Liberal
Liberal is a term used in 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."[1]
In the United States, the term liberal characterizes people who favor transfers of autonomy and personal responsibility to the government. This is different from classical liberalism (which has more to do with what would be called libertarianism in the United States). Modern liberalism, based upon the inherent conjuctures of its fluid reasoning, can mean different things at different times. The following views are generally, though not always, supported by American liberals today:
- in favor of gun control
- in favor of abortion rights
- promoting secularism and the prohibition of group prayer in school
- equal responsibilities for men and women, such as equal participation by men and women in the military
- government programs to rehabilitate criminals
- same-sex marriage
- 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
- classical liberalism stood for a limited government role [2]
- private property and individual contracts form the basis of Classical liberal economic theory
- reduction of the military
- support of affirmative action
- government-sponsored education provided for all school-age citizens
- preference for a interpretation of the constitution as a "living Constitution" instead of an unchanging Constitution
- income redistribution, with higher progressive taxation on those in the top 10% of earnings.
- reduction of gender roles and differentiation
- in favor of political correctness, civility and sensitivity in everyday speech
- currently, opposition to interventionist foreign policy that involves nation building. Isolationist positions are however traditionally neither liberal nor conservative. There are examples for isolationist positions on both sides of the political divide. [2]
- refusal to view the current American foreign policy [3] as one that advances human rights [4][5] and democracy [6] and democracy [7]
Note, that liberal in the European context refers to moderate and center-right parties, often with a pro-business stance.[8] The same holds for many liberal parties throughout the world.[9]. The US definition of liberal is much more similar to the politics of European socialist or social democratic parties.[10].
One definition of liberal is anything that is not conservative. For example, the American Heritage Dictionary includes this definition of "liberal":[11]
- Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas ...
Other definitions from the same source include:
- Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
- Tending to give freely; generous.
- Generous in amount; ample.
References
- ↑ Etymology [1]
- ↑ The Second Gore-Bush Presidential Debate
- ↑ Stefaan Walgrave and Joris Verhulst, The February 15 Worldwide Protests against a War in Iraq: An Empirical Test of Transnational Opportunities. Outline of a Research Programme(PDF).
- ↑ "The 'Answer' Question Poses Difficult Choices for Liberals" by Gal Beckerman, The Forward, September 30, 2005.
- ↑ Looming War Isn't About Chemical Warheads or Human Rights: It's About Oil, Robert Fisk, Independent/UK, 18 January 2003.
- ↑ National Strategy for Victory in Iraq, November 30, 2005. retrieved 22 March 2007.
- ↑ President Bush's address to the United Nations, United States Mission to the United Nations, Press Release #131(02), 12 September 2002.
- ↑ http://www.alde.eu
- ↑ http://www.liberal-international.org/
- ↑ http://www.pes.org
- ↑ Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal