The first edition of Political Ideologies was written against the backdrop of the Eastern European Revolutions of 1989–91. In retrospect, the ‘collapse of communism’ was both a manifestation of and a catalyst for a series of profoundly significant, and in many ways interconnected, politico-historical developments. Among the most important of these were the growth of the global capitalist economy, the rise of ethnic nationalism and religious fundamentalism, the advent of postmodern or ‘information’ societies, the emergence of a US-dominated unipolar world order, and the birth of global terrorism. In dizzying ways, history appeared to have speeded up. The certainties and similarities of old came to be doubted or, in some cases, were discarded altogether. These processes had major implications for political ideologies. Socialism was commonly declared to be dead; some proclaimed the final triumph of western liberalism while others pointed out that it was in crisis; nationalism was adapted in the light of the challenges posed by globalization and multiculturalism; and so forth.
This sixth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated in the light of key ideological developments in recent years. The most substantial change from the previous edition is the inclusion of a new chapter, on Islamism (Chapter 11). This reflects the fact that the intersection between politics and Islam has developed into a major and enduring theme in world affairs. Islamism is indisputably the most politically significant manifestation of ‘religious fundamentalism’ (the theme that this chapter replaces). Religious fundamentalism, nevertheless, continues to be addressed, although this is more as a style of politics that (like populism) may have a variety of ideological manifestations, rather than as an ideology in its own right. For example, the extent to which Islamism can be seen as a form of Islamic fundamentalism is discussed in Chapter 11, while other forms of fundamentalism are understood as expressions of religious nationalism in Chapter 6.
Other changes in this edition include the following. The upsurge in populism in Europe and the USA, especially in the period since the Crash of 2007–09, is examined in terms of its impact on conservatism, socialism and nationalism. The relationship between transgender politics and feminism is explored in Chapter 8, and the coverage of topics such as the left/right divide and Christian democracy has been expanded. The discussion of neoliberalism has been shifted from Chapter 2 to Chapter 3, both to reduce repetition and because neoliberalism is (arguably) more appropriately addressed in the context of conservatism. In Chapter 9, the term ‘green ideology’ is now used in preference to ‘ecologism’. This is because green ideology is a broader (and probably more familiar) term, and that ecologism is perhaps better treated as part of a collection of themes that define the ideology, instead of as its very essence. Finally, new, full-page and illustrated ‘Political ideologies in action’ features have been added to examine the relationship between aspects of ideological theory and political practice.
I would like to thank all those at Palgrave who contributed to the production of this book, particularly Stephen Wenham, my publisher, Chloe Osborne and Amy Wheeler, as well as the anonymous review-ers who commented at various points in its development. Discussions with friends and colleagues, notably Karen and Doug Woodward, Angela and David Maddison, Barbara and Chris Clarkson, and Christina Dacey, also helped to sharpen the ideas and arguments advanced here. The book is dedicated to my wife, Jean, without whose advice, encouragement and support none of the editions of this book would have seen the light of day.