Senior High School

Philippine Politics
and Governance
Quarter 3 – Module 2
Political Ideologies

Sandra Mae Dulay Calpito

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 The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer Pre Test before moving on to the other activities included in
this module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
7. If you encounter difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to
consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain
deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

Being in a world that gives its citizens the liberty and the chance to select its
leaders, it is vital for every inhabitant to recognize the difference between politics and
government. It is essential that citizens have more awareness to be able to select
wisely.
Political philosophers have expounded on a variety of political ideologies, or
ways governments and societies can be organized. Having an ideology can make a
government effective and its people who believe in the said ideology become more
cooperative. Apart from the major categories, thereare other ideologies which stand
in-between the aforesaid classifications.These ideologies are modifications of
existing ones and contain certain shades of two or more fundamental elements of
major ideologies.

After reading this module, you will be able to differentiate the political
ideologies.
Specifically, this module will help you to:

 Identify the basic tenets of major political ideologies;

 Differentiate political ideologies;
 Examine the relationship between political ideologies and configurations
of political communities

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 PRE TEST

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your
answer on the space provided.

1. What is the importance of political ideology?

a. Because it illustrates how good or bad a government system should be.
b. This serve as the foundation for political and economic practices of a
particular polity/state.
c. It sets as a standard to fight against the government.
d. All of the above.

2. In a political spectrum, what happens when a certain political ideology

can be placed at the left wing?
a. It is pessimistic (negative thinkers).
b. It is optimistic (positive thinkers).
c. It is bias
d. It is neutral.

3. Which of the following conditions does not depict the essence of

Communism?
a. They support ideas and programs such as freedom of speech, freedom
of the press, freedom of religion, free markets, civil rights, democratic
societies, secular governments, gender equality, and international
cooperation.
b. Poorest of the poor will be given government services and attention
same with what the rich enjoys.
c. Killing mass of people that do not take part in cultural preservation.
d. Business firms will be alleviated and prohibited.

4. Anarchism is said to be the most chaotic of all political ideologies. Why

is regarded as such?
a. Because people do not care for each other thus ruining the society.
b. If there is no state intervention, we are bound of war and conflicts.
c. Belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society
on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or
compulsion.
d. All of the above.

5. It is a comprehensive system of beliefs of political, social, and economic

institutions and processes. What political concept is meant by the definition?
a. Political Spectrum. c. Political Dynamics
b. Political Ideology. d. Political Heritage
6. The sovereign, compulsory, and coercive authority of the state is seen
as a nothing less than legalized oppression operating in the interests of the
powerful, propertied, and privileged. What political ideology is this?
a. Anarchism c. Conservatism

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 b. Fascism d. Liberalism

7. As the state is inherently evil and oppressive, all states have the same
essential character. What political ideology is this?
a. Liberalism c. Conservatism
b. Fascism d. Anarchism

8. Electoral or representative democracy is merely a façade that attempts

to conceal elite domination and reconcile the masses to their oppression.
What political ideology is this?
a. Liberalism c. Anarchism
b. Socialism d. Conservatism

9. Marxists have stressed the link between the state and the class system,
seeing it either as an instrument of class rule or as a means of ameliorating
class tensions. What political ideology is this?
a. Liberalism c. Anarchism
b. Socialism d. Conservatism

10. This political ideology traditionally endorses a form of radical

democracy based on popular participation and the desire to bring economic
life under public control, dismissing liberal democracy as simply capitalist
democracy. What is this?
a. Liberalism c. Fascism
b. Socialism d. Conservatism

LESSON
Political Ideologies
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 STUDY TIME

What is ideology? First thing to be clear on is that there really is no clear

and agreed upon definition of ideology. It is a difficult term to really define properly.

Some attempted definitions of ‘ideology’

 A political belief system
 An action-orientated set of political ideas
 The ideas of the ruling class
 The world view of a particular social class or social group
 Political ideas that embody or articulate class or social interests
 Ideas that propagate false consciousness amongst the exploited or oppressed
 Ideas that situate the individual within a social context and generate a sense
of collective belonging
 An officially sanctioned set of ideas used to legitimise a political system or
regime
 An all-embracing political doctrine that claims a monopoly of truth
 An abstract and highly systematic set of political ideas

Origin of the term

 The term was created during the French Revolution by Antoine Destutt de
Tracy (1754-1836), and first used in public in 1796
 For de Tracy, idéologie referred to a new „science of ideas‟, or an idea-ology,
like in biology, or psychology.
 The use of ideology as a political term has a lot to do with the work of Karl
Marx (1818-1883)
“The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class
which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time the ruling
intellectual force. The class which has the means of material production at its
disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production,
so that thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of
mental production are subject to it”

THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM

 You may have heard at various times terms used like political left and political
right‟
 This is quite a confusing and misleading area in understanding political science
 The origin of the terms dates back to the French Revolution and the seating
arrangements adopted by different groups in parliament.

