The Political Spectrum
LEFT WING / CENTRE / RIGHT WINGThe Political Spectrum
LEFT WING / CENTRE / RIGHT WINGLarger roles for government; smaller role for individuals / Government and individuals should have a shared role / Larger role for individual; smaller role for government
More spending on social-welfare programs / Maintain existing social-welfare programs / Less spending on social-welfare programs
Reduce spending on the military / Maintain existing defence expenditures / Increase spending on the military
Government should look after those who are powerless and disadvantaged / Government has a role to play in the economy, but the private sector has a greater role / The private business sector should be left on its own as much as possible
There should be government ownership of key industries and resources / The economy should be a mix of public and private enterprise / The economy should be left in the hands of the private sector (free enterprise)
Individual rights are paramount / There must be a mix between individual rights and social stability / Law and order are paramount
The legal system should be more lenient and should aim to rehabilitate offenders / There must be a balance between protecting society and reintegrating offenders / The legal system must punish lawbreakers more severely
POLITICAL PARTIES: DEFINITIONS
Political Party: An organization of people with similar
views on public issues who work
together to elect their candidates.
Party Platform: The proposals put forward by a political
party during an election campaign.
Independent: A candidate or elected member who does
Not belong to a political party.