Classical liberal
From Conservapedia
A classical liberal is someone who is liberal in the original sense of the word: namely, advocating personal freedom.
A common synonym for 'classical liberal' which is more commonly used in the US is libertarian.
The original philosophy of liberalism (now sometimes called classical liberalism, or libertarianism in the US), favors many forms of freedom, such as:
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of religion
- The right to form political parties and vote
- Freedom to invest in and use private property
- Freedom to work as one chooses
- Freedom to enter into economic contracts
- Free trade and freedom of migration
- Sexual freedom
- Equal rights independent of race or sex
This interpretation of liberalism arose during the Enlightenment, and became influential throught the American Revolution and French Revolution, and was also spread in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the classical economists[1].
Classical liberalism is the primary ideology behind politics in the United States. Both modern American liberalism and conservatism are branches of classical liberalism, as they both seek to promote individual freedom, though in different ways. Other ideologies which are not popular in the US include socialism, communism, and fascism.
A prominent publication which promotes liberalism in the original sense of the word is the British news magazine The Economist.