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 Meanings of ‘left’ and ‘right’
LEFT – A broad ideological disposition that is characterized by sympathy for
principles such as liberty, equality, fraternity and progress. It is also
associated with preference for equality and common ownership.

RIGHT – A broad ideological disposition that is characterized by sympathy for

principles such as authority, order, hierarchy and duty.

Core themes

1. LIBERALISM – This ideology is in a sense the ideology of the ‘industrialised West’

 It has a focus on a particular set of values: the individual, freedom, reason,
justice, toleration

The Individual
 Liberalism emphasizes the importance of the individual, both the uniqueness
of each individual and at the same time the equality of all individuals.
 Thus, liberalism emphasises a commitment to individual freedom. This does
not mean though, that an individual is free to do whatever they like. There are
still constraints on what you are actually allowed to do, one constraint being
that you are not allowed to hurt another individual.

 Marxists have stressed the link between the state and the class system,
seeing it either as an instrument of class rule or as a means of ameliorating
class tensions.
 Because individual rights are central, this means that liberalism believes in
tolerance and pluralism, or the idea that different moral, cultural and political
cultures can exist together.

2. CONSERVATISM – Central beliefs of conservatism are based around the ideas

of:
 tradition
 human imperfection
 organic society
 hierarchy and authority
 property

Conservatism: Tradition
 Conservatives argue for the preservation of „tradition‟, in particular with
regards to values, practices and institutions
 They see tradition as being one of the foundations of society; without it, they
believe society would crumble.

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 Conservatism: Humans are imperfect
 Conservatives argue that human beings are imperfect and not perfectible,
thus they will need stability and security in their lives, which the government
can provide

Conservatism: Organic society

 Conservatives believe that human beings cannot exist outside of society, or
the social groups that nurture him/her, such as family, friends, colleagues,
local community, and the nation

Conservatism: Hierarchy and authority

 Believe that society is hierarchical, and that authority (who is on top or in
charge) develops naturally

Conservatism: Property
 Conservatives have a firm belief in the importance of owning property, and
encourage private savings and investment in property; property is seen to be
a way of creating a stable world.
 People are less likely to damage someone else‟s property if they also own
property.

3. SOCIALISM
 This political ideology traditionally endorses a form of radical democracy
based on popular participation and the desire to bring economic life under
public control, dismissing liberal democracy as simply capitalist democracy.
Core Themes
 Community
 Cooperation
 Equality
 Class politics
 Common ownership
Community
 Human beings are tied to one another by the bonds of a common humanity
 We are all brothers and sisters‟
View on human nature
 Belief in the plasticity of human nature, or that humans can change and be
moulded by life experience
 Firm belief that humans are not predestined, but have the capacity to become
something greater than what they are
Cooperation not competition
 Socialists believe that the natural relationship among humans is one of
cooperation rather than competition
Equality
 Socialists are committed to equality
Social Class
 Emphasis is on social class as the determining factor of society

Common ownership
 Disagree with the idea of private property, as they see this as one of the
causes of competition and therefore social inequality.
 Thus, have a view that all property should be communal
 From each according to his ability, to each according to his need‟ – Karl Marx

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 Socialism vs. Communism
 Communism is thought to be a classless society, where there is no hierarchy
or authority. It has been argued by Marxists to be the end point of human
development
 Socialism is seen to be a middle point between capitalism and communism,
where the state attempts to re-direct society towards its communist ideal

View Liberalism Conservatism Socialism

Human Nature Inherently good Inherently Inherently good
imperfect and
selfish
Of Individual Free to pursue Individual is to Supports the
individual goals obey the power common good
structures
Of society Made up of Hierarchical Society more
individuals working divisions are important than
together inherent individuals
Of private property Used for personal Necessary for The cause of
benefit stability inequality

4. FASCISM
Origin
Liberalism, conservatism and socialism are ideas that have their roots in the 19th
Century, fascism was born in the period between the first world wars, and emerged
most dramatically in Italy and Germany.

Italian Fascism
 Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party came to power in Italy in the
 1920s and lasted until the second World War, upon which he was executed
by the Italian partisans and hung by his feet in a square in Milano
German Fascism
 Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in the 1930s and lasted until the
Second World War, until the defeat of Germany by the Allies.

Features of fascism
 The sovereign, compulsory, and coercive authority of the state is seen as a
nothing less than legalized oppression operating in the interests of the
powerful, propertied, and privileged.
 A belief that life is struggle, and that the strongest survive (influenced by
Darwin‟s idea of natural selection)
 Does not believe in equality; instead believes in elitism, or that some people
are born leaders
 An extreme embrace of nationalism; incorporating a belief that certain nations
are superior to others.

