WHAT'S

RIGHT

IS WHAT'S

LEFT

IF YOU DO EVERYTHING ELSE

WRONG

-Robin Williams

There are many kinds of ideologies. You have looked at ideologies as being

political, social, and economic
individualist and collectivist
right and left
capitalist and communist
fascist, socialist, anarchist, conservative, illiberal, classical liberal, and modern liberal

As the quote indicates, ideologies can be confusing! However, your ideas about what the role of a citizen should be depends on your ideology. Review the principles of liberalism and collectivism again.

Think about which of the principles you value. How might your belief in these principles translate into actions as a citizen?

Collectivism	Individualism
Public Property Economic Equality Adherence to Social Norms Collective Interest Cooperation Collective Responsibility	Private Property (right to own) Rule of Law Individual Rights and Freedoms Competition Economic Freedom Self-Interest

Liberalism is based on the principles of self-interest, individual rights, and economic freedom. However, although nations are made of individual citizens, when they work together in a democracy, they form a collective. By voting, they decide on the world they want and express this through the will of the majority. Modern liberal democracies have evolved to place value not only on self-interest but also on collective interest.

Individualism and Collectivism

Think about the following headlines and possible solutions:

Problem	Solution One	Solution Two
"Recycle More, Waste Less, UBC Students Urge" (Vancouver Sun)	City council provides curbside recycling services funded through municipal taxation.	Individual citizens collect their own recycling and drive it to the town recycling centre at their own expense.
Childhood Obesity a 'clear and present danger' (Connecticut Mirror)	Schools provide fitness and/or nutrition activities to every child	Parents pay for or find volunteers to provide fitness activities for their children.
Debate Raging Over Alberta's Workplace Safety Record (Calgary Herald)	Provinces set up regulations to ensure worksite safety is practised.	Companies monitor themselves.
Healthcare Gets a Failing Grade (BusinessWeek)	The federal government establishes universal health care.	Each person pays for his or her own healthcare.

What are some of the possible difficulties with the proposed solutions?

Solution One	Disadvantages
City council provides curbside recycling services funded through municipal taxation.	Tax dollars needed to fund program
Schools provide fitness and/or nutrition activities to every child	Reduced freedom of choice for students Increased workload for school staff Need for fitness facilities and equipment
Provinces set up regulations to ensure worksite safety is practised.	Reduced freedom for corporations and employers Tax dollars needed to fund regulators Time needed to develop and implement regulations Time needed to complete inspections
The federal government establishes universal health care.	Tax dollars needed Reduced freedom of choice for those in need of health care Reduced freedom for health care insurance companies, health care workers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers
Solution Two	Disadvantages
Individual citizens collect their own recycling and drive it to the town recycling centre at their own expense	Expensive and time consuming for cititzens More people will choose not to recycle More garbage goes to the dump, requiring more landfill space
Parents pay for or find volunteers to run fitness activities for their children and monitor food intake.	Expensive and time consuming for cititzens Parents may choose not to enroll their children in fitness activities and/or not provide healthy foods Children do not exercise or eat well, leading to reduced levels fitness and long-term health issues
Companies monitor themselves.	Companies choose not to monitor themselves or monitor themselves inadequately Safety issues for workers and consumers Increased accidents and deaths
Each person pays for his or her own healthcare.	More expensive for people needing health care Some people cannot afford health care, leading to reduced health levels, unemployment, bankruptcy, untreated communicable diseases, and poverty

How are the solutions related to a particular ideology?

Jus Sanguinis Citizenship

"What is JUS SANGUINIS? What does JUS SANGUINIS mean? JUS SANGUINIS meaning, definition & explanation, The Audiopedia, You-tube

Jus Soli Citizenship

"What is Jus Soli?", The Audiopedia, You-tube

Challenges to Jus Soli Citizenship

"Should U.S. Citizenship Be Guaranteed at Birth?" NowThis World, You-tube

Naturalization Citizenship

"Citizenship (Becoming Canadian)", Citizenship and Immigration Canada, You-tube

Dual Citizenship Pros and Cons

"Advantages and Disadvantages of Dual Citizenship FOR NEW IMMIGRANT IN 2019/dual citizenship", World Best Facts, You-tube

Which Countries Don't Allow Dual Citizenship

"What Countries Don't Allow Dual Citizenship?", NowThis World, You-tube

By implementing some of the principles of collectivism including collective interest, public ownership of some property, and if not economic equality at least freedom from extreme poverty, citizens use participatory democracy to construct the system they think works best for the majority. In Canada's liberal democracy, some of these goals are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Others are protected through law. Still others are supported by government programs and policies.

Read "Impacts of Worldview and Ideology on Citizenship" on pages 456 to 459 of your text Perspectives on Ideology.

As you read, think about the following questions:

How does your ideology influence your actions?
Do you think your ideology makes you a responsible citizen? Explain.

8.1.5 How Ideology Shapes Citizenship