Liberalism in the United States – Wikipedia, the free …
This article discusses the history and development of various notions of liberalism in the United States. For the ideology normally identified in the United States today as "liberalism", see Modern liberalism in the United States.
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process and equality under the law are widely accepted as a common foundation across the spectrum of liberal thought. Modern liberalism in the United States includes issues such as voting rights for all adult citizens, equal rights, protection of the environment, and the provision by the government of social services, such as: equal education opportunities, access to health care, transportation infrastructure, basic food for the hungry and basic shelter for the homeless. Some American liberals, who call themselves classical liberals, neoliberals, or libertarians, support fundamental liberal ideals but disagree with modern liberal thought, holding that economic freedom is more important than equality and that providing for the general welfare exceeds the legitimate role of government.[1]
Without a qualifier, the term "liberalism" since the 1930s in the United States usually refers to "modern liberalism", a political philosophy exemplified by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and, later, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. It is a form of social liberalism, whose accomplishments include the Works Progress Administration and the Social Security Act in 1935, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Community Reinvestment Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
According to Louis Hartz, liberalism in the United States differs from liberalism elsewhere in the world because America never had a resident hereditary aristocracy,[2] and so avoided the worst of the class warfare that swept Europe.[3]
The origins of American liberalism lie in the political ideals of the Enlightenment.[4] The Constitution of the United States of 1787 set up the first modern republic, with sovereignty in the people (not in a monarch) and no hereditary ruling aristocracy. However, the Constitution limited liberty by accepting slavery. The Founding Fathers recognized the contradiction, and most expected slavery to wither away. Indeed it was abolished in all the Northern states by 1804, but due to the demand for raw cotton by the Industrial Revolution, plantation slavery continued to flourish in the Deep South.
From the time of the American Revolution to the present day, America has extended liberty to ever broader classes of people. The states abolished restrictions on voting in the early 19th century. The Constitution was amended in 1865 to abolish slavery, in 1870 to extend the vote to Black men, in 1920 to extend the vote to women, and in 1971 to lower the voting age to 18. The Jim Crow system of the South between the 1890s and 1960s relegated blacks to second class citizenship, until it was overthrown by the Civil Rights Movement and new federal laws in 1964 and 1965.[5]
Thomas Jefferson believed that America should remain a nation of small farmers.[6] As the American economy began to shift to manufacturing and services, liberals began to fear threats to liberty from corruption and monopolies (called "trusts" at the time).[7][8] Wealth and influence it brought was increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few business owners, rather than the existing system of a few large land owners, and raised new questions whether political democracy could survive the power of the rich.
The dominance of the Republican Party for most of the era 1860-1932, the Third Party System, and the Fourth Party System, prevented any major reversal of the concentration of wealth. During the Progressive Era of the early 20th century, laws were passed restricting monopolies (the antitrust movement) and regulating railroad rates.[9][10]
After 1933, modern liberals used the New Deal to provide jobs during the Great Depression. The Social Security act of 1935 provided retirement and disability income for Americans unable to work or unable to find jobs.[11] In the Social Security Act of 1965, this was extended to provide benefits for Americans unable to work due to illness.
In the 1960s, liberals fought for the rights of blacks and women, and for protection of the environment. They split on the issue of the Vietnam War.
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Liberalism in the United States - Wikipedia, the free ...
- Conservatives and liberals have different brain structures heres how - New York Post - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- CAQ's identity politics have created a disaster in English universities, Liberals say - Montreal Gazette - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Conservatives and liberals have slightly different brain structures, scientists discover - Study Finds - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Geoff Russ: The Liberals are being consumed by the diaspora politics they nurtured - National Post - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- This party is spent: The Hub Roundtable on the sagging Liberals, surging Conservatives, and new mortgage rules - The Hub - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Quebec Liberals already have candidate for Terrebonne byelection - Montreal Gazette - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Momentum at Ontario Liberals' meeting in London can help the party gain traction, analysts say - CBC.ca - September 21st, 2024 [September 21st, 2024]
- Opinion: The Liberals would do better if they replace their dead man walking - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Braid: Byelection losses show Trudeau and the Liberals are courting extinction in general election - Calgary Herald - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Time to Give Idaho Liberals the Paddling They Need - News Radio 1310 KLIX - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Why old-school liberals like Bill Maher are often at odds with the Democratic Party - Deseret News - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- FIRST READING: Some numbers on just how badly the Liberals did in Monday's byelections - National Post - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- The Liberals can't win a general election if they keep losing safe seats - CBC News - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Opinion: Its beginning to look a lot like 2011 for the Liberals - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Draghis report is a wake-up call for the EU the Liberals say - European Interest - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Opinion: Immigration holds up the clearest sign yet that the Liberals have all but given up on governing - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- EDITORIAL: Liberals out of gas and out of ideas - Toronto Sun - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- By-election tests: The NDP passed. The Liberals failed. - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- John Ivison: Liberals are already acting like the unofficial opposition to Pierre Poilievre - National Post - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Chief Justice John Roberts Is Not The Man Liberals Want Him To Be - Above the Law - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Justin Trudeau pledges to forge ahead after Liberals lose another fortress riding - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Trudeau says Liberals have 'a lot of work to do' after his party loses another byelection - CBC News - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Opinion: By-election win confirms the Blocs staying power as the Liberals implode in Quebec - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- Weekly Writ 9/18: Bad byelections for the Liberals, again - The Writ - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- Matt Gurney: Byelection results dont just signal the Liberals will lose the next election. They signal a wipeout - Toronto Star - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- Vance says big difference between conservatives and liberals is that no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris - MSN - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Terry Newman: There are no more safe spaces for Trudeaus Liberals Montreal byelection loss proves it - National Post - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
