1. Ideologies are based on a set of beliefs and ideas that embody a group of people, and it strongly shapes how they view most things around them, including their culture, the society around them and the people. Different people in a society with different beliefs could have overlapping views, but not agree on each other’s whole perspective overall. Ideologies nowadays are strongly politicized and used for the purpose of benefitting a political party, positively and negatively. People’s ideological philosophies project what they oppose, accept, hate, love etc. And in many societies, there seems to be a definite division where each side is expected to have a particular ideology unanimously, however I don’t think that is an accurate representation.
2. Some of the differences between Liberals and conservatives involve the utilization of government, its involvement within the people, the amount of regulations enacted. Government spending, Liberals favor government spending, aiding, while Conservatives favor less government spending. Liberals favor more regulations on things like guns, while Conservatives don’t. Liberals believe government should be involved within capitalism and corporations and add regulations, while Conservatives favor a free market with less regulations. Each of the ideologies is largely different from one another, Liberals tend to be pro-choice/legal abortion, decriminalized drug laws, universal healthcare, free education. Conservative ideology tend to be pro-life/illegal abortion, no government aid, etc.
3. Althusser meant that each person’s ideologies are at times the reality of their existence, it’s based through their actions, their habits, practices and so on. This fold on each other and reflects that person’s ideology.

1- The way I think of ideology is like this , we do not choose our race our how Rich we are nore do we have the chose to be born into a Christian , Muslim , Jewish family . We are raised and exposed to all of that as children, but that doesn’t mean we can not be exposed or influenced to different parts of ideology such as peers , friends, and this has its negatives and positives 

2- The way I understand the difference between conservatives and liberals when it comes to what they believe in their political ideologies in the United States politics is that fear is the most important factor in it that effects all the people and different social classes and race whether you are a conservative or liberal. The difference between them is the way the parties run the show . For example conservatives like less involvement of the government and liberals prefer the government solves the problems 

3- The way Althusser definition is that we are made to believe that we have our freedom and and choices and that we don’t need authorities to keep them . He also says they our education system and schools are where our children are exposed to the most government controlled.

Ideology is a set of belief shared by a person or a group of people. These beliefs influence how a person thinks, act and view the world. So, Ideologies are very crucial because  they shape our perception and how we interact in society. There are different types of ideologies in society, there are political ideologies, social, and cultural ideologies too. An example of ideology is the communist ideology which promotes public ownership of property, with the government having ownership of the means of production; people with this ideology believes that the state should control all wealth and property, and goods should be owned and available to everyone in society as needed. Another example of ideology is the racist ideology, and this is still very common in our society today. People with this ideology believe that the white race is and should be superior to other races. This is their belief system, this is how they view the world, so they act like they are superior when they are amid other races.

2.The liberal and conservative ideologies just seem to be opposite of each other. Liberals support a large government because it would help solve more problems, while conservatives support a small government because large government poses a threat to individual liberty. Liberals believe that the government should have no role in people’s life, so they support abortion, and marijuana legalization, while the conservatives think otherwise, they support traditional, religious values, so they are against abortion. Liberal support higher taxes especially on the rich and corporations, conservatives support lower taxes, and so on and so forth. The big difference is that liberal ideology favors equality, and that the government is necessary in promoting it, while conservative ideology favors liberty where the government should have very little role.

3. I believe that Althusser is saying that the actual relationship people have with their actual conditions of existence in their ideologies is hypothetical and that these ideologies are sometimes imposed on us by society. For example, the school’s main purpose is not just to teach us how to read and write, but to also impose on us how to obey, and personalize some of the societal ideologies, like following and always obeying the one in power.

