Like many contentious social issues, positions on drug policy are often aligned with political outlooks. While what are described as cultural issues have blurred the traditional dividing line between left and right, we can still speak about coherent political philosophies. Politics, at least in the developed world, can be understood as competition between liberal and conversative world outlooks. Liberals comprise two camps: one libertarian, which is liberal on economic issues and protective of individual liberty; and one which is social democratic, also keen to guard personal freedoms but in favour of an interventionist state to offset the consequences of market failures. Conservatives emphasise the value of stability and see government’s role as supporting societal anchors such as the family, personal responsibility, self-reliance, and respect for tradition. Personal freedom is an essential aspect of conservative philosophy, but the state has the right to intervene to prevent behaviour deemed harmful to the individual or the community.