AP U.S. Government and Politics · Lesson 3

Ideologies, parties and policy

Know Know it

A political ideology is a fairly consistent set of beliefs about what government should do. Liberals generally favor a larger government role in the economy, such as regulation and social programs, and less government control of personal choices. Conservatives generally favor lower taxes, less economic regulation and more support for traditional values and public order. Libertarians want little government in both areas: free markets and wide personal liberty.

Today the Democratic Party is generally the more liberal party and the Republican Party generally the more conservative one. Each party's platform, its written statement of goals, reflects these leanings. Individuals vary, and many voters call themselves moderate.

Ideology shapes economic policy. Fiscal policy is government taxing and spending, set by Congress and the president through the budget. Monetary policy is control of the money supply and interest rates, run by the Federal Reserve, which is designed to work largely apart from elected officials.

Keynesian economics says government should spend more or cut taxes during a downturn to boost demand and jobs; liberals often favor it. Supply-side economics says lower tax rates and lighter regulation lead people and firms to work and invest, which drives growth; conservatives often favor it. Ideology also shapes social policy, such as health care, education and how far government should regulate private behavior.

Three ideologies at a glance
IdeologyGovernment in the economyGovernment in personal and social life
LiberalMore: regulation, social programs, higher taxes on high earnersLess: wide room for personal choices
ConservativeLess: lower taxes, fewer regulationsMore: support for traditional values and order
LibertarianVery little: free marketsVery little: wide personal liberty

Trap Libertarian is not a moderate

A person who wants low taxes and also wants government out of private personal choices is not a moderate splitting the difference. That pairing is libertarian: less government in both areas. Also keep the levers apart: Congress and the president run fiscal policy, while the Federal Reserve runs monetary policy.

Worked example Easy

A voter wants lower taxes, fewer business regulations and no government limits on what adults read or eat. Which ideology matches her views?

  1. Liberal
  2. Conservative
  3. Moderate
  4. LibertarianAnswer

How to solve it

  1. Sort her views: economy (lower taxes, fewer rules) and personal life (no limits).
  2. Small government in both areas is libertarian.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Incorrect. Liberals generally favor more economic regulation, and this voter wants fewer business rules.
  • B. Incorrect. Conservatives share her economic views but are generally more open to government upholding traditional values.
  • C. Incorrect. A moderate sits between the two main ideologies, while this voter takes a strong small-government stand everywhere.
  • D. Correct. She wants little government in both the economy and personal life, which is the libertarian view.

Explain Explain it

Task verbs: explain, compare

To compare how ideologies would treat a policy, say what each would likely want government to do and tie that to a core belief, such as a larger role for government in the economy or lower taxes and freer markets.

Worked example Medium

During a recession, a member of Congress proposes a large federal spending program on roads and bridges to put people back to work. Which economic approach does this reflect?

  1. Keynesian economicsAnswer
  2. Supply-side economics
  3. Monetary policy run by the Federal Reserve
  4. Cutting all federal spending to balance the budget

How to solve it

  1. The tool is government spending, so this is fiscal policy.
  2. Spending more in a downturn to boost jobs is Keynesian.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Correct. Raising government spending in a downturn to create jobs and demand is the Keynesian approach.
  • B. Incorrect. Supply-side economics relies on tax cuts and lighter regulation, not new public spending.
  • C. Incorrect. Monetary policy is the Federal Reserve's control of interest rates, while this is spending passed by Congress.
  • D. Incorrect. Cutting all federal spending is the opposite of a large new spending program.

Compare Your turn

Compare how a liberal and a conservative would likely respond to a proposal to raise taxes on high earners to pay for public health insurance, giving a reason for each.

Write it, then compare. Nothing you type here is saved or graded.

Compare with a model answer

A full answer does this

  • Says a liberal would likely support the proposal and gives a reason tied to liberal beliefs
  • Says a conservative would likely oppose the proposal and gives a reason tied to conservative beliefs

Model answer

A liberal would likely support the proposal, because liberals generally want a larger government role in social programs and see health coverage as something government should help provide. A conservative would likely oppose it, because conservatives generally favor lower taxes and want private markets, not government, to provide health insurance.

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