- Understanding Ideology in My Own Words
Ideology is a collection of beliefs, values, and ideas that guide how individuals and
groups view the world and make decisions. It shapes our understanding of right or
wrong, influencing how we perceive society and our role. Ideology acts like a blueprint,
providing a structured way of interpreting complex social and political issues.
For instance, the ideology of environmentalism is grounded in the belief that protecting the
environment is crucial for the survival and well-being of future generations. This ideology drives
policies and actions prioritizing sustainability, conservation, and reducing human
impact on the planet.
Expanding on this, ideology functions as a powerful force that not only shapes individual beliefs
but also governs societal norms and values. It can unify groups with shared perspectives while
simultaneously creating divisions with those who hold opposing views. Ideologies can be deeply
rooted, making them resistant to change, even in the face of new evidence. Understanding
ideology is critical to analyzing how societies operate and how power is distributed and maintained. - Conservative vs. Liberal Ideology in US Politics
In US politics, conservative and liberal ideologies represent two distinct
governance and societal organization approaches. Conservatives emphasize the
importance of tradition, individual responsibility, and limited government intervention. They
advocate for policies that promote free enterprise, personal liberty, and a robust national
defense. On the other hand, liberals focus on the principles of equality, social justice, and the
role of government in addressing systemic inequalities. They support policies that
expand social safety nets, protect civil rights, and regulate the economy to ensure fairness.
The significant difference between these ideologies often lies in their approach to the role of
government. Conservatives typically argue for a smaller government that allows individuals and
businesses to operate with minimal regulation. They believe that this leads to greater efficiency
and innovation. Liberals, however, view government as an essential tool for promoting the
common good, arguing that it is responsible for protecting vulnerable populations and ensuring
equal opportunities for all.
An example that highlights this ideological divide is the debate over taxation. Conservatives
often advocate for lower taxes, particularly on businesses and the wealthy, arguing that this
stimulates economic growth and job creation. Liberals, in contrast, support progressive taxation,
where the wealthy pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes as a means of redistributing
wealth and funding social programs that benefit society as a whole. - Understanding Althusser’s Definition of Ideology
Althusser defines ideology as the unconscious system of beliefs and values that shape our
perceptions and behaviors, mainly through the influence of social institutions such as schools, churches, and the media. He suggests that ideology operates by “interpellating” individuals, meaning it calls upon them to assume specific roles and identities that align with the dominant social order. In simpler terms, Althusser views ideology as an invisible force we often don’t recognize, yet it profoundly influences how we think and act. For example, the ideology of patriotism can lead individuals to support policies or actions that align with national interests, even when they may not personally benefit from them. This happens because the ideology has already shaped their identity as citizens, prioritizing their country’s welfare above all else. Althusser’s perspective on ideology challenges us to recognize the subtle ways in which our thoughts and actions are shaped by external forces, often without our conscious awareness. It encourages us to critically examine the ideologies we take for granted and consider how they might serve the interests of particular groups while marginalizing others.
Discussion 3.1
1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in YOUR OWN WORDS.
-To me, Ideology is a personal set of beliefs, values, and ideas that someone has that affects the way they personally view the world. Everyone, to an extent has their own “ideology” to which they align with and see the world in a certain lens, which is the reason that although most people have similar morals, everyone has their own view on what is good and bad in the world. For example, if we were to use something like political ideology, different people have different views (whether it be something like democracy, socialism, liberal, conservative) that shape the way that individual personally believes the government should be run. Some people believe in more of a conservative, traditional set of values, while other people believe in a more liberal progressive change, and both have different ideologies which make them see the world differently and affect what they see as right and wrong.
2. How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics? What seem to be the big differences, the dividing line? Given an example to backup your arguments.
-The difference between conservative and liberal ideology is the way they believe that the government should be run. Liberals believe in things like progressive change, heavily support the LGBTQ+ community, support abortion rights, believe in a bigger government to take care of social issues. Conservatives on the other hand have completely different ideals, they believe in more traditional values, smaller government, and don’t support things like free health care for Americans.
3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. -Althusser says that ideology is a system of both belief and ideas that shape the way they personally see the world. He uses examples that there are many different ways that ideology works through things like religion, media, and school, who all teach people what is right and wrong, and teaches individuals to accept certain values. For example, someone who grows up in a catholic household, and goes to catholic school all their lives will have a very different outlook of life (ideology) than someone who goes to regular school and grows up in a non religious household.
Dominique Roberts – Mod 3 Ideology in Politics
Anastasios Katehis Response to Discussion Board 3.1
Ideologies are a collection of beliefs and ethical values that people and all state apparatuses hold true to themselves. For the most part, ideologies heavily affect and impact our modern society and world as we know it. This is because Ideologies are passed down from generation to generation and from state apparatuses to us as people. There are many different reasons as to why people hold different Ideologies.
For instance, some people simply just choose to believe in what was passed down from their older generation of family and relatives or their most convenient state apparatus. On the other hand, others choose to completely challenge the beliefs and ideas passed from those around them for many different reasons. Furthermore, in order to further illustrate ideology itself, an example of an ideology passed down from the state apparatuses being school is that we as a society should obey a certain bell schedule and time schedule for our education system and typical work day as future employees.
