▁to ▁the ▁capital ist ▁policies ▁expressed ▁by ▁the ▁original ▁" left ". ▁This ▁evolution ▁has ▁often ▁pulled ▁parliament ary ▁polit icians ▁away ▁from ▁la isse z - f aire ▁economic ▁policies , ▁although ▁this ▁has ▁happened ▁to ▁different ▁degrees ▁in ▁different ▁countries , ▁especially ▁those ▁with ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁issues ▁with ▁more ▁author itar ian - left ▁countries , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁or ▁China ▁under ▁Ma o ▁Z ed ong . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁word ▁" Left " ▁in ▁American ▁political ▁parl ance ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁" li ber al ism " ▁and ▁be ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁whereas ▁in ▁a ▁country ▁such ▁as ▁France ▁these ▁positions ▁would ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁relatively ▁more ▁right - wing , ▁or ▁cent rist ▁overall , ▁and ▁" left " ▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁" social ist " ▁or ▁" social - dem ocr atic " ▁positions ▁rather ▁than ▁" li ber al " ▁ones . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁investigation ▁ ▁For ▁almost ▁a ▁century , ▁social ▁scient ists ▁have ▁considered ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁how ▁best ▁to ▁describe ▁political ▁variation . ▁ ▁Leonard ▁W . ▁Fer g us on ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Leonard ▁W . ▁Fer g us on ▁analyz ed ▁political ▁values ▁using ▁ten ▁scales ▁meas uring ▁att itudes ▁toward : ▁birth ▁control , ▁capital ▁pun ishment , ▁c ensor ship , ▁commun ism , ▁evolution , ▁law , ▁patri ot ism , ▁the ism , ▁treatment ▁of ▁crim inals ▁and ▁war . ▁Sub m