Political Ideology: Politics on the Right

Numbers 1 and No 2 in this series emphasised that politics is essentially a process which takes place inside governing structures or political systems. These political systems come in many different shapes and sizes. Numbers 3 and No 4 built on these foundations and explored the core principle of democracy - the sovereignty of the people – and the liberal values which are yoked to it to yield ‘liberal-democracy’. Number 5 examined the origins and significance of political ideology, the various ways in which it can be categorised and understood and it reviewed the emergence of liberalism. Number 6 continues the exploration of the ideological spectrum with a detailed analysis of the right wing of politics. This will involve examining the ideology of the British Conservative Party in some detail, Christian democracy (a type of conservatism found in Western Europe) and finally, ideologies on the radical-right including fascism. The text opens with Aims and Learning Outcomes to give clarity and direction to your reading and concludes with a Summary. The material is carefully designed to equip the reader with a basic political vocabulary and an appreciation of the significance of politics as an important, pervasive and irreplaceable activity involving us all.