Analyzing Report Three Political Ideologies

In the historic period prior than the industrial revolution, the politics was not a concern for the ordinary people. People were not involved in any political ideologies, rather they were just asked to follow the orders of their superiors. The political philosophy was not made for the people by any means; it was just a considerable thing for the ruling class. The politics was far away from the reach of an ordinary person, he/she was just believed to follow the superiors and do whatever has been ordered to live his/her life. But then things started to change when industrial revolution came because it really ignited the social and economic activity. It was the time when people started to believe in some political ideologies so that they can accommodate to social as well as economic changes being developed through the industrial revolution ( Baradat, 2015, p. 1)

It is interesting to see that political ideologies have come so far in time with their developments, but still, political scientists have not agreed to define political ideology with a common definition, which can be applied in all given circumstances. But still, it is important to have some definition to define political ideology, and one of the definition has been derived by looking at common opinions made by the political scientists, and this definition is stated as “political ideologies are usually simply stated and oriented toward masses of people. They are materialistic, activists, and often impatient with delay.” This definition has been developed over time as political ideology also developed with the passage of time. There was an era ruled by monarchs with no political engagement, and then industrial revolution started to change the dynamics of people’s lives. It was the time when people started asking questions and looked for answers on various things. Their change in thinking approach with the essence of knowledge allowed political ideology to develop slowly and gradually ( Baradat, 2015, pp. 1-2)

Three Political Ideologies

It is a fact that one way or the other; all people do use some sort of political concepts in their thinking approach because political ideas are well suited to show their ideas and opinions about things. There are various notable words, which are used in political ideas are also used by the people in their daily lives such as rights, justice, equality, fairness, freedom, and truth etc. There are few more words, which are more specific to political ideologies, which are also used by the people to share their opinions such as fascist, communist, liberal, conservative, and socialist etc. When these words are analyzed closely, it is quite evident that each word is related to different political ideologies like communist with communism ideology, socialist with socialism ideology, and fascist with fascism ideology. It means that major political ideas are related to people in so many ways and no one can remain neutral from these ideas ( Heywood, 2012, pp. 1-2)

It has been observed that political ideologies have developed with the passage of time, and each one has made its mark in the history, when these were fully practiced in real terms. There are various political ideologies, which are considered primary and most important & relevant ones with the people. In this paper, the focus will be given to three major political ideologies by defining their individual traits along with various similarities and differences between these political ideologies. The three major political ideologies to be analyzed in this discussion would be Liberalism, Democracy, and Totalitarianism. It is important to mention here that these political ideologies will be discussed by looking at their characteristics and real world examples will also be sorted so that more deep understanding of the terms can be made by looking at real world examples that how each political ideology is being practiced.

Understanding Liberalism, Democracy, and Totalitarianism of Political Ideologies

It is vital to understand the fact that before making any comparisons between these political ideologies to see their similarities and differences, their real understanding is important by defining them one by one. Such understanding level with established definitions will make it easy to find out similarities and differences between these political ideologies. Each political ideology will be defined by looking at its origin and how it developed over the period of time.

1. Liberalism Political Ideologies

The liberalism has been derived from the term liberal, which is being used since the 14^th century. The basic element of the liberalism concept is to focus on individuals and then develop a society, which is good enough to provide satisfaction and fulfillment to the interest of people. It means that major theme of this political ideology is to focus on individuals where each individual is considered important and he/she should get his/her freedom and live his/her life with freewill. In this political ideology, it is said that all individuals are eligible to get equal political as well as legal rights and they should get rewards for their efforts and talent. In liberal societies, the system is developed in a way that people are kept safe from any tyranny of the government, and consent & constitutionalism are given more important than any other thing. It is important to mention here that liberalism is further divided in two other categories, which are quite different from each other. The first one is classical liberalism, which follows the idea of maintaining personal security and domestic order by the minimal state. The second one is modern liberalism, which asserts that people should be helped by the state, so they can help themselves to grow in their lives ( Heywood, 2012, pp. 24-27). It is important to look at few core themes of liberalism which are discussed below in brief:

·         Individualism Political Ideologies

In earlier period, when political ideologies were not existing, the idea of individualism was not present as ruling class was holding the power and authority to rule over people, without taking care of their consent and individualism. But when liberal ideology made its mark in the history, it really focused on the facets of individualism, which turned focus towards individuals. So, according to this liberal element, the individual has a major significance in a society and it should be protected by the state along getting its political and legal rights. This element asserts that society is nothing without individuals, so they should be taken as first and foremost important elements of a society (Younkins, 1998)

·         Freedom Political Ideologies

So, when individualism is discussed, then it cannot be completed without the element of freedom. It means that even concept of liberalism is incomplete without the essence of freedom. In a liberal political system, the individuals have freedom in so many ways. They have freedom of choice, speech and expression, and state cannot deny these rights to individuals in a liberal society. Without freedom, the concept of liberalism is not completed at all. The people will have liberty and freedom to make decisions in their lives and while establishing interactions with others (Peron, 2005)