1. 1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in your own words.
2. Ideology is having beliefs and opinions upon a specific group or individual, mainly focusing upon political views. Having these beliefs can influence people behaviors upon these social groups. Examples that showcase ideology in our society are capitalism, democracy, and such more. Democracy would be our political system such as voting and electing a new president every four years. Capitalism would be our economy and the effects our economy portrays to our society. Ideology however runs deep within our everyday lives. Understanding ideology is knowing what influence it gives you in political views. The way you portray your views is important as it reflects how you vote and the influence in society.
4. 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.
5. Understanding the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics by conservatives being anti federalist while liberals are pro federalist. Conservatives view as law are placed to maintain society while liberals view as laws for to protect individuals and social groups. The big differences between conservative and liberal ideology is conservatives believe a large government poses a threat to individual liberty versus literals believe that the government can help solve our societies problems, the bigger the government, the bigger solution they have. Examples of conservative ideology would be laws such as being pro gun rights and pro life. Examples of liberal ideology would be pro choice and pro gun control which both topics are very important currently throughout our time.
7. 3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words.
8. I would understand Althusser’s definition of ideology due to him stating that ideology is more of a practice. He believes as if people are painting a false narrative throughout society. Althusser also discusses upon ideology does not relate towards our society.

1. Ideology is another way of saying social theory, specifically in regards to politics, religion, or other social issues, for example, being pro-choice/ pro-life are political and social ideologies. Another way of looking at ideology is through the lenses of anthropology. Cultural relativism is the anthropological theory that different cultures should not be judged by the standards of one’s own culture, and this is partially due to the ideological differences between cultures. For example, different cultures may have customs reflecting their ideologies, like Icelandic whale fishing.
2. As cultural relativism suggests, the biggest difference between American liberals and conservatives is perceived, but there are some major differences, paramount among them being liberals’ abhorrence of the military budget, pro-gun regulation, and pro-choice. In contrast, conservatives tend to believe in the importance of the military, and in their right to bear arms. Religious doctrine plays a major role in politics and has determined the republican party to be pro-life. Liberals believe in the growth of government programs and social reform which comes out of our taxes, and republicans believe social programs are a waste of funding.
3. First, he says an ideology can be used to describe a political position such as a neo-con or a socialist (both examples of political ideologies). he says that the concept of ideology is meant to answer the question: why do people act against their own self-interest? He then describes economic ideology and political ideology. He focuses on the importance of school when it comes to the gathering of our own ideological tendencies.

1.To my understanding, Ideology is people’s ideas or ideals as a society, towards economics or politics. It describes the idea or ideals that one person has toward a certain topic, like if one believes to be liberal or conservative. It can also describe the ideals or expectations that one has toward a ceratin topic like abortion or how companies have too much power and must be regulated more than what it is. 2. The difference between conservatives and liberals to my knowledge is the fact that they believe the government is a must compared to conservatives that believe government shouldn’t be given too much power, thus lowering taxes. The dividing line for me is the fact that conservatives believe very strongly in religious values, as well as taking away government help toward those of lower classes, while liberals believe that the government should regulate more things like businesses and give out more help to the needy even at the cost of higher taxes. 3. My understanding of Althusser’s ideology is that people are more able to be controlled and regulated when they have something to lose or of falling out of grace with their peers. That if you don’t fall into place and follow the rules it can affect your life entirely thus making people understand that change doesn’t come that easy.

1. Ideology to me can best be described as a hopeful viewpoint or an idea of any and all political parties. Some can share the same ideology and some may not.

2. The major difference to me about Conservatives and Liberals is that Conservatives are more on the strict no drugs, no abortion, are probably even more prone to a dictatorship run country. Where as the liberals are free spirited, believe in equality and are pro legalizing drugs like marijuana. Which they succeeded in doing.

3. Althusser’s definition of ideology is summed up in an idea that must be put into practice to become a reality. He believes in ideology has a material existence.

Veronica Gonzalez

POL 100 (0504) – Intro. to American Govt. – Fall 2022

Discussion Board 3.1

Q1. In my view, ideology is the information, the relationships, the feelings and the beliefs we are raised with or exposed to as children and these become part of our first building blocks of our foundation as developing human beings. There are those core beliefs, in our ideology, that no matter what we may be exposed to as teenagers or adults we will not compromise or waver in. Yet, our personal ideology is not exempt from being able to see positive things in the ideologies of others and include them in some form within our own personal ideology. It is important to be able to establish the basic building blocks of our ideology and build upon it to strengthen our ideology. The different agents of ideology, family, education system, peers and social groups and media can all expose us to the positives and negatives of what ideology is yet when it comes down to it, there is a certain point that we as individuals have to take all of this information and influences and form our ideology, one that does not negate what our roots are, can see that changes in our ideology should not feared, if they don’t cause harm to ourselves and others, and that respect for others is key.

