Political Terminology

[Yelnoc]

I have noticed that one barrier against productive political discussion is a dissonance between definitions assigned by various groups to common political words.  I made this thread in hopes that you guys would help me define some of the most common ones.  Below are my mental definitions of a few (I will be adding to this list).  I realize they may differ from the dictionary definition or that put forth by academics, but part of this is a look at the psyche of debaters, so it's ok to be wrong.  Just use your gut definition, and please challenge mine if you find a fault in them.



Reactionary: Wants to revert to a fabled earlier age, when things were better.

Conservative: Opposes change, be it social or economic or any other issue, but don't want to revert back to earlier ages, merely arrest progress in the present.

Liberal: Support personal freedoms, be they in the social or economic sphere.

Market Liberal: An economic liberal, supports deregulation and unhindered capitalism.

Social Liberal: A social liberal, supports removing government from people's private lives.  "Libertarians" are generally social liberals rebranded as such because of the left-wings adoption of the word "liberal" and the right's subsequent demonization of liberals.

Progressive: Support social progress, equality, and all things related.  Though they often fall in hand in hand with social liberals, progressives do not oppose state intervention to right wrongs.

Democratic Socialist: Seek not to replace the capitalist system, but buffer it with the state in an effort to make it more humane.

Socialist: Seeks to replace the capitalist economic system with a socialist one.  This is a huge category with a million little splinters which I won't get into.

Statist: Favors the state in all arguments.  Argues for nationalization of industries.

Fascist: Nationalist, militaristic, corporatist.

Anarchist: Opposes the state in all of its forms.

[Speaker Dereich]

So we're coming up with our own definitions here? Well here's one that's thrown about too much:

Hack: A person who unquestioningly supports a set of positions not out of deeply held convictions but a tribalistic "my side, right or wrong" loyalism.

[politicus]

I have noticed that one barrier against productive political discussion is a dissonance between definitions assigned by various groups to common political words.  I made this thread in hopes that you guys would help me define some of the most common ones.  Below are my mental definitions of a few (I will be adding to this list).  I realize they may differ from the dictionary definition or that put forth by academics, but part of this is a look at the psyche of debaters, so it's ok to be wrong.  Just use your gut definition, and please challenge mine if you find a fault in them.

Democratic Socialist: Seek not to replace the capitalist system, but buffer it with the state in an effort to make it more humane.

Socialist: Seeks to replace the capitalist economic system with a socialist one.  This is a huge category with a million little splinters which I won't get into.

Your definition of Socialists covers  both democratic and non-democratic versions of Socialism.
What you are describing under the label Democratic Socialist is a Social Democrat.

[CathKhan]

[CathKhan]

Political theory, from the Mikado's point of view.

[The Mikado]

Well, at least a useful way of conceptualizing what those words mean. 

[Redalgo]

Intuitively, I'd define the fifty most basic political terms like this:


Anarchist: Favors a stateless society

Aristocrat: Favors rule by the best few

Authoritarian: Favors a strong state, and rule with little voice for the masses

Capitalist: Favors strong property rights and an owner-governed economy

Clientelist: Favors privileged gift relationships between leaders and their constituencies

Communitarian: Favors communal or societal interests

Communist: Favors a stateless, cooperative society with little or no property

Conservationist: Favors management of natural resources for sustainable utilization

Conservative: Favors reforms based on traditional ideals

Corrupt: Pertains to inappropriate pursuits of self-interest harmful to others in society

Corporatist: Favors formal collaboration between state and privileged interest groups

Demagogue: A charismatic persuader of the masses who dispenses propaganda

Democratic: Favors rule of the many

Democratic Socialist: Favors a legal, non-violent transition to socialism

Elitist: Pertains to trusting elites with power more than the masses

Environmentalist: Favors protection of wildlife and natural habitats

Ethnocentric: Pertains to judging other cultures using the norms & values of ones own

Fascist: Favors an organic, nationalist, corporatist society led by and serving the state

Feminist: Favors sexual equality of social status

Imperialist: Favors subordination of other nations' interests to and by those of another

Internationalist: Favors cooperation betwixt nations, or the globalization of an ideology

Liberal: Favors rule of law, a weak state, and abundant personal autonomy

Libertarian: Ether an anarchist or strong liberal, depending on who you ask

Monarchic: Favors rule by one

Multicultural: Favors the acceptance and accommodation of two or more distinct cultures

Nationalist: Favors the interests of ones country having primacy over those of others'

Neoconservative: Favors (in the U.S.) political moderation and liberal internationalism

Neoliberal: Favors the implementation of free markets in most, or all, facets of society

Neo-mercantilist: Favors state-firm cooperation for mutual gain

Non-interventionist: Favors avoidance of entanglement in foreign events

Ochlocratic: Pertains to corrupt democracy

Oligarchic: Pertains to corrupt aristocracy

Ordoliberal: Favors social markets as conducive to liberal goals

Patriotic: Pertains to love of and devotion to ones country

Pluralist: Favors tolerance of diverse people with diverse interests

Populist: Pertains to trusting the masses with power more than elites

Pragmatic: Favors utilitarianism instead of idealism

Progressive: Favors reforms based on modern ideals

Radical: Favors swift and fundamental changes

Reformist: Favors methodical, incremental changes

Reactionary: Favors restoration of an old order

Revolutionary: Favors radicalism sans a desire to adhere to the law

Social Democrat: Favors social markets, social rights, and private property

Social Liberal: Favors liberalism with a state capable of checking economic actors

Socialist: Favors strong social rights and a worker-governed economy

Statist: Pertains to trust in state to solve social problems

Technocratic: Favors elites making decisions pertinent to their varied fields of expertise

Theocratic: Favors rule under a religion

Totalitarian: Favors unlimited state power to reshape society for ideological purposes

Tyranny: Pertains to corrupt monarchy