Changes

The '''political spectrum''' of contemporary U.S. politics places the base of [[liberal]]s such as [[Democrats]] on the [[left]] and the base of [[conservative]]s such as [[Republicans]] on the right.  When the American electorate is so evenly divided, as it has been for the last few election cycles, campaigns focus on persuading swing-voters in the middle of the political spectrum to cross over.

The '''political spectrum''' of contemporary U.S. politics places [[liberal]]s such as [[Democrats]] on the left and [[conservative]]s such as [[Republicans]] on the right.

Other political spectrums have been posed, dating back at least as far as the seating arrangements of the [[French National Assembly]] of 1789.  

Other political spectrums have been posed, dating back at least as far as the seating arrangements of the [[French National Assembly]] of 1789.  

Many attempts have been made to provide general or universal definitions for the terms "left" and "right", but none has gained consensus. <ref> "The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left', established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape."  [http://www.politicalcompass.org/ The Political Compass] </ref>

Conservatives frequently call liberals "left-wing", but liberals prefer to call themselves [[centrist]] or "middle of the road".

In US politics, liberals frequently call conservatives "right-wing", a term which carries connotations of [[Hitler]] and [[fascism]].  

==Notes==

==Notes==