The difference between a conservative and a liberal.
One often hears people of political opinion talk about those of different viewpoints as if they are categorically ignorant for being of such an ideology. Liberals making derogatory jokes about conservatives, conservatives doing likewise.
But is one ideology really any better than the other? Is there one best way to govern?
Lets examine the differences and see if we can come up with an answer to those questions.
Conservatives tend to have an “internal locus of control”. People who have an internal locus of control view each and every person as the controller of their own destiny and think of themselves and other people as individuals. Liberals on the other hand tend to have an “external locus of control”. People with an external locus of control view personal destiny as being determined largely by external factors like the culture and society one grows up in and they view people as a collective whole instead of as individuals separate from each other.
We can see these psychological differences play themselves out when we look at the kinds of economic policies that are advocated. Conservatives want to maximize personal freedom, decrease government interference, and view charity as an individual choice. They tend not to support entitlement programs because they think the individual needs to support himself and anything that demotivates people is damaging to the morale of the person. Liberals want the government to tax people in order to create safety nets and other programs in order to safeguard people from suffering and poverty. Liberals want to regulate business to ensure responsible behavior.
Another factor that plays into the differences in ideology between Conservatives and Liberals has to do with values, whether one prefers to be more loyal and traditional or more rational and scientific. The Conservative tends to be more loyal and traditional, while Liberals tend more towards the rational and scientific. These differences play themselves out in issues of religious, social, and sexual nature. (and what the government should or should not do about them)
The last factor that influences ideology either left or right has to do with approaches to conflict resolution. Conservatives tend to take the position that peace is achieved through a system that deters violence by way or harsh penalties for those who would do harm to others, while Liberals lean towards the idea that conflict is a result of miscommunication and peace a result of understanding. This effects how a person views the military and foreign affairs.
To recap= Conservatives focus on the individual, value tradition, and believe peace comes through strength. Liberals focus on the community, value logic, and believe peace comes from understanding.
These ideas are not mutually exclusive and one ideology is not better than the other. What politics calls for is a reasoned approach that always considers both sides of the argument and allows for as much freedom as possible while enforcing the will of the people and protecting the safety of society.
