Political Ideologies and Theories

Pols 341

Douglas Brown

2009

Political Ideologies and Theory

What is ideology? What is theory? Broad ideological categories Political Labels in Canada Comparing labels, ideologies and

theories

The role of ideology and theory Ideology: sets of ideas about politics that

focus on the goals of a political community politics, and its underlying values

Theory: sets of ideas and concepts about the study of politics that provide overall explanations: e.g. empirical generalizations, models, critical alternatives

Johnson’s “Competing ideologies”Textbook, chapter 2 Three main ideological strands:

Conservatism Socialism Liberalism

“The triumph of the Liberal centre”

Schools of Theory (General Political Science)

Pluralism Neo-pluralism New Right

Elite Theory (or Managerialism) Neo-institutionalism

Marxist / Class analysis Neo-marxist

Some queries about ideology… What are “tories” and do they still exist? So what is meant by “neo-conservative” and

“neoliberal”? Who are the real radicals and who is the

“establishment”? Does left-right still have any meaning? What is identity politics/ green politics…and

how does it fit in the categories

Some queries about party labels Are New Democrats just “Liberals in a hurry”? What was the difference between Reform

and the Progressive Conservatives? Is the new Conservative party a successful

coalition? What are the ideological divisions in the

Liberal party? Do party labels mean the same thing at the

federal and provincial level ?

Pluralism: standard theory--

Rule by the many and the diverse Focus on individuals and their values Society-centred The State is implicit only Key preoccupations: elections, influence and

lobbying, polling Major theoretical hybrid: New Right (including

public choice, rational choice theories)

Tough question…

Is the pluralist school of thought embedded in a broader political ideology, and which one….?

Elite or Managerial Theory: Standard Version -- The rule of institutions Focus on organizations and behaviour of office-

holders State-centred Key preoccupations: leadership, coercion,

decision-making, accommodation, organizational logic

Major hybrid: Neo-institutionalism (i.e. institutions embedded in society)

Tough questions…

Is the managerial school of thought embedded in a broader political ideology, and which one….?

Can you be a political liberal or social democrat and also have managerial assumptions about public admin?

Marxist or Class Analysis: Standard version -- Rule by the dominant economic class of society Focus on class formation and “struggle” Society-centred Key preoccupations: capital accumulation, class

hegemony, State legitimacy, emancipation of labour

Major hybrids: neo-marxism, neo-institutionalism (acknowledging the relative autonomy of the State)

Tough questions ?

Is the Marxist school of thought embedded in a broader political ideology, and which one….?

Do you have to be a Marxist to find value in the Marxist analysis?

Conclusions Ideology matters, but party labels don’t

always capture the ideology Ideology is always in tension with pragmatism

and caution, especially for a governing party or one that really wants to govern

Theory about politics/public admin is influenced by ideologies, but the two can take separate tracks

Being analytical means, in part, being clear about underlying ideals, beliefs, assumptions.