1. Ideology can be seen as a fundamental set of values shared by individuals in a society, that is shaped by their very integration into that society. An ideology continues to exist as long as it’s being continuously reinforced through cultural norms and collective belief systems. In other words, we are a product of our own environment. Where we come from, who raised us, and what we were taught are all the cornerstones of the people we are today. For example, if an individual was raised by conservative parents, it is likely many of that individual’s core beliefs fall under conservative values. It is also possible the individual grows apart from that ideology as they become older and have their own unique life experiences. 
  2.   Political ideology is the set of beliefs individuals in a society hold about the best way to organize and govern that society. American politics fall under a bipartisanship, the Democratic party representing liberal ideologies, and the Republican party representing conservative ideologies. Liberals typically believe that the government plays an important role in society. They favor business regulations, higher taxes, cut military funds, and most importantly equality. Liberals would fall on the left-center of the political spectrum, as they advocate progressive ideas, but in reality they focus more on reform rather than systemic change. Conservatives on the other hand, believe a large government poses a threat to one’s liberty. They tend to favor the “free market”, lower taxes, military funding, less business regulations, and traditional (Catholic) values. The dividing line amongst these ideologies seems to be the scale of government involvement and socio-cultural issues. For example, conservatives may be supportive of cutting government funded support for low-income citizens if it means less taxes to pay. Liberals are more likely to be fine paying higher taxes, if it means more economic equity across the country. Interestingly enough, there are low-income conservatives that support tax cuts even if they might lose access to federal assistance, because they believe it will benefit them in the long run. 
  3.   Althusser defines ideology as beliefs that are reinforced in society by repressive and ideological apparatuses, masked by the illusions of choice and distractions to maintain social order. He believes that society is the way it is to keep the public docile, making more cogs in the capitalist machine. We are left with two real choices: to submit to these enforced behaviors, or reject it and get prosecuted and ostracized. For example, schools are not just for academic subjects, they are also molding students into becoming functioning members of society. Meaning they are taught to obey authority, complete their tasks timely, and to never rebel because if they do there are repercussions. Althusser says that these are the perfect conditions for a student to be able to grow up and conform to a capitalist society’s standards. 

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