preview

Liberalism And Conservatism Are An Abstract Political Ideology

Good Essays

Liberalism and conservatism are an abstract political ideology that is formed from evolving list of political attributes (Bruns & Gimpel, 2000). While it may be difficult to create a comprehensive definition, Smith (1990) defined liberalism as individuals who are reformist, democratic, libertarian, humanitarian, egalitarian, and permissive. Conservative attributes focus on, “small state, minimal regulations, individual freedom and responsibility, patriotism, and strong law and order” (Dommett, 2015). When measuring trends in a variety of topics, Smith (1990) found that trends dealing with individualism and equal rights were mostly associated with liberal views, while trends on the topic of crime was mostly associated with conservatives. Bruns and Gimpel (2000) noted that Americans identification as either liberal or conservative was not entirely due to political knowledge, instead, their identification reflects the individual’s actual feelings towards particular groups and topics. Such findings (Smith, 1990; Bruns & Gimpel, 2000; Dommett, 2015) on the topic of crime and individualism have recently been the subjects of debate throughout the presidential election. On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump began his Republican National Committee (GOP) presidential campaign with a speech labeling Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals. Throughout the rest of his successful campaign, now president-elected, Trump continued to use such rhetoric towards Hispanics as one of the leading

Get Access