Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Defining Ideology
Formal Definitions:
- “a verbal image of the good society and of the chief means of constructing such a
society” (Downs 1957)
- “the way a system—a single individual or even a whole society—rationalizes itself”
(Knight 2006)
- “actors’ theorization of their own position, and available strategies, in a political field”
(Martin 2013)
- “systems of socially shared ideas, beliefs, and values used to understand, justify or
challenge a particular political, economic, or social order” (Homer-Dixon et al. 2013)
- “the idea that political opinions and attitudes are linked together in a coherent system”
(Carmines and D’Amico 2015)
Unifying Themes
- Coherence:
o Set of ideas interconnected or linked by an underlying logic (aka “constraint”)
- Stability
o Relatively stable set of ideas, such as over time
- Contrast
o Can be distinguished from other sets of ideas
Origins
- Word origin tied to 1789 French Revolution and notion of popular sovereignty, used
positively
- Then used by Napoleon (“ideologues”) as a slur for those who opposed his dictatorship
- But by mid-19th century, “ideology” being criticized both by existing political leaders as
well as radical revolutionaries
Multidimensionality?
- “Social”- attitudes toward traditional moral and cultural values, including abortion,
marijuana use, role of religion in public affairs, same-sex marriage
- “Economic”- attitudes toward role of government in economy, including progressive
taxation, government spending on social services, regulation of markets