Four Basic Policy Areas

It's not just one ruler!

Politics is complicated because there isn’t just one policy area where people fall along the Liberal - Conservative spectrum.  There are four basic areas:  Fiscal Policy; Social Policy; Economic Policy; and Foreign Policy.  People can be at a different point along the political spectrum in each of these areas, so it can seem confusing.  Conservatives can be Liberal in some areas and vice versa.

Fiscal Policy Spectrum ranges depend on government spending and taxation.  Liberals tend to support increased taxation and spending.  Liberals tend also to support greater deficit spending, particularly in the face of economic downturns and other crisis as means to meet government obligations and demands.  Conservatives tend to support decreased taxation and spending, and seek to reduce deficit spending.  (Note:  The author is keenly aware that many self-described Conservatives vote for continued deficit spending.)

Social Policy Spectrum ranges on the role of government to encourage, create, or acheive social conditions.  Consistent with my definition of Liberal and Conservative - Liberals will (should) support more government involvement in shaping society, while Conservatives will (should) support less government involvement.  (Note:  As will be discussed later, these labels may seem swapped when applied to self-described Conservative opinions.)

Economic Policy Spectrum depend upon the level of government involvement in economics.  On the extreme left end of the spectrum would be communism where there is government ownership and control over all economic life.  On the right side would be completely unregulated lasses-faire capitalism.

Foreign Policy Spectrum ranges along on how engaged government should be in foreign affairs and military spending.  As with Social Policy the labels don’t fit neatly.  Conservatives tend to support increased spending on the military and and active foreign policy.  Liberals tend to support a limited military and less interventionist foreign policy.  (Note:  As will be discussed later, these labels may seem swapped when applied to self-described Conservative and Liberal opinions.)

Two important concepts should be understood: 

(1) Conservative - Liberal Ideology falls along four different broad areas.  

(2) It is quite possible - in fact common - that you can fall along the Conservative spectrum in one area and trend more Liberal in another.

QUESTION:  Do you agree with the four broad areas - or is there another area that we should consider?  For example - where would environmental issues fall?