Election Season – Part II

Last week I challenged the reader to consider what path our country should take for the short term issues and for the long-term future we give to our children. Thomas Jefferson asserted those who govern us should be governed by the same laws and not become corrupt. In this week’s preparation for Election Day I want to explore commonly used terms: liberal, conservative, and libertarian. Next week I will explore the platforms of the three parties, history, and my predictions. Labels are thrown around to negatively portray a thought process by the other side. Democrats are “liberals”, Republicans are “conservatives”, and Glenn Beck famously accuses both being “progressives”. I must wonder where the truth lies and what each means.

Classic liberalism was at the root of the American Revolution, justifying the overthrow of tyrannical governments by focusing on individual liberty and civil rights. The philosophies of John Maynard Keynes in response to the depression created modern liberalism; arguing that in hard times free markets were not ideal and investment and intervention by the state was required. Liberalism has changed over time and across cultures since the 17th century, but at its root is a commitment to understanding humanity and society with a great degree of intellectual work to justify and validate the theories.

Conservatism is most likely the most incorrectly applied label, and should be defined as seeking to preserve traditional institutions and maintain gradual changes in society. Unlike liberalism, conservatism was not spawned by intellectual goals and improvements, but came from preservation, emphasizing stability and continuity. The modern application comes from the split in views in the 1930s and Keynesian economics. Libertarianism more closely represents today’s incorrect definition of conservatism; the view that each person has the right to live his life freely, but respecting the equal rights of others. Libertarians believe all actions should be voluntary, with only the most basic tenets of life forbidden by law.

The term “progressive” was coined at the start of the 20th century and focused on driving an agenda of change. Correctly, progressivism and conservatism are antonyms of each other. In our modern political environment we have three philosophies: modern liberalism, classic liberalism, and libertarianism where the rate of change is defined by terms progressivism and conservatism. Carefully consider what you claim to be and where your views lie, more carefully consider the labels you apply to others