Conservative or Liberal

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As the 1970s came to a close, it was easy to see that the world particularly the Middle-East was on the verge of war again and America was struggling to maintain its image as the paragon of freedom and prosperity. Many had become disillusioned by the wars, protests, and political scandals of the 1970s. The conservatives took over control under Ronald Reagan and reshaped the political and economic landscape. It was during this period when our modern political parties took the shape that they are currently still holding.

We throw around the terms liberal, conservative, left, right, republican, and democrat, but I’m afraid that many people have no idea what it means to be on the “left” or “right” of the political spectrum and they find it hard to understand how someone can think differently from them. In our day and age of political division and infighting, I think that we must better understand not only ourselves but our opponents so we can engage in healthy discussions of the issues rather than partisan bickering.

With that in mind, as we close this week, I’d like you to take a few minutes and take the quiz found at http://www.liberalorconservativequiz.org/. As you take this, please look at the two different statements on the 32 topics. There will be times that you don’t quite agree with either statement fully. Please choose the one that you feel closest to. Before going on in the lesson, please share your results (Mine was 50% liberal and 50% conservative, no joke.)

After you have taken the quiz, please watch the video below for a quick overview of the basics of the differences in political ideologies.

This is not the place to argue about our opinions on these topics but to understand the major ideas that shape those opinions. However, if you have genuine comments or questions about the particular views, please share them and we can discuss.

In my opinion, the main factor in determining your left or right leaning is your opinion on the role and size of government. Those on the left tend to favor more involved governments charged with the task of doing good for citizens, and helping to give more people access to the good life by encouraging equality and taking care of the disenfranchised in society. Those on the right, on the other hand, largely want the government to stay out of the way of private enterprise except when it comes to providing protection against threats from the foreign invasion and interference.

I look forward to seeing your quiz scores below as well as any discussion about the different viewpoints and issues. Were there any issues that you were surprised to see or that you had never thought about from the other perspective?