An ideology is a concept that shapes how people view the world as well as guidance in their behavior using specific beliefs and values. For example, we live in a modern-day capitalist economy. Capitalism is an ideology that favors free markets and private ownership that strays from government control of the funds. By following this ideology, we say that success comes from hard work and businesses should be able to work with very minimal government interference. The way that I am able understand ideology is that I treat it more than a collection of ideas and opinions. I see it as a system that is so natural in a society that the common public may not realize that they are following exactly that. Ideologies are used to explain power structures, traditions, and social arrangements, making it seem normal. For example, while some ideologies support and enforce freedom and equality while others support inequality because it is seen as an unavoidable concept in society. Overall ideologies influence personal beliefs and larger social systems by shaping how people think about justice, progress, and morality from prior generations to current times.

In U.S politics, conservative and liberal ideologies are different with how they view the government, social changes, and individual responsibility. Conservatives will often lean towards tradition, limited government, personal responsibility, and free markets. They believe that people should solve their own problems with minimum government interference and that rapid change comes with harm to social stability. On the other hand, liberals emphasize equality, social justice, individual rights, and government action. Liberals will often see government involvement as vital to correct injustice and protect those that are vulnerable like children and elders. The dividing line would come down to how much society believes the government should interfere to solve social and economic problems. For example, with healthcare conservatives mostly believe that private competition should find cost and quality of care while liberals prefer to ensure that everyone has access to affordable healthcare. 

Althussers definition of ideology is that it is not just a set of ideas that we believe consciously, but it is a system of beliefs and practices that shape people’s perceptions of themselves and their place in society. In other words, ideology is functional in everyday life by making specific roles and behaviors feel natural or obvious, even though it is a social construct. In Althussers perspective, ideology is powerful because it works behind the scenes, and it influences people without them realizing it. For example, we use the concept of being a good student. Schools don’t just teach curriculum, they teach the youth how to follow rules, complete with others, and always respect authority. With time students see these behaviors as normal when in reality they were shaped using education and discipline.