A CONTINUUM

OF TYPES OF

GOVERNMENT AND PHILOSOPHY

Copyright © Stephen M Golden, 22 October 2002

Typically, people describe the political positions of “right” and “left” in a peculiar way. They often categorize the “right” (Republicans) in American politics with Nazi Germany and Hitler. I have never understood this association. They have nothing in common. It appears to be an arbitrary demonization of political foes.

Instead I place the different government “structures” on a continuum as follows:

I realize that in the minds of many, the categories as I listed them represent different kinds of political structures. However, I am describing the terms according to the relative amount of control they exert over the people under them, not how or what they control.

I suppose in the minds of many, the thought is that if you go to the extreme right or the extreme left, you end up with the same “total control” government. As you can see in my example above, this is not necessarily true. To the right is "less government control;" to the left is "more government control." Less control will never equal more control.

Instead of a one-dimensional continuum, I believe political reality can be better described in two dimensions. See the chart on the next page.

X-axis is how much government provides for your needs

Y-axis is how much government controls your life