Political movements

• Civics
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Political movements

Learning objectives

• You're able to explain the concept of political movement
• You're able to describe the concepts left, right, progressive  
    and conservative
• You're able to decide for yourself where you stand
  

Political movement

A group of people that share the same ideas about how society should be organised

Parties are either

• Left- or right-winged
• Progressive or conservative
  

Left- or right-winged

Plays a role in socioeconomic issues. For example:

• Access to education
• Tax level
  
• Salary of health care workers
  

Left-winged

Right-winged

Freedom

Equality

Large government

Small government

Left or right-winged

Left-winged:

• All people are born equal, but in unequal circumstances
  
• Government redistributes taxes from higher incomes to 
    lower incomes (and people are okay with that --> solidarity)
  
• This leads to more equality within society
  

Left or right-winged

Right-winged:

• People can change their circumstances if they want to
  
• Everybody should have as much freedom as possible
  
• Everybody has personal responsibility to use that freedom
    well
  

Progressive or conservative

Plays a role in cultural/ethical issues. For example:

• Euthanasia
• Legalisation of drugs
  
• Climate change
  

Progressive

Conservative

Traditions/ value oriented

Pragmatic: value free

Emancipation

Nationalism

Progressive or conservative

Progressive

• People are perfectly capable of determining their own
    values/making their own decisions (autonomy)
• All people should have access to all possibilities
   (emancipation)
• Focused on improvement
  

Progressive or conservative

Conservative

• The things are the way they are for a reason (traditions)
  
• Other cultures should not influence ours (nationalism)
  
• There is a clear distinction between good and evil (values)