·         Justice of Political Ideologies

It is another crucial element associated with liberalism political ideology that a liberal society would be based on justice, where people will get justice and their rights would be equal in any given perspective. It also means that liberal justice system will provide equally chance and liberties to all and their rights will be equal and protected without any discrimination

( Badano, 2013)

2. Democracy of Political Ideologies

Primarily, it is a political concept, but as it is practiced as an ideal political system of running governments in majority part of the world, so it can be considered as one of the most popular form of political ideology. This political ideology as well as word can be traced back to ancient Greece, when they started to practice this political idea to empower people around fifth century BCE, where Athens was a great example to show a democratic city-state ( Ball, Dagger, & O'Neill, 2015, pp. 17-18). In democratic political system, the political government is formed by the people, who use their right to vote so that they can directly or indirectly choose their representatives. It means that in conceptual terms, the democracy is a form of political system, which is run and managed by the people for their own benefits and interests, where people are elected to govern the state. It is important to understand that democracy is one of the critical concepts used in political ideologies because it has various traits, which are considered beneficial by the people. Some of the important traits of democracy are discussed below:

·         The Rule of Citizens of Political Ideologies

In a democratic political system, a government is formed by the citizens as they have given the right to do so in democratic concept. In this basic element, the citizens are given the power of vote and they can use this power of vote to select their representatives, which they support.

·         The Rule of Majority of Political Ideologies

In a democratic political ideology, the most critical element is the rule of majority. It means that things are decided and planned by the majority of people. So, if majority has given votes in favor of a certain party or leader, then they will be selected to run the government on the basis of majority rule. Moreover, this rule also asserts that majority as well as minority; both rights will be maintained by the government.

·         Free and Fair of Political Ideologies

Here comes another important element to democratic political ideology, which is ensuring that everything is done on free and fair basis. It means that people will be participating in an election or voting process, which would be free and fair from any bias or influence so that no one raise the question on credibility of the process. If election is held with free and fair perspective, then people will get their true representative, who they voted for in the elections. If process would not be free and fair, then huge questions will be raised on the credibility of the results and process of election in a democratic society.

·         The Participation of Citizens of Political Ideologies

In a democratic society, the participation of citizens is ensured at every level of government and political process, because without their true participation, the concept of democracy cannot be in right direction. The democracy allows people to participate in every process starting from elections to executing roles in the local governments etc. If participation is not there from citizens; then the political system will not be considered democratic at al

 Individual Rights of Political Ideologies

In a democratic society, one of the most essential elements is providing as well as protecting individual rights to the individuals. The individuals are given freedom as well as liberty to make free choices, and their rights of individualism are protected by the political system, which means that individuals are given prime value in a democratic setup. The individuals are provided freedom of speech, equality under the law, freedom of expression as well as freewill in terms of selecting and practicing religion (Tomyn, 2018)

So, these are some of the important elements and characteristics of a democracy, and democratic political ideology cannot be accomplished without these traits. It is important to look in the real world situations that who is following the democracy as a political ideology to form governments. So, when looked around, it is evident that majority countries around the world are supporting the democracy and practicing democratic values in forming governments including United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, India, Malaysia etc.

3. Totalitarianism of Political Ideologies

It is a political ideology, which is based on the essence of authoritarian ideas. If a state practices totalitarianism, then each and every aspect of the lives of citizens would be controlled and regulated by the state. There is one ruling party in a totalitarian government, which holds the absolute powers to make any decisions about the citizens and their lives. The people are forced to follow a political philosophy, which is developed by the totalitarian government, and people cannot follow any other idea or political ideology. The totalitarian government holds a central philosophy or belief, which is established the party, who is ruling the country. It means that citizens in such political system are governed in every aspect of their life that what they can do or cannot do, what jobs they can do, and which jobs are not allowed, how they should think in certain manner, and they cannot deny or contradict with the government policies. It also means that there are no liberal or democratic values allowed in the political system of totalitarianism. Therefore, people do not get their basic rights and freedom to live their lives with free will and freedom (Cernak, 2011, pp. 12-14)

There can be various examples from the past and present to talk about countries, which have been following the political ideology of totalitarianism. Various incidents from the past can be related to show that totalitarianism form of government is one of the worst form for the individuals, so people tried to escape their own families and homelands so that they can live a free life as an individual. One incident is from the 1999, when a family with a boy and mother escaped the totalitarian regime of Cuba and tried to reach United States through the boat, but they could not do so because boat sunk in the water and mother of the boy on boat was died. The young boy on the boat did survive, but he was returned back to his Father living in Cuba. The other famous incident of escaping a totalitarian regime of Soviet Union happened in 1961, when famous dancer Rudolf Nureyev performed with the French Artists, whereas Soviet Regime has totally banned any relations with the French. Rudolf was asked to come back to Soviet Union, but he refused as he feared that he would be imprisoned by the totalitarian regime, so asked for asylum in France, and lived in France for almost two decades. He was allowed to return to his homeland, when his mother was about to die (Cernak, 2011, pp. 8-10)

