Political Ideas and

Ideology
The Role of Ideas
Ideas, however abstract they may seem, govern
individual behavior.

How did the individuals who participate in

rallies and protests perceive the existence of
inequality and injustice during their time? How
did they look at equality? What for them is
justice?
The Role of Ideas
As what has been highlighted earlier, political
theory and political practice are inextricably
linked.
Political ideas did not come out of nowhere.
They are shaped and continuously reshaped by
current socio-historical, economic, and political
circumstances.
The Nature of Political Ideology
An ideology is more or less a coherent set of
ideas that direct or organize a specific political
action (Heywood 2013).
Political ideologies are so powerful that they do
not only direct individual behavior. They also
shape the structure of a government, a political
system, and an entire country.
Spectrum of Political Attitudes
Whether an individual is radical, liberal,
moderate, conservative, or reactionary is largely
represented by his or her political values and
beliefs in political change.
You must have heard before the terms leftist or
rightist, and you might have wondered what
they really mean in political discourse.
Spectrum of Political Attitudes
Regarding values, people on the left of the
spectrum emphasize political liberty, social
change, human equality, and human rights;
while those on the right revere authority,
tradition, elitism, and property rights (Baradat
2012).