POLITICS

LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTER

IN POLITICS WE OFTEN REFER TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND PARTIES BEING RIGHT OR LEFT WING.

IN THE MIDDLE IS THE MODERATE CENTER.

THESE DIVISIONS ARE USED TO SEPARATE THE IDEAS AND VALUES OF THE PARTY AND THE POLITICIANS IN THAT PARTY.

FOR MORE BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT POLITICIANS AND WHAT THEY ARE, YOU CAN CLICK HERE FOR THE IDEA OF POLITICS.

THESE THREE DIVISIONS HAVE DIFFERENT PARTIES THAT BELONG TO THAT WING.

THIS MEANS THEY HAVE SIMILAR OR THE SAME IDEAS, VALUES AND BELIEFS.

AS YOU CAN SEE:

LEFT WING USUALLY STANDS FOR IDEAS, VALUES AND BELIEFS LIKE:

EQUALITY: THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE TREATED THE SAME, HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AND THE SAME CHANCES

SOCIAL CHANGE: THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE THE WAY THAT POOR, WEAK AND OLD PEOPLE ARE TREATED BY OTHER PEOPLE.

DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH: THIS MEANS RICH PEOPLE PAY MORE TAXES AND POOR PEOPLE CAN HAVE BETTER PAID WORK.

ALL THESE THINGS MEANS CHANGING THE SOCIAL SERVICES, SCHOOLS AND JOBS SO THAT EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO USE THEIR ABILITIES IN LIFE.

RIGHT WING USUALLY STANDS FOR IDEAS, VALUES AND BELIEFS LIKE:

PERSONAL LIBERTY: ANYONE WITH ENOUGH MONEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT EVEN IF IT IS NOT GOOD FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

CAPITALISM: MAKING MORE MONEY.

PRIVATE PROPERTY: RICH PEOPLE BUY HOUSES AND BUILDINGS AND CHARGING RENT INSTEAD OF THE STATE OWNING IT AND LETTING PEOPLE USE IT FOR FREE OR FOR LESS MONEY.

DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS DIAGRAM, YOU CAN SEE THAT DICTATORSHIPS ARE AT BOTH ENDS: LEFT AND RIGHT.

IN THE MIDDLE ARE ALL THE PARTIES YOU CAN CHOOSE BECAUSE THAT IS ONE PART OF A DEMOCRACY.

A DEMOCRACY IS WHEN YOU CAN CHOOSE A POLITICAL PARTY BY GOING TO VOTE.

A DICTATORSHIP IS WHEN YOU HAVE NO CHOICE AND ONE PARTY OR POLITICIAN CAN MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS ALONE.

DICTATORSHIPS ARE USUALLY VERY BAD BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAVE NO POWER TO CHANGE. AND SOMETIMES IT CAN LOOK LIKE A DEMOCRACY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY THE SAME PERSON OR PARTY.

SO, FINDING OUT IF YOU HAVE A DEMOCRACY OR NOT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT AND NEEDS MORE TIME AND INFORMATION.

DEMOCRATIC VOTING

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS DIAGRAM BELOW, YOU CAN SEE HOW PEOPLE USUALLY VOTE IN EUROPE.

THERE ARE USUALLY (TRADITIONALLY) TWO MAIN CENTER-RIGHT AND CENTER-LEFT PARTIES THAT MOST PEOPLE VOTE FOR AND THE FURTHER RIGHT OR LEFT A PARTY IS, THE LESS PEOPLE VOTE FOR THEM.

CAREFUL: DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS AND TRADITIONS CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT ALL OVER EUROPE. IT IS THE SAME IDEA BUT EACH COUNTRY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.