Looking at these above examples, it is quite evident that totalitarianism political ideology is not the suitable one, as it oppresses people and they are refused to get their rights. Some of the important traits and characteristics of totalitarianism are discussed below:

 Absence of Freedom of Political Ideologies

In a totalitarianism regime, there is absence of word freedom in any given circumstances. It means that freedom does not exist in any shape in a totalitarian political system, because freedom is opposed in all its aspects by totalitarianism ideology. The freedom of expressions, thoughts and speech is not allowed in any form for the individuals and they cannot enjoy any civil and democratic liberties. Everything is controlled through strict kind of censorship including the press, individuals and media, which means that no one can speak against the totalitarian ruling party (Mondal, 2019)

·         A Rule by the Single Party of Political Ideologies

It is important to understand the fact that totalitarian regime not only restricts individuals in so many ways, but it also restricts political system. It is evident by one of its vital traits, which is rule by the single party. So, no other political party or activity is allowed in such regimes, because only a single party can take control of everything

Total Control of Military, Economy, Communication, and Citizens of Political Ideologies

It has already been mentioned that totalitarianism political ideology believes in controlling everything. It means that every aspect of a state would be controlled and regulated by the party and leader, who are ruling the country. In extreme situations, the totalitarian leaders ask people to even worship them. The military of the totalitarian country would be under the government, and military will have to follow any orders given by the government. The economic policy as well as activity will also be regulated by the totalitarian government, and no external influence will be considered in this regard. The citizens, their lifestyle, and their culture will also be controlled by the totalitarian government. The means of communication will also be controlled and censored by the government (The Hannah Arendt Center, 2017)

Common Traits and Major Differences of these Political Ideologie

It is critical to look at these political ideologies to see that what kind of similarities and differences are there between them. When democracy is compared with liberalism, it can be said that both are very much similar in nature, and both have more common traits as compared to any differences. For instance, one common trait between liberalism and democracy is the essence of providing equal rights to individuals. The individuals do get social, civil and legal liberties and rights in both political ideologies as both asserts for these things. In both political systems, the efforts are made to ensure that people have social liberties and can enjoy their life on their own freewill, and no restrictions are imposed on the individuals to live their lives. The other major common trait between the two is the essence of individualism. It has been observed that liberalism concept changed the view of society by focusing more on individuals by giving them value in the system (Dzur, 2002)

Same goes for the democratic political system, where individuals are given more importance than any other thing. That’s why they have the power of vote to select their representatives of choice without any external influence and bias. When it comes to providing freedom to individuals, both concepts are very much similar as both allow freedom for people. The people can have freedom to choose anything and reject anything within the legal parameters like people are free to practice or follow any religion, or even they are free not to believe in any religion. The democratic and liberal political system will not impose any restrictions in this regard. It is also important to note down that participation of individuals is also welcomed in both political ideologies, because people are given the primary importance. By looking at these common traits, it is depicted that democratic and liberal societies are very much similar in nature, and difference between them are very minor, so both can take benefits from the ideas of each other. That’s why it is observed that democratic societies like United States are also liberal in nature, because both political ideologies are primarily identical to each other in so many ways (Kuttner, 1992)

If liberalism is compared with totalitarianism, then one can say that both political ideologies are very much opposite to each other. It means that liberal values and traits are not common to the political values of totalitarianism, because both ideologies are too different from each other. That’s why it is important to look at the differences of both ideologies to analyze that how they differ from each other. The major difference between the two is the form of government, which can be established by following both ideologies. The liberal ideology would support to form a democratic type of government, where individuals are provided equal rights, freedom, liberties as well as free will to do anything. On the other hand, totalitarianism ideology is totally opposite as it denies any kind of individual rights, freedom and liberties. The individuals are sensor and controlled by the totalitarianism ideology, whereas liberal traits allow people to grow as individuals by following their own ideas and concepts. The liberal values provide freedom of speech and expression, whereas these aspects are totally banned in the ideology of totalitarianism. The totalitarian government does not allow people to speak anything against them. The liberal govern provide basic human rights to people, whereas all such rights are oppressed in the totalitarianism regime, It means that both concepts are quite different from each other ( Halberstam, 1999, pp. 36-50)

Same like liberal political ideology, democracy is also quite different from totalitarianism in different ways, because these concepts are also different in nature. So, it is hard to find any similarities between these two concepts, so focus will be given to differences in characteristics. One major difference between the two ideologies is that how governments are formed and how representatives are selected. In a democratic political setup, people are given the choice through free and fair elections that they can choose their leaders and representatives, where there are no such choices provided in a totalitarianism ideology. The totalitarian government is formed with force and people are forced to follow the leaders, and party, who is ruling the country, and they have zero choice to select their leaders. Moreover, the public opinion and freedom of expression is allowed and welcomed in democratic setup, whereas totalitarianism ideology restricts public opinion especially any kind of criticism on the government and ruling party. The people are given various equal rights in a democracy, whereas totalitarian setup denies any such rights, and people are just forced to follow the totalitarian rules set by the government (Klicperova & Košťál, 2017)References of Analyzing Three Political Ideologies

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