In political science, a political ideology is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work and offers some political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order. A political ideology largely concerns itself with how to allocate power and to what ends it should be used. Some political parties follow a certain ideology very closely while others may take broad inspiration from a group of related ideologies without specifically embracing any one of them. An ideology's popularity is partly due to the influence of moral entrepreneurs, who sometimes act in their own interests. Political ideologies have two dimensions: (1) goals: how society should be organized; and (2) methods: the most appropriate way to achieve this goal.
An ideology is a collection of ideas. Typically, each ideology contains certain ideas on what it considers to be the best form of government (e.g. autocracy or democracy) and the best economic system (e.g. capitalism or socialism). The same word is sometimes used to identify both an ideology and one of its main ideas. For instance, socialism may refer to an economic system, or it may refer to an ideology that supports that economic system. The same term may also refer to multiple ideologies, which is why political scientists try to find consensus definitions for these terms. For example, while the terms have been conflated at times, communism has come in common parlance and in academics to refer to Soviet-type regimes and Marxist–Leninist ideologies, whereas socialism has come to refer to a wider range of differing ideologies which are most often distinct from Marxism–Leninism.[1]
Political ideology is a term fraught with problems, having been called "the most elusive concept in the whole of social science".[2] While ideologies tend to identify themselves by their position on the political spectrum (such as the left, the centre or the right), they can be distinguished from political strategies (e.g. populism as it is commonly defined) and from single issues around which a party may be built (e.g. civil libertarianism and support or opposition to European integration), although either of these may or may not be central to a particular ideology. Several studies show that political ideology is heritable within families.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
The following list is strictly alphabetical and attempts to divide the ideologies found in practical political life into several groups, with each group containing ideologies that are related to each other. The headers refer to the names of the best-known ideologies in each group. The names of the headers do not necessarily imply some hierarchical order or that one ideology evolved out of the other. Instead, they are merely noting that the ideologies in question are practically, historically, and ideologically related to each other. As such, one ideology can belong to several groups and there is sometimes considerable overlap between related ideologies. The meaning of a political label can also differ between countries and political parties often subscribe to a combination of ideologies.
See main article: Anarchism.
See also: Anarchism and issues related to love and sex.
See main article: Contemporary anarchism.
See main article: Anarchism and religion.
See main article: List of anarchist movements by region.
See main article: Anarchism in Africa.
See main article: Anarchism in Europe.
See main article: Authoritarianism.
See main article: Communitarianism.
See main article: Communism.
See main article: Authoritarian communism.
See main article: Leninism.
See main article: Marxism–Leninism.
See main article: Libertarian communism.
See main article: Marxism.
See main article: Marxist revisionism, Post-capitalism and Pre-Marxist communism.
See main article: Religious communism.
See also: Communism and religion.
See main article: Reactionary.
See main article: Conservatism in the United States.
See main article: Corporatism.
See also: Capitalism.
See main article: Democracy.
See main article: Direct democracy.
| Pirate politics | |
| Ideology: | Anti-corruption Civil libertarianism Civil rights Direct democracy E-democracy Participatory democracy Social liberalism |
See main article: Religious democracy.
See main article: Christian democracy.
See also: Corporatism and Liberalism.
See main article: Environmentalism.
See main article: Bright green environmentalism.
See main article: Deep ecology.
See main article: Sustainable development.
See main article: Green politics.
See main article: Fascism.
See main article: Anti-fascism.
See main article: List of fascist movements.
See main article: Fascism in Asia.
See main article: Fascism in Europe.
See main article: Religious feminism.
See main article: Feminism in Africa.
See main article: Feminism in Asia.
See main article: Feminism in Europe.
See main article: Feminism in Oceania.
See also: Libertarian perspectives on LGBT rights.
See main article: Men's movement.
See main article: Fathers' rights movement by country.
See main article: Self-determination.
See main article: Black pride.
See main article: Indigenism.
See main article: La raza.
See main article: Supremacism.
=
See main article: Separatism in Africa.
=
=
=
=
See main article: Student rights.
See main article: Liberalism.
See main article: Liberalism by country.
See main article: Liberalism in Europe.
See main article: Libertarianism.
See main article: Left-libertarianism.
See main article: Right-libertarianism.
See also: Classical liberalism.
See main article: Libertarianism in the United States.
See main article: Monarchism.
See main article: Religious nationalism.
See main article: Nationalism in Africa.
See main article: Rise of nationalism in Europe.
See main article: Pan-nationalism.
See main article: Populism.
See main article: Left-wing populism.
See main article: Right-wing populism.
See main article: Progressivism.
See main article: Religion and politics.
See main article: Christianity and politics.
See main article: Political aspects of Islam.
See main article: Judaism and politics and Jewish political movements.
See main article: Political satire.
See also: List of frivolous political parties.
See also: Abstention, Dealignment, Political apathy, Political protest, Protest vote and Voter fatigue.
See also: Anti-elitism.
See main article: Religious rejection of politics.
See main article: Social democracy.
See main article: Social democracy in Africa.
See main article: Authoritarian socialism.
See main article: Libertarian socialism.
See main article: Types of socialism.
See main article: Religious socialism.
See main article: Socialism in Africa.
See main article: Syndicalism.
See main article: Transhumanist politics.
See main article: Transhumanism.