Where am I on the Political Spectrum?

[Jackass]

Hi all,

I'm just curious as to where my political view point lies on the spectrum and what it would be defined as. I think I'm centre-left and favour Social Liberalisim...

Basically, I'm strongly in favour of liberal civil rights, such as Gay marriage should be legal, pro-divorce (I know that's an old one), pro-choice re abortion, pro-stem cell research with certain limitations (human cloning / experiments) etc., but I am not in favour of a welfare state.

I think Government support should be there for those who need it as a basic human right (disabled people etc), but I also feel like people who have the capacity to work have a responsability to contribute to the work force in a general sense. (rather than be supported by the state).

I like the idea of the ability to study and be academic and for the state to support this. Essentially, I have no problem with the state supporting someone who genuinely needs it or is doing something constructive, but I don't believe just not working should be a choice and absolute minimal support should be available for able workers not working during boom / good times / with low unemployment, but believe good support should be given to those not working during bust times, i.e. when it is genuinely needed. (I suppose the oppisite to the Irish Governments past policies of giving welfare handouts during boom times and vastly reduced during bust times - and making this provision Economicly sustainable by contributing to a welfare fund during the boom time and putting it away for bust time rather than giving it away, to force people to work when there's plenty of work, instead of having such a high surplus and trying to give it all away, I'd put it in a "rainy day" fund and actually reduce benefits during the good times.)

Regarding the market, I like the mix of a free market and private trade etc., but I don't trust a free market to be a fair market, and I think Government intervention is required to protect consumers and to prevent greed.

This may include policies such as pricing ceilings and encouraging maximum competition to drive down price etc., but all from privately owned enterprise. (i.e. private enterprise is encouraged, but I believe in moderate regulation where required to control markets).

I believe health care should be a free Government provided service, as with education, but in areas of transport and energy, I beleive it should be mainly a highly competetive privately owned industry, but this would be a major area where regulation and price controls would exist to cap the amount that can be charged for essential services to the public where private companies supply it.

Is there a political stance for that? Does it have a name? I've just always been curious as to where my views would be on a spectrum and what exactly they would be called, if I was to pigeon hole it.

Thanks for any opinions.

Denerick

Old school social democrat; like me you wish our body politic was back in the 1960s, perhaps with additional social liberalism, and is suspicious of an economic consensus that seems disinclined to see full employment as an objective of good and practical government policy.

Although at present I am with the austerity movement across Europe; this is only because I live in the real world and because we had a short sighted economic governance structure that didn't show restraint in the good times. You can't spend like crazy in the good times and spend like crazy in the bad; this is a recipe for economic catastrophe. Perhaps we'll learn from all of this and by the time the next economic crisis arrives western nations will have been prudent, have reduced the national debt, and will have significant reserves to plough back into the economy when trouble arrives again.

RDM_83 again

[Jackass] wrote: »

Hi all,

Basically, I'm strongly in favour of liberal civil rights, such as Gay marriage should be legal, pro-divorce (I know that's an old one), pro-choice re abortion, pro-stem cell research with certain limitations (human cloning / experiments) etc.,

Personally I think the question of legalisation of Drugs is a better example of ones position on the liberal spectrum, should people have the right to do things that are harmful to themselves?

Soldie

I'd say your views are closest to social liberalism. Your social views are quite left wing, but economically you seem to be more centrist.

dannny1

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

This should help.