Left Wing v Right Wing
The fundamental differences between left-wing and right-wing ideologies centre around the rights of individuals vs. the power of the government.
Left-wing (liberal)
Are liberal in that they believe society is best served with an expanded role for the government.
Examples of an expanded role for the government include entitlement programs such as social security and Medicare, universal healthcare, food stamps, free public education, unemployment benefits, strong environmental laws, and other regulations on industries.
Right-wing (conservative)
Believe that the best outcome for society is achieved when individual rights and civil liberties are paramount and the role — and especially the power — of the government is minimised.
Right wing ideology would favor market-based solutions to the issues that these government programs aim to tackle. For example, encouraging a freer marketplace for healthcare, driven by consumer choice to drive down costs. Or privately held retirement accounts instead of government-guaranteed Social Security.
Are liberal in that they believe society is best served with an expanded role for the government.
Examples of an expanded role for the government include entitlement programs such as social security and Medicare, universal healthcare, food stamps, free public education, unemployment benefits, strong environmental laws, and other regulations on industries.
Right-wing (conservative)
Believe that the best outcome for society is achieved when individual rights and civil liberties are paramount and the role — and especially the power — of the government is minimised.
Right wing ideology would favor market-based solutions to the issues that these government programs aim to tackle. For example, encouraging a freer marketplace for healthcare, driven by consumer choice to drive down costs. Or privately held retirement accounts instead of government-guaranteed Social Security.