Terms for the
ranges of political views are usually paired, with an equivalent term existing
for each side, such left-wing and right-wing. You can spot the pairs because the
same color is used for each side of the pair, such as left-wing and right-wing,
liberal and conservative, with orange
used for the extremes from left and right.
The terms are
listed in order from extreme left to extreme right:
§ First term (the word communism) = far or extreme left
§ Middle term (the phrase middle of the road) = the middle
§ Last term (the word fascism) = far or extreme right
Terms |
Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |
“2. a system
of social organization in which all economic and social activity is
controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and
self-perpetuating political party.” Want to check on the term capitalism? Click here. |
|
“1. (cap.) a member of the Communist party or
movement. 2. an
advocate of communism. 3. a person who is regarded as supporting politically leftist
or subversive causes.” |
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socialism |
“1. a
theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the
ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of
capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole” [1830-40; SOCIAL + ism] Want to check on the term capitalism? Click here. |
“1. an
advocate or supporter of socialism.” |
|
“2. thorough-going or extreme, esp. as
regards change from accepted or traditional forms .
. . 3. favoring drastic
political, economic, or social reforms … ” Caution about Terms: The word radical
as a modifier is sometimes used with the word conservative, as in
a radical conservative. |
|
“1. members
of a liberal or radical political party, or those favoring extensive
political reform.” |
|
“1. favorable
to progress or reform, as in
political or religious affairs…. 4. favorable to or in accord with concepts
of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured
by governmental protection of civil liberties. 5. favoring
or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal
belief or expression… 6. of or pertaining to representational
forms of government rather than aristocracies and
monarchies” Curious about the word liberal in liberal arts or liberal education? Click on the terms. Want to see what President Eisenhower said about this term? Click here. |
|
“1. favoring, following, or
characterized by an intermediate position between two extremes, esp. in
politics; moderate.” |
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“1. disposed
to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc.,
or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change….
3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness” Caution about Terms: Support for free trade is to liberalize. Click here for the context. Want to see what President Eisenhower said about this
term? Click here. |
|
“1. members
of a conservative or reactionary political party, or those opposing
extensive political reform.” |
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“1. of,
pertaining to, being marked by, or favoring reaction, esp. extreme
conservatism or rightism in politics; opposing
political or social change.” |
|
“1. … a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.” Want to check on the term capitalism? Click here. |
|
“1. a person
who believes in or sympathizes with fascism. 2. (often cap.) a member of a fascist movement
or party. 3. a
person who is dictatorial or has extreme right-wing views. … [1915-20]” During the
worldwide Great Depression of the 1930s, the US turned to the New Deal, while
the right-wing Fascist movements, including the Nazis, grew in Germany
(Adolph Hitler) and Italy (Benito Mussolini) as well as Japan. In World War
II, the US and other Allied nations fought the Fascists. |
“’I’m conservative when it comes to money,’ Eisenhower claimed, but ‘liberal when it comes to human beings.’”[1] [Bold added] Dwight D. Eisenhower was the successful
leader of the massive Normandy invasion to reclaim France and Europe from the
Nazis in World War II. As the Republican candidate, he was elected President
of the United States in 1952 and 1956. |
Terms |
Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |
liberal |
“1. favorable
to progress or reform, as in
political or religious affairs…. 4. favorable to or in accord with
concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law
and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties. 5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with
respect to matters of personal belief or expression… 6. of or
pertaining to representational forms of government
rather than aristocracies and monarchies” |
“1. the
academic course of instruction at a college intended to provide general
knowledge and comprising the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social
sciences, as opposed to professional or technical subjects…. [1745-55; trans.
of L artēs liberälēs
works befitting a free man]” [bold added] |
|
“1. an education based primarily on the liberal arts, emphasizing the development of intellectual abilities as opposed to the acquisition of professional skills [“as a means of livelihood”]. 2. wide experience and education” |
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A typical example of the phrase liberalize as related to trade
is: “The United States and Brazil during talks this week remained at odds over a hemispheric trade agreement, raising doubts about completing one of the Bush administration’s biggest projects to liberalize commerce. … biggest projects to liberalize commerce. The Bush administration has described the Free Trade Area of the … they must work to liberalize trade at all levels,” - Yahoo search engine results for an article in the Washington Times, October 24, 2003 [bold added] |
The terms are in alphabetical order.
Terms |
Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |
“1. a
class of person holding exceptional rank or privileges, esp. the hereditary
nobility. 2. a government or state ruled by an
aristocracy, elite, or privileged upper class.” |
|
“1. government by the people; a form of
government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised
directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. 2. a state
having such a form of government … 3.
a state of society characterized by formal equality;
democratic spirit.” |
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“1. a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor,
empress, or other powerful sovereign or government; usually a territory of
greater extent than a kingdom . . . 2.
a government under an emperor or empress.” |
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“1. a state or government having a king
or queen as its head. 2. anything
conceived as constituting a realm or sphere of independent action or control
…” |
|
“the
right to rule derived directly from God, not from the consent of the people
[1735-45]” [Note: The last time an English king
tried to act on this view, the English invited a replacement to take the
throne.] |
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“1. a state or nation in which the
supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch.” |
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“1. a state in which the supreme power
rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives
chosen directly or indirectly by them.” [Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution: “The United States shall guarantee to every state
in this union a republican form of government . . .”] |
|
“1. a form of government in which God or
a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God’s or deity’s laws
being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities. 2. a system of government by priests
claiming a divine commission.” |
Term |
Online American Heritage Dictionary |
NOUN: An economic
system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or
corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment
of profits gained in a free market. |
Terms |
Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |
“v.t. 1. to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc. of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.” |
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conserve |
“v.t. 1. to prevent injury, decay, waste, or loss of” |
“v.t. 1. to keep alive or in existence; make lasting…3. to keep up; maintain” Caution about Terms: Labeling something as in existence does not mean that it actually existed before. It may be different from what worked before. (That’s one of the reasons that studying history is a requirement for college graduates.) |
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“n. 1. a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage” Caution about Terms: Labeling some action as progressdoes not make that action automatically a “higher stage.” |
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“v.t. 1. to change to a better state, form, etc.” Caution about Terms: Labeling a change as reform does not make that action automatically a “better state, form.” |
Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2005 |
WCJC Department: |
History – Dr. Bibus |
Contact Information: |
281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com |
Last Updated: |
2005 |
WCJC Home: |