Liberal

Liberal is a term used in US politics to describe a person who generally is left-wing in his attitudes towards the government, establishment, and many other laws. The term was first used in reference to a political opinion c. 1801 A.D., in the aftermath of the French Revolution, when it meant "tending in favor of freedom and democracy" — at that time the liberal party was the party of individual political freedoms.

The term liberal is used in the United States to characterize the following set of beliefs:

• support of gun control
• Supports a woman's right to choose if she wants an abortion
• prohibiting organized prayer in school
• equal rights for men and women, including participation by men and women in the military
• government programs to rehabilitate criminals
• same-sex marriage
• amnesty for illegal aliens
• teaching of evolution
• increased taxpayer funding of public schools
• protection of natural resources and wilderness areas
• taxpayer-funded rather than private medical care
• increased power for labor unions
• disarmament treaties
• wants a limited government role [2]
• Private property and individual contracts form the basis of liberal economic theory [3]
• reduction of military expenses
• support of affirmative action
• government-sponsored education
• support of American foreign policy which advocates human rights and democracy over strategic political policies

Liberals in the US typically align themselves with the Democratic Party. Note, that liberal in the European context refers to the so-called moderate and center-right parties, often with a pro-business stance. The same holds for many liberal parties throughout the world.. The US definition of liberal is much more similar to the politics of European socialist or social democratic parties..

One definition of liberal is anything that is not conservative. For example, the American Heritage Dictionary includes this definition of "liberal":

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas ...

Another definition is a liberal is the opposite of a prodigal; where a liberal consumes resources on others, a prodigal consumes his own resources on himself.