Communist, fascist, liberal. We often hear these terms and others bandied about in today's political environment, but what do they really mean? And what do people mean when they use them? You need a codebook to decipher it all.
Well, you're in luck. Below are some common political terms (sometimes used as slurs).
Authoritarianism – a form of government in which the rulers have unlimited power and do not allow people to participate in decision-making.
Capitalism – an economic and political system based on private ownership of the production and creation of goods and services for profit.
Christian Nationalism – a religious and political belief that the United States is a Christian nation and its civil and criminal laws should reflect those values. Christians should also be in charge.
Communism – political doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production and natural resources of a society.
Conservatism – a political philosophy that is adverse to change, and holds to traditional values and attitudes rather than ideals or abstract ideas.
Deep State – the belief that an organization has implanted a group of people into an elected government administration for purposes of spying on said government, leaking information, and manipulating the government from within.
Democracy – a form of government in which people can choose their leaders and decide the country's direction.
Dictatorship – a form of government where one person has power.
Elites – small groups of persons who exercise disproportionate power and influence.
Fascism – a political ideology characterized by authoritarianism, nationalism, and the belief in the superiority of one race or nation.
Free Market – an economic system in which the forces of supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services without government intervention.
Liberalism – a political philosophy that emphasizes individual rights, equality and limited government intervention in the economy and society.
Libertarianism – a political philosophy that advocates for individual freedom and limited government intervention (domestically and internationally).
Marxism – a political and economic philosophy developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, which advocates overthrowing capitalism and establishing a socialist society.
Nationalism – a political ideology that emphasizes national identity and the interests of a particular nation.
Neoconservatism – a political ideology that combines traditional conservative values with support for a robust national defense and interventionist foreign policy.
Neoliberalism – an economic philosophy that advocates for free markets, deregulation, and limited government intervention.
Populism – an approach to politics that rejects control by the "elites" and elevates the needs of the ordinary people who feel abandoned, ignored and disregarded by the established elites.
Progressivism – refers to a political attitude favoring or advocating for change or reform.
Socialism – a political and economic philosophy that advocates for the public ownership of the production and distribution of wealth according to the principal of "to each according to the need".
Voter Suppression – preventing or deterring people from voting, often through tactics such as voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls, and gerrymandering.
Zionism – the political movement that advocates establishing and preserving a Jewish state in the historical land of Israel.
The Difference Between Marxism, Socialism and Communism
Marxism is a theory that lays the foundation for the economic and political philosophies of socialism and communism.
Karl Marx argued that capitalism had a "built in" inequity that favored the ruling class/owners over the workers. This inequity would lead to the working class eventually taking over from the ruling class and reconstructing society in stages.
The next stage after capitalism would be socialism. Individuals can own personal property, but all industrial and production capacity is communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government.
Then after socialism comes communism. With communism individuals hold no personal property or assets. Everything is owned and run by the government.
What Kind Of Economy Does The United States Have?
The United States is a capitalist mixed economy. It has examples of both capitalism (private ownership of production) and socialist policies like public schools, libraries, and health care support for low income people (Medicaid) and senior citizens (Medicare).
Personal Politics
I try to avoid the topic of politics on this blog as I know it can be very controversial. And I'm no fan of trolling or death threats. That said, here is some basic information about my politics.
For a long time I was not interested in politics at all. I was cynical, and to be quite honest, lazy. I didn't even register to vote until 2004 when I was 40 years old. It took me a while to figure out what my politics were. Over time though I have come to identify as a liberal or progressive (but a practical one).
I'm realistic enough to know that the majority of Americans are not as liberal as I am, and that it will take time for them to catch up. I think they will, but maybe not in my lifetime. Societal attitudes move slow. Until they don't.
My purpose with this post was simply to educate. If you're like me, and follow political commentary, or even regular news, you sometimes aren't sure what these terms mean. You might have a vague idea, but you hope no one ever asks you to define them.
It gets especially difficult when they are appropriated by someone with a political agenda, and their original meaning gets lost or corrupted in the process.
So, I hope you find this list helpful. Let me know what you think.
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."
– Martin Luther King, Jr. (paraphrasing Theodore Parker, Minister and Abolitionist)
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Very interesting, nice niece.
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