Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls Politics Question

I am not sure if this poll will be well-recieved, but from the topics about polls in the VP debate an the topic about the political IRC channels, I am wondering how this board is split in terms of politics.

I'm intrigued, Laura. Why did you feel the need to add the labels 'Democrat' and 'Republican' to the respective candidate's names. Did you think we non-Americans might not know which party they belong to? Or was there some other reason? (this isn't a loaded question, btw - I'm genuinely curious )

Oh, and forgive my appalling ignorance of American political terms, but I'm not actually too sure what 'liberal' and 'moderate' mean over there. Yeah, yeah, I could look it up on a thousand websites, but you'll have more fun telling me here, won't you?

Yvonne

I don't know, actually. I was picturing a poll my friend and I answer every week, and that is they way they have it. I also think it is something like that on the ballot we cast in November, too -- at least in Ohio. The only thing with no party affiliation attached is a list of judges to be elected. But it was nothing against non-Americans at all.

These are very loose definitions:

Liberal:

(from PBS.org) Favoring reform or progress, as in religion, education, or socioeconomic conditions; specifically, favoring political reforms tending toward democracy and personal freedom for the individual; progressive. Liberals tend to favor greater federal power to remedy social inequities, and to support freedom of personal choice and behavior. Liberals are described as being left of center on the political spectrum. Of the two major political parties, the Democratic Party is generally regarded as being more liberal.

(from members.tripod.com/~tutor_me/book/glossary.htm) A person who believes that the government should actively support social reform within the existing system. Liberals stress the importance of individual rights and believe the government should promote equality in affairs of private citizens and businesses

Conservative:

(from PBS.org) A conservative is a person to the right of center on the U.S. political spectrum. Of the two main political parties, the Republican Party is regarded as being the more conservative. Conservatives tend to uphold tradition and oppose major changes in laws and institutions. Change, when thought to be necessary, should be gradual and minimal. Conservatives tend to be cautious about new policies or changes in government, and favors traditional values, and and generally feels the government should stay out of the affairs of private citizens and businesses. Conservatives generally oppose "big government" and support free-market economic policies and low taxes.

from (members.tripod.com/~tutor_me/book/glossary.htm)
A person who tends to be cautious about new policies or changes in government, who favors traditional values, and who generally feels the government should stay out of the affairs of private citizens and businesses. Traditional values might be described as those that have been around for a while. Conservatives like things the way they are or were.

And a moderate is . . . somewhere in between -- not liberal on all issues, not conservative on all issues. That's kind of the best definition I can give.

I also just found this quiz http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/questionnaire.pl?page=1 -- it shows you where your views lie on the political compass (it is international) -- My views line me up almost exactly with Ghandi and Nelson Mandela.

- Laura

Interesting poll, Laura - but what disappointed me was the lack of options other than US political party designations/political philosophies appropriate to the US. Essentially, we can be liberal, conservative or something in between. There are options further to the right and to the left, and it might have been interesting to see who would consider themselves a Social Democrat, Green, a Socialist, a Marxist, a Fascist (quite common in Europe, remember), a Libertarian or even an Anarchist.

I'm glad that you explained the American understanding of Liberal; in the UK and Europe, liberals are centrist and those of us who might consider ourselves socialist or social democrat wouldn't describe ourselves as liberal - yet on your poll it was the most left-of-centre option available. I do realise that you're doing this with an eye to the American election, and that in itself is interesting, but some wider options would have been good too. Just a thought!


Wendy

Goodness, what an odd description of 'conservative'! I've never thought of our conservatives as being opposed to change.

Yvonne