In George Lakeoff's Metaphor, Morality, and Politics, he states that the Conservatives in the United States have a much better understanding of their politics than liberals do. He draws support for this notion through the explanations of two concepts he calls, the "Strict Father" model, and the "Nurturant Parent" model. He thinks that conservatives seem to have a "unified origin" from which their policies derive, and liberals are split into several interest groups that seem to be scattered amongst a large array of socio-political issues.
Conservatives are represented with the Strict Father Model, as Lakeoff thinks that the conservatives are structured in a way a family should be (according to Western culture). The father is the leader of the pack, and makes decisions that are often supported by the mother. The mother takes care of the house, and sees after the children, while the father provides security, protecting the family from both internal and external evils. The father determines what is right and what is wrong, and rewards or punishes accordingly. From his restrained, strong and self-disciplined behavior, he teaches his children to be the same through methods of tough love, promoting a sense of self-reliance as the children gain age.
Liberalism in the model of the Nurturant Parent deals with the pursuit of self-interest, but simultaneously calls for being realized by an outside source, for example, interactions, connections and affiliations with a larger community. Here lies an intrinsic value in the ways people/children emotionally connect to others. Communion is key in this model, but it is not always limited to the immediate family.
Lakeoff seems to use these models to illustrate his perception of the structures of both, the liberal and conservative communities.
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