5. CAPITALISM
 Is an economic system that is focussed on profit, and the major part of
production is privately owned
 Goods and services are created in order to generate
profit The ‘Market’

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  The market is seen to be the defining mechanism in ordering society. In this
sense, „the market‟ refers to the procedure of selling and buying goods
in general (and anywhere), not necessarily a physical market like Preston
Market! The market procedure is a way where people bring their goods to sell
to consumers, and it is thought that through trade society‟s order is
maintained.
 In economics talk, „supply‟ and „demand‟ are terms used to describe
this process.
 Supply and Demand
 Economic Growth – Belief in the idea of economic growth, so that all people
increase their material wealth (best seen in the pie example below) and
become better off, no matter their position in the economy. If all people are
concerned with increasing their wealth, this will maintain order in society

6. TOTALITARIANISM
 Is a political system where the state (in the hands of perhaps one person or a
small group/party) controls almost everything in its territory. All freedom is
removed, and all subjects are under control of the authority. It is a ‘total
system’ of control.
 It establishes its rule by ideological manipulation (controlling the minds of its
subjects), terror and brutality.

7. ANARCHISM
 As the state is inherently evil and oppressive, all states have the same
essential character.
 A belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society on a
voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion
 Their main argument against authority is that they see authority as being an
offence against the principles of freedom and equality.
 Electoral or representative democracy is merely a façade that attempts to
conceal elite domination and reconcile the masses to their oppression.

8. RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM
 Rejects the distinction between politics and religion; for fundamentalists,
politics is religion‟ (Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979)
 Maintains a commitment to ideas and values that are seen as basic or
fundamental
 Most often turns its back on modernity, or the modern world we live in.
Modernity is seen to be the root of decay in our world, where values are
lacking and moral social fabric has disintegrated.
 Very often it is a militaristic ideology, and the use of violence to achieve its
aims is common

9. NATIONALISM
 A firm belief in the idea that the nation should be the central principle of
political organization.

10. ENVIRONMENTALISM
 A belief that nature is the most important focus of social organisation

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11. FEMINISM
 The advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
 Use of the concept of „patriarchy‟ to describe the power relationship between
men and women
 Made a distinction between the idea of „sex‟ and „gender‟: sex is a biological
term defined by birth, whereas gender is a cultural term which incorporates
learning how to be female or male.

12. GLOBALIZATION
 This term describes the process through which economies, societies and
cultures become further integrated through a global network of political ideas
through communication, transportation and trade.
 Whether the term is an ideology or not is debatable, but it is an idea that more
and more comes to influence the way we see the world.

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 KEY POINTS

An ideology is a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides the basis for
organised political action, whether this is intended to preserve, modify or overthrow
the existing system of power. All ideologies therefore have the following features:
a. They offer an account of the existing order, usually in the form of a world view.
b. They advance a model of a desired future, a vision of the good society.
c. They explain how political change can and should be brought about – how to
get from (a) to (b)

You have learned that the behavior of an individual at the micro and macro
perspectives is being shaped by these ideologies. Moreover, these ideologies are
very influential in forming the structure of a certain society. Ideologies differ from the
traditional to the modern ones. These ideologies may vary on their views on several
issues, but somehow have resemblance on the same. The relevance of these
ideologies rises and falls depending on their significance to explain current social,
political, and economic circumstances. All these ideologies have their reasons and
arguments to gain support from the people and to justify their programs and
strategies to shape the government.
It’s important to realize that ideology is not just something that is important to
politics or politicians. Ideology influences all of our lives, but it works in such a way
that we are often unaware of its influence!

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REFERENCES

Pawilen, R.A. and Pawilen, R.M. (2017). Philippine Politics and Governance. Rex
Bookstore Inc.

Tabajen, R. and Pulma, E. (2016). Philippine Politics and Governance.JFS Publishing

Services

Mendoza, Diana J. et al. (2016). Politics Without Borders. Phoenix Publishing House
Inc.

Lazo, R.S. (2009). Philippine Government and the 1987 Consitution. Rex Bookstore
Inc.

Villanueva, Prince Aian G. (2017). Philippine Politics and Governance. Diwa Learning
Systems Inc.

Department of Education - Philippines. 2016. K to 12 Senior High School Curriculum

Guide. Philippine Politics and Governance.

Department of Education - Philippines. 2020. Most Essential Learning Competencies.

Philippine Politics and Governance.

https://www.cobw.vic.edu.au/uploaded_files/media/typesofgovernmentreadingandwo
rksheets.pdf

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Comparing-Political-Ideologies-
4412651

https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/worksheets/ideologies/identifying-
political-ideologies-definition-matching-worksheet

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