Political Spectrums: A Guide to Understanding Political Positions
A political spectrum is a system used to categorize political viewpoints based on their positions on various political dimensions. The most common spectrum is the left-right dimension, which measures the degree of social, political, and economic hierarchy. Historically, the left represented radicalism and egalitarianism, while the right represented conservatism and tradition. Other common dimensions include authority-liberty, traditionalism-secularism, and self-expression-survivalism.
Historical Origins of the Left-Right Spectrum
The terms "right" and "left" originated from the seating arrangement in the French National Assembly during the French Revolution, with radicals on the left and aristocrats on the right. After the revolution, these terms became associated with opposing political ideologies: left-wing parties supported republicanism and egalitarianism, while right-wing parties supported monarchy and tradition.
Contemporary Research on Political Spectrums
In the 20th century, social scientists began to explore the nature of political values. Leonard W. Ferguson identified three factors influencing political views: religionism, humanitarianism, and nationalism. Hans Eysenck further proposed two factors: radicalism (left-right axis) and tender-mindedness (authoritarianism-libertarianism axis).
Multidimensional Political Spectrums
While the left-right spectrum provides a basic framework, research has shown that multiple dimensions are needed to capture the complexity of political views. Ronald Inglehart's two-factor model describes values as a combination of traditionalism-secularism and self-expression-survivalism. Other proposed dimensions include focus of political concern, responses to conflict, and foreign policy.
Spatial Model of Voting
The spatial model of voting represents voters and candidates in a multidimensional space, with each dimension representing a different issue or candidate attribute. Voters are then assumed to vote for the candidates closest to their ideal point in this space. This model allows for a more nuanced understanding of political preferences than traditional left-right classifications.
Biological Variables and Political Orientation
Studies have found that biology may influence political orientation. Conservatives tend to have larger amygdalae and stronger sympathetic nervous system responses to threats, while liberals have greater volume of grey matter in the anterior cingulate cortex and are better at detecting errors. Genetic factors may also contribute to the variation in political views.