If you follow political issues, you probably often see references to the "left" and the "right." These terms are ubiquitous. But what do they really mean? Do they capture any systematic distinctions ...

In a new book, two political scientists argue convincingly that there is no stable dividing line between the “Left” and the “Right.” Instead, politically active citizens join the Left and Right ...

Here is one version of the left-right spectrum, as described in 1975 by a former Barry Goldwater speechwriter who had left the conservative movement to break bread with Black Panthers and Wobblies.