- Liberals face race against the clock to pass dozens of bills as Parliament returns - The Globe and Mail - September 19th, 2024 [September 19th, 2024]
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- Opinion: Its not just Trudeau: The Liberals days as the natural governing party are done - The Globe and Mail - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Voter wants to remind people that liberals can also be patriots - The Keystone - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- The hard truth the Trudeau Liberals need to hear from Mark Carney - The Globe and Mail - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Althia Raj: Justin Trudeau unleashed is the Liberals new weapon in their battle with Pierre Poilievre - Toronto Star - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Cabinet minister tells Liberals to 'change their attitude' as MPs return to Commons - MSN - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Im not going anywhere: Justin Trudeau says he wont resign if Liberals lose Montreal byelection - Toronto Star - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Opinion: After the deal: the NDP is exposed and the Liberals are stuck - The Globe and Mail - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- 'Deceitful' Liberals dodging Carney ethics oversight with party appointment, Conservatives say - National Post - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
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- GUNTER: Alberta shouldn't have to bear the burden of Liberals failed immigration policy - Edmonton Sun - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Leading business groups ask Liberals to send Air Canada pilot dispute to binding arbitration - CBC News - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- LILLEY: Trudeau's Liberals the only ones left defending CBC - Toronto Sun - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Conservatives say they have solution for online harassment after Liberals 'failed' - CTV News - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Opinion: Data Dive with Nik Nanos: Will the Liberals stumbles result in an orange crush for the NDP? - The Globe and Mail - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Conservatives say they have solution for online harassment after Liberals failed - Toronto Star - September 14th, 2024 [September 14th, 2024]
- Concerns over future of Windsor's national urban park with NDP split from Liberals - Windsor Star - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- 'Something must change': Liberals are under siege in Montreal days before byelection - National Post - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Canadas NDP leader says end of agreement with Liberals makes election timing uncertain - The Associated Press - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
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- Canada: New Democratic party withdraws support for Trudeaus Liberals - The Guardian - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Biden and Harris, Along With Liberals in Brazil and Europe, Quashing Free Speech in the Name of Disinformation - The New York Sun - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Liberals hire Mark Carney to head party's economic 'task force' ahead of election - National Post - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
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- Rosie DiManno: Singh can say what hed like, but theres only one winner in his breakup with the Liberals - Toronto Star - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- John Ivison: Jagmeet Singh pivots from losing to Liberals to losing to Conservatives - National Post - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Michael Higgins: Jagmeet Singh can still yank Liberals even further to the left - National Post - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- After NDP breaks pact with Liberals, party president says N.L. will face a choice in election - CBC.ca - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
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- Ben Shapiro loves trolling liberals. Republicans are putting that to use. - POLITICO - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
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- NDP to have 'tough conversations' about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP - Yahoo News Canada - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- Poor conservatives and wealthy liberals overestimate wealth of their neighborhoods - PsyPost - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- NDP to have 'tough conversations' about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP - CBC News - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- A dark day for Germany is a dark day for Europe: liberals react to far right success in German state election as it happened - The Guardian - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
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- Robert Libman: Poll holds hidden hope for Quebec Liberals if they find the right leader - Montreal Gazette - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- N.S. Liberals say they would make transit free if elected - CityNews Halifax - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- NDP to have 'tough conversations' about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP - CP24 - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- NDP to have tough conversations about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP - Toronto Star - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- The biggest tests are yet to come for NSW Liberals after a shambolic few weeks - ABC News - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
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- NDP to have 'tough conversations' about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP - CTV News - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- Poilievre urges Singh to pull out of deal with Liberals and trigger fall election - National Post - September 3rd, 2024 [September 3rd, 2024]
- Fred DeLorey: Do the Liberals care about environmental stewardship or just trendy climate issues? The Jasper disaster provides a damning answer - The... - August 9th, 2024 [August 9th, 2024]
- From sunny ways to cloudy days: Canadians have tired of Justin Trudeau - The Washington Post - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- When Liberal promises meet fiscal reality - The Globe and Mail - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]