Q2. My understanding of the differences between Conservatives and Liberals with regards to their political ideologies in US politics is that whether you are a conservative or liberal, fear is a factor that affects all races, socioeconomic levels, genders, the young and the old alike. Some of the major differences between both parties are the involvement and responsibility of the government to its citizens. Conservatives prefer less involvement of the government in solving the problems of its citizens while allowing the private sector to provide for the people. Liberals say that only the involvement of the government can solve the problems and meet the needs of the people. Another major difference is in how much $$$ the government should invest in the people and social programs. Liberals prefer higher taxing on the private corporations and rich to provide this funding while Conservatives support lower taxes to these same corporations and rich people.

From my perspective, the dividing line for both parties seems to be the involvement of the government and how much involvement is needed in the lives of citizens. Conservatives feel that government should not invest in social programs that help communities (minority, ethnic) that may not have access to the resources that other non-minority communities have, while Liberals see that government should heavily invest in these social programs to in a way level the playing field and make it equal for all of its citizens to succeed through access to education, housing programs and better job opportunities. The less you are involved in something, the less time you dedicate to it and you don’t care as much about its success while on the other hand the more you are involved in something the more you time you dedicate to it and you feel invested and want it to succeed. Involvement of all parties, conservatives, liberals, government and private sector is needed for the people to succeed. 

Q3. My understanding of Althusser’s definition of ideology is that it is a set of ingrained beliefs, views and actions that are meant to keep society in line. My interpretation of Althusser’s ideology is that it seems to state that we are given the appearance of freedoms and choices that we don’t necessarily have or that we can only attain if we are obedient to our authorities. According to Althusser, our educational system, schools, are the places where children are exposed the most to government controlled ideology, socially controlled ideology and where in general a variety of ideologies that are not always from the government are not only spoken about but are reinforced with actions that have to be followed. An example would be in the choices that we are presented with in terms of electing government officials. We teach that voting is important, and yes it definitely is, and that it is a way of having your voice be heard but a lot of times, when we do vote for a government official, they do a complete 360 on us and don’t represent us in government the way they tricked us into thinking that they would or worse yet, candidate A and candidate B are both no good at all yet we still have to vote for “at least the one that comes close enough”.

1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in YOUR OWN WORDS. 

Ideology is a body of knowledge, beliefs or personal principles, real or imaginary, which informs how a person or group of persons interpret social phenomenon and act in the society. For example, a neighbor told me that he thinks the government is too large and is in charge of a lot of things, that the influence of the government should be reduce while we allow private expansion that drives productivity. Immediately, I know my neighbor subscribes to conservative ideologies and will be guided by such beliefs when acting. Ideologies are not only political. They can be cultural ideology or religious ideology. It could be well thought out, original and unique to a person(s) and it could be a medium used by another to put others in check as in various philosophical traditions like Marxism, Nihilism, Postmodernism, Feminism and many of the isms that have shaped the historical trajectory of mankind. Put summarily, ideology is a set of beliefs that influence thought, behavior and choice. 

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. 

American social, economic, and political life is shaped by two major ideologies among many others. They are what have been generally described as being on the right or left. While the right describes conservative ideology, the left is the appellation given to liberal ideology. There is also the libertarians who sometimes are very difficult to place because they seem to share core values of the two extremes. Nonetheless, the major difference among conservatives and liberals lies in their perception of government, social order, and distribution of the common good. For conservatives, having a large central government that has too much power and is in charge of many things is dangerous. So, efforts must be made according to them, to make sure the government does not get bigger. Somewhat ironic is the fact that While conservatives do not want a more powerful government, they want a militarily powerful state and will most likely vote for military intervention abroad (Parenti, 2011). They also believe in capitalism more and will love to have the government hands off regulation of private corporations. For them, letting large corporation go about their businesses without government interference, even when such is at the expense of the climate or the environment is a good thing to do since more profit means increased GDP. 

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words.  

Louise Althusser defined ideology as the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence. What this means is that ideology is the way individuals view and understand their experiential realities and their place in it.