College textbooks often provide inadequate coverage of ideology. Meaningful participation in democracy requires that citizens understand what democracy is and is not. Ideologies help establish standards and goals, but may be abused by political leaders to manipulate and propagandize. All people develop their political views through the process of political socialization. Though most people consider themselves non-ideological or even pragmatists, they are probably confused.
Ideological perspective is indispensable.
The Founding Fathers were classic liberals. Conservatives resist change or want regressive change. Anyone who supports progressive change is a liberal. There are four types of American liberalism, Reform, New Deal, New Left, and Neo-liberalism. The left to right spectrum commonly used to identify ideological positions ranges from the extreme of revolutionary on the left and reactionary on the right.