Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Marxism–Leninism, Nationstates
4 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Political ideas are like propaganda, attempting to get the popular vote of the people with words and slogans. Political ideas are not a passive reflection of vested interests or personal ambition, but have the capacity to inspire and guide political action itself and so can shape material life. All political ideas are molded by the social and historical circumstances in which they develop and by the political ambitions they serve. Political theory and political practices are inseparably linked ideas and ideologies influence political life in a number of ways. They: structure political understanding and so set goals and inspire activism ideologies provide perspective through which the world is understood and explained. Absolute monarchies were based on established religious ideas, notably the divine right of kings. Liberal-democratic principles are mostly found in contemporary western countries. Western states typically respect the ideas of limited and constitutional government, and believe that government should be representative, based on regular and competitive elections.
