The Role of Strong, Central Government in Democratic and Socialist Ideologies

The Role of Strong, Central Government in Democratic and Socialist Ideologies

Ideologies are brought about by the values and norms that individuals use to filter behavior and other aspects of the world. Ideologies tend to reinforce the beliefs people hold towards the world. For instance, religion is an ideology that has a great influence on how people view other individuals, politics, and other issues. There are many political ideologies. They tend to dictate an individual’s outlook regarding elections, human rights, individual welfare and the role of the government.

Democratic ideology is political in nature. It stems from the views and perspectives held by individuals in the Democratic Party. These individuals are often referred to as Democrats (Bradley, 2015). Right from its establishment, the Party has often aligned itself with liberalism. As opposed to hanging on to traditions, the Democrats tend to be open-minded about modern and more progressive aspects of the society (Bradley, 2015).

The main view governing the Democrat ideology is the liberal view (Bradley, 2015). Liberalism is characterized by ideas that revolve around individualism, freedom and human rights (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). Individualism is central to the liberal view. Liberals often concern themselves with economic development. Due to the idea of individual freedom, liberals believe that economic superiority can only be attained through free markets.

Liberals believe that individualism is the driving force behind economic prosperity. Due to the self-interest of individuals, people will interact to either buy or sell goods with the sole intention of improving their welfare (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). This interaction often yields positive results that are often unintended. In this regard, individualism is considered to be more superior and beneficial to collectivism.

Another feature that brings about the individual idea supported by the Democratic ideology is the increased pursuit of natural rights. The belief in what is commonly referred to as human rights is often emphasized by the liberal view. Liberals call for individuals to be awarded a wide range of rights (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). Freedom of speech, association, religion and fair trial are some of the natural rights recognize under the liberal view of the democratic ideology. As opposed to their outlook on economic abilities, liberals believe that natural rights should be enjoyed by all individuals.

Owing to the liberal nature of the democratic ideology, a strong and central government is not considered to be a necessity. In their call for the free market, liberals argue that governments only work to limit the economic abilities of individuals (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). As a result, liberalism often calls for the continued reduction of a government’s powers and abilities. The democratic ideology supports a small type of government. This government should be concerned with small aspects of the society such as the provision of aid for the poor (Bradley, 2015).

The liberalists view acknowledges the importance of the state. While the state is necessary for providing laws and the impartial defense of an individual’s rights, it can also be used for evil and self-serving purposes. Since the government has the power to coerce, the democratic ideology associates this ability with evil (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). As opposed to constant intervention by the government, the democratic ideology calls for the free interaction and exchange of goods between individuals.

Socialism is another ideology that provides insight into the role played by the state. Similar to the democratic ideology, socialism also provides an outlook on the political and economic state of society. However, this ideology is often associated with social movements such as trade unions (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). There are at least four main beliefs promoted by this ideology. To begin with, socialism places emphasis on collectivism.

As opposed to the democratic ideology that values individualism, socialists believe that individualism is harmful to the general welfare of the society. As a result, collectivism is encouraged for its ability to create interrelations and draw people closer (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014).  Secondly, socialists also call for the public ownership of property and goods. In this regard, the private ownership of assets such as land is discouraged. However, the society owns all properties, which is then divided amongst individuals in an equal manner (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014).

Thirdly, socialism also draws special emphasis to equality. This is especially evident in the economy. To ensure that individuals are not left wallowing in poverty, socialist call for the equal distribution of wealth. This allows all individuals to remain at the same level in terms of monetary possession and prosperity (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). Finally, socialism also calls for a centralized form of planning. As opposed to adopting free markets, socialism calls for the regulation of the economy.

To ensure that the economy is regulated and that resources are distributed equally, socialists call for the maximum involvement of the state government. As opposed to the democratic ideology, socialists call for the establishment of a strong and central form of governance. The government not only helps to regulate the economy but also promote equality, which is the most important value associated with socialism (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2014). In this regard, the state is required only to adopt measures that are in the best interests of the society. Maximum power, increased regulation and laws are central to the socialist ideology.

Ideologies have the ability to dictate the outlook individuals have of social and political issues. Owing to the prevalence of liberal views in the democratic ideology, individualism is given more importance. As a result, a central and strong government is not required. Furthermore, the government’s involvement is minimal. From a socialist perspective, collectivism is more important than individualism. Most importantly equality is central to the welfare of society. Owing to this, the government needs to be strong and relentless in creating laws and regulations to govern the equal distribution of resources.

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