I am a liberal. Modern liberalism in the United States is associated with the ideas of freedom and political equality; its advocates promote change in social, political, and economic areas to better protect the well-being of individuals and produce equality within society. My liberal views align with those of the Democratic Party on almost every issue. Television influenced my political ideology. Television has convinced me, when it comes to political ideologies, that there are only two viable choices: conservative or liberal. I have developed an “us versus them” mentality when watching the news. I find that the words conservative and republican are synonymous, as are democrat and liberal. I often find myself siding with Democrats for no other reason than I'm anti-Republican. I watch the Daily Show a lot. The Daily Show spends much of its airtime discrediting the reasons behind my conservative beliefs, which only legitimizes my anti-conservative and pro-liberal views. My parents are divorced, and I was raised by my father and stepmother, both of whom are deeply conservative Christians. They vote Republican. They constantly stress the importance of having a Republican president, in case a new Supreme Court justice needs to be appointed. Abortion is murder, and Roe v. Wade must be overturned. They are totally against same-sex marriage. Everyone on welfare must take a drug test. They are in favor of the death penalty. They think Obama's care is socialism, unconstitutional and possibly the worst thing that has ever happened to America. They refer to the Bible for every social issue they argue against and can cite scriptures from the Old Testament to explain why they are right. They look at a... middle of paper...... are two of the main reasons Americans are in debt. High debt prevents Americans from spending money on goods and services, and the U.S. economy is driven by consumer purchases. I believe the economy can benefit, in the long run, if there are more educated and healthier Americans. Increased education and increased health care, for Americans, are the two main reasons I am a liberal. From a philosophical point of view, this is a good thing to do. It is for the common good, and society, as a whole, can benefit from the expansion of these programs. Teachers College, Columbia University Levin, Henry, Clive Belfield, Peter Muennig and Cecilia Rouse. 2007.