenance of the military and projecting power across the globe, as to be able to respond to any situation in the quickest and most efficient means possible.
 |
| Conservatives are not very thrilled with the rollout of the ACA ... |
Labor policy: most conservatives tend to see labor unions as more harm than good. They operate under the idea that an employer sets the conditions and pay for workers. If the workers are unhappy with their job, they are free to seek employment elsewhere. According to the conservative approach, an employer would seek to create great working conditions to attract workers, and keep them happy and productive.
Economy / jobs: The government should intervene in business only when absolutely necessary. In terms of the economy, the government scale back the number of business regulations in existence and allow for the free market to determine the success or failure of corporations. When government regulations are diminished, job growth will come through the actions of private businesses.
Welfare spending: conservatives have adopted the stance that individual Americans have a responsibility to take care of themselves, and should not be so reliant upon the government to do so. Thus, spending on welfare programs should greatly be decreased, or more stringent requirements placed on the program to prevent abuse -- including requiring of drug testing for recipients of benefits.
And now for the social issues:
Abortion: conservatives believe that a woman's right to choose does not include an abortion. Life begins at conception and abortion is regarded by many as killing a child. Conservatives are, however, divided over the issue of abortion when it results from a rape or incest.
Same-sex marriage: conservatives believe in the traditional definition of marriage, which classifies it as an institution between one man and one woman.
Criminal punishment: the notion of prison is primarily for punishment, and while rehabilitation is a noble goal, tax dollars should be devoted to other resources before being spent on criminals.
Capital punishment: the belief is that some crimes are so heinous that death is the only viable option for justice, and the only certain way to prevent some criminals from reoffense.
Environmental issues / climate change: conservatives believe in using the earth's natural resources, with few government regulations. Also, climate change may be occurring, but it cannot be directly attributed to man-made causes, as the earth naturally goes through warming and cooling cycles.
Immigration reform: existing immigration policies should be more stringently enforced. Immigration should be limited to those who can best benefit the development of the nation, and that merely allowing people to cross the borders only adds to an overburdened budget. Moreover, the bulk of illegal immigrants traveling to the United States often takes jobs under the table, where they do not pay taxes, and yet are still allowed educational opportunities at the expense of tax payers.
Gun rights: conservatives strongly support the 2nd Amendment and the right of law abiding citizens to own firearms. Legalization of drugs: typically, conservatives believe the drugs classified as illegal should stay that way. They point to the great number of lives lost due to the use of illicit drugs.
Okay -- so what happens if you don't take the same positions as the typical liberal or conservative? That's perfectly normal and if you don't meet one or two of those positions, you can still classify yourself as one of those ideologies.
Additionally, many Americans have beliefs that are almost split in terms of the liberal versus conservative ideologies. When a person holds economic beliefs that are conservative and social values that are liberal, we refer to that as libertarianism.
Contrary to that is the notion that some folks hold conservative social values and liberal economic views. The best description for this is a type of populism. This description best exemplifies the typical West Virginian.
Factors that explain political ideologies
Now that we have covered a basic understanding of political ideologies in America, we can examine the factors that explain why people are the way they are. In some ways, these factors help profile or predict what someone may think or believe.
Education level is a great predictor of a political ideology. Put simply, the more educated a person is, the more liberal they tend to be. However, keep in mind that education is not a direct reflection of intelligence. A person can lack formal education but be very intelligent. An educated person can also lack a high level of intelligence.
Higher education tends to make people more liberal because in a college environment, people are exposed to more diverse ways of thinking and life.
Race and ethnicity also give a strong indicator about political ideology. African-Americans tend to be more liberal, as they have benefited from liberal policies such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and government assistance programs.
Hispanics or Latinos also have a propensity for being more liberal, as current liberal policies on immigration are more permissive and thus appealing. Also, Hispanics, like African-Americans, have been disproportionately poorer, and benefit from government assistance programs.
It is important to note that one sub-group in the Hispanic community tends to be more conservative -- Cuban-Americans. This stems from the fact that they have often lived in an extreme communist government and have no desire to see policies enacted that resemble what they left.
Asian-Americans are more difficult to predict, but often tend to be more conservative, due to their social values and strong emphasis on a traditional family structure.
White Americans do not have any predilection or correlation with any particular ideology.
Religious beliefs also play an important role in helping to shape political ideology. Muslims and Hindus tend to be conservative because of their strong value of traditional ways of life.
Jews have tended to be more liberal, largely in part to the great deal of persecution Jews have faced throughout history. As such, they support a more permissive way of life where every person can live as they see fit without fear.
The ideology of depends largely upon which specific denomination (sub-group) they fall into. Catholics have typically been liberal, often because of the persecution they've faced in the history of the United States. It has not always been as widely accepted as other denominations.
Methodists and Episcopalians tend to be more liberal, like the Catholic Church.
Baptists and Mormons are guided by their more conservative social principles and thus, tend to be conservative.
Gender is another factor that is a predictor of ideology. Women tend to identify as liberal more often than men. Women have benefited from liberal policies that have helped them to achieve a stronger measure of equality and still have not gained equality in some aspects of life. Also, women are typically more nurturing and emotional than men, thus more supportive of liberal policies that help those in need.
Income level represents an indicator of ideology as well. The higher a person's income, the more likely it is that person is conservative. This is due to the fact that people with higher incomes are often more involved with the business world and favor the 'hands off' policy of government with respect to the economy.
Geographical location often indicates what people think and believe. The Northeast tends to be more liberal, the South more conservative, and the Midwest tends to be populist (with emphasis on the conservative social values). Urban areas tend to more heavily populated with liberals, and rural areas more traditional and conservative.
Sexual orientation plays a role in shaping beliefs also. While heterosexuality gives no indication about ideology, homosexuals have gravitated more towards liberal policies, which are more accepting of their lifestyle.
Age can change a person's ideology. The older a person becomes, the more apt they are to develop conservative tendencies. As people naturally age, they start to acquire more wealth, and value stability, which lead them to worry over change. Younger people tend to be more liberal because youth naturally sees the previous generation as different, and they have far less to lose in terms of wealth.
Family represents the heaviest influence on any person's ideological beliefs. If a person is raised in a home environment where both parents are liberal, that child will most likely be liberal. The same would hold true for any ideology. However, what if a person has two parents with differing ideologies? In this instance, the child usually adopts the ideology of the parent they most identify with.
Additionally, single parent families tend to take on more liberal traits. In most instances, the single parent is the mother, and often is the beneficiary of government assistance. These factors lead to a more liberal stance.
Where do most Americans fit with their political ideology?
Most Americans have developed a distaste for labels of their political ideology. As such, Americans tend to label themselves as "moderate" more than anything else. It has a safe sound to it. Not too far to the left, not too far to the right. Safely in the middle.
Liberals and conservatives are linked with the Democratic, and Republican parties, respectively. And both parties have done an effective work in giving the words 'liberal' and 'conservative' negative connotations.
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