Abstract:

Political ideology is a psychological concept by its very nature. It can therefore be defined as an interrelated set of attitudes and values about the proper order of society and how this order can be achieved. In this review, we examined recent theoretical and research studies concerning the structure of political ideology, the factors that influence an individual’s political ideology, and its relationship with political behavior and mental health. Parallel investigations in eastern or socialist cultural contexts will need to be conducted in the future. These research efforts should focus on the influence of education, values and the type and frequency of access to news media on political ideology. Additional areas of focus for future research include the mediating variables that affect these political views, and the cognitive process involved in the formation of such thoughts. Similarly, it will be important to explore the relationship of political ideology with political participation and political administration.

Key words: political ideology, mental health, political behavior