Another way to understand ideology through example would be how different government parties have different ideologies. For this example, I’m going to use the conservative and liberal parties by comparing their extremely different ideologies. First of all, the primary conservative ideology concepts are favoring traditional values and capitalism. However, the liberal parties’ main ideologies favor values such as equality and liberty. Last but not least, the last way to further your knowledge of ideology would be through Althusser’s concept of ideology. This concept essentially states that because of the passing of ideologies through all different sorts of apparatuses and generational passing of ideas, it helps keep society in place and a certain general standpoint with certain main ideologies and concepts that run modern society.
Geva Frenkel- DB 3.1
- Ideology is a collection of values, ideas, opinions and beliefs that forms the way a group of people perceive the world, and how they think society should be. Ideology helps it followers shape their views on various important issues such as government, politics, culture, ethical, social and economic issues. Additionally, ideology can guide people how to act to bring the changes they wish to see in these various important issues. The more common types of political Ideologies include liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism and communism, but in my opinion, we shouldn’t narrow it down to just these because some ideologies can be derivatives of another ideology.
For example, the MAGA (Make America Great Again) is an ideology that is a derivative of the conservative Republican Ideology which refers to President Trump supporters. It oftentimes includes extreme right-wing ideas that include policies related to strict immigration control, Conservative Social Values and supporting false news and conspiracy theories mostly in regards to the Democratic party and liberal organizations (https://www.britannica.com/topic/MAGA-movement) .
The January 6 United States Capitol attack demonstrates how far people are willing to go to change what their ideology tells them is wrong. For these MAGA ideology followers, the 2020 elections were stolen, and they must act to protect democracy even in the cost of storming and raiding one of the most important USA democracy institutions. Another examples of how this ideology was used is the anti-trans laws across the U.S. and the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, nominated by President Trump, which later led overturn of Roe v Wade, that protected the right to abortion under Federal Law.
2. In my opinion, the differences between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics is in the way each ideology believe the government and American society should act.
Conservative Ideology focus on limited government, individual freedom and tradition, and include:
- smaller government that is best handled by states and localities with less regulations so the public will have more freedom to make their own decisions.
- Less intervention in the public life in addition to believing individuals should take responsibility for their own live.
- Lower taxes.
- National security, strong national defense and strong military.
- Traditional family structure.
Liberal Ideology focus on involved government, equality and social change and include:
- Large governments that is active in solving social and economic problems, such as healthcare, education, and income inequality.
- The government should help to provide basic needs to the public, in the form of healthcare, education and unemployment benefits.
- Higher taxes for the rich to support the funding of public and social services.
- Diplomacy over military
- Progressive values and supporting change in social issues, like equal rights, reproductive rights, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental issues.
3. To my understanding, Althusser’s definition of ideology is a set of idea, opinions and believes intuitions (churches, schools, media, governments etc.) are using to shape people views and actions about the world, often without realizing that and even if it’s against their interests. For example, a girl who grow up in a town where majority of the people consider themselves to be conservatives most likely to grow up to be conservative as well because of the ideas, opinions and believes she absorbed in school, by the local government and by her Sunday church sermon. Now, let’s pretend this girl comes as a trans man, starts transitioning in August 2025, and plans to vote for the republican party in the 2024, although he knows about Project 2025 that that it will prevent him rights and access to gender affirming care.
Tatiana Reyes -Overviews of what ideology is.
1.Ideology can be viewed as a guiding set of principles or beliefs that shape the way individuals or groups perceive the world and their place within it. It can encompass a wide range of beliefs, from political ideologies that govern systems of government and economic structures, to cultural ideologies that shape societal norms and values. Political ideologies such as capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism are commonly recognized examples of ideologies that influence the way societies are organized and governed. These ideologies often have specific beliefs about the role of government, the distribution of wealth, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals within society.However, not all ideologies are explicitly political in nature. Cultural ideologies, for example, can encompass beliefs about gender roles, family structures, and moral values that shape the way individuals interact with each other and understand the world around them.
2.The contrast between conservative and liberal ideologies in U.S. politics lies in their perspectives on government involvement, social values, and individual versus collective responsibility. Conservatives support limited government intervention, free markets, lower taxes, and personal responsibility. lower taxes, and personal responsibility.
3.Louis Althusser defines ideology as a system of beliefs that shape how people perceive reality. He argues that it is not simply false ideas imposed on society, but a subtle and pervasive force embedded in institutions and daily life.
Yaroslava Volokh – Ideology
1. Understanding Ideology
Ideology is a system of beliefs and values that shapes our understanding of the world and guides our behavior and worldview. An example of ideology is capitalism.
Capitalism is an ideology that supports free markets and individual success as the path to prosperity. Ideologies also influence our concepts of right and wrong, shaped by culture and experience.
2. Conservative and Liberal Ideology in US Politics
Conservatives prioritize tradition, personal responsibility, and limited government intervention. Liberals focus on equality and social justice, advocating for “government responsibility” to reduce inequality.
3. Althusser’s Definition of Ideology
Althusser believed that ideology consists of subconscious ideas we live by, which reinforce existing social structures.
Schools not only provide knowledge but also instill the values of the dominant ideology, such as respect for authority, maintaining the status quo unnoticed by people.
Discussion Board 3.1 (Marisol Beato)
- In my view, Ideology is the beliefs that one has about themselves and the society that surrounds them. It is the thoughts and ideas that people have regarding everything that they can think of and can extend to many different topics. Whether it be work ethic, behaviors, characteristics, politics, and what have you, Ideology is something that can extend to practically any topic and allows people to define others through their morals, who they associate with, what they cherish and how they believe they should go about life. An example of an Ideology is a person who believes in the idea that “Might Makes Right.” This person has the idea that those who are strong are the only ones who deserve to be in power and only associate with people that they deem strong, while those who are weak should either perish or submit to the strong and the person goes out of their way to never associate with people that they consider weak. The way that I understand Ideology is that it essentially gives an insight as to what a person’s character may be. It tells you about who they believe in, what they think is good, what they think is bad, what aspects of politics do they think is most important, etc. Now not everyone with the same Ideologies is going to be 1 for 1 the same in every single way, but it does give an idea of what a person is like and what they may value and dislike when it comes to certain topics.
- The way that I understand the difference between Liberal and Conservative Ideology in U.S politics is that Liberal Ideology wants a bigger government so that they can help solve bigger problems while Conservative Ideology wants no government since they feel that they are a threat to individual liberty. Some of the big differences between the two is that Liberal Ideology supports government intervention of the economy (especially when that intervention benefits historically marginalized groups like minorities, women and poor), they don’t believe that big businesses have the average American’s best interest at heart and prefer to see them regulated and they favor a progressive tax system with higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations since they know that aiding the poor and expanding civil liberties costs money. An example of liberal Ideology is the left party, since they embody all of the ideas of Liberal Ideology. On the other side, Conservative Ideology believes that the free market will provide the greatest economic opportunity to the greatest number of people, smaller areas where government spending occurs should be left to private sectors so that less government spending happens (meaning less taxes, which is what they want) and that liberty is the most important thing to protect, which the government does not do. An example of Conservative Ideology is the right party, since they embody all of the ideas of Conservative Ideology.
- The way that I understand Louis Althusser’s definition of Ideology is that it is a form of status quo that is meant to ensure that all people within a society are compliant with laws and regulations set by those in authority. Those that don’t fall in line with the systems that have been set by the authority will be disciplined via losing their freedoms and ostracized by the society around them. An example of this is that a child who goes to school is taught to listen to those above him, not be disruptive, complete tasks on time and to not rebel. If the child does do anyone of these things, then they’ll most likely be subjugated to disciplinary action by the school (such as detention) and parents (stern talking to, limiting freedoms and potentially even beating them) as well as being ostracized by students (who don’t want to associate with them as to not get in trouble themselves).
Emelyn Avila-Discussion Board 3.1
Hector Lopez – Ideology
- My understanding of ideology is that its the idea and belief that a person believes we should be governed by. Ideology mainly deals with a persons political view of government however, there believe it can also be used to describe a certain mindset when it comes to other topics. An example of a political ideology is conservatives whos have the belief that government should be as hands off as possible in order to reduce the taxes that they would pay. This idea directly conflicts with the alternative ideology held by liberals, who believe the government should aid the people. This increase in social care services results in increased taxes, however they feel it is justified, as it greatly benefits lower income families and people who would be abandoned under a unregulated free market. From my understanding of the crash course video, ideology is heavily shaped by social groups like a persons income, race, religion, and gender. This means that people who are born in high income families tend to be more conservative because they benefit greatly from the lower taxes and don’t see many of the benefits of social care. A interesting point of understanding from this is while people can create their own stance and choose their own view, most of the times, a person’s views are created as a result of the views already had by their parents.
- The difference in conservatives and liberals as I mentioned earlier are the role of the government in society. Conservatives believe the the government should insert itself very little in the market and “conserve” their powers to when need be. Conservatives are similar to the ideas a laissez faire in which they believe the market can be self regulating and will allow the economy to flourish. Liberals alternatively, believe that the government should take heavy responsibility in overseeing the people and provide services to those in need. In the crash course video, they state a main reason for this is because liberals believe that a free market will not spread wealth around equally, leading to massive disparity in income among social classes. Because of this, the government is needed to regulate the people and provide support to those struggling through breaks in taxes and services provided for cheaper or no price such as Medicaid. These services come at a cost however, leading to high taxes for higher income earners however, it is believed to be justifiable, as these extra tax dollars goes towards helping even out the field.
- From my understanding, Althusser’s definition of ideology is that there are sub ideology that exist in different facets of life that allow you to connect and relate to a different group of people. The example from the video that made me believe this was the entertainment apparatus. The entertainment apparatus was described as a example of ideology where instead of believing you are apart of the class that you are normally apart of, you see yourself mainly a apart of a group based on the entertainment. In the case of the video, a fan of a team rather then someone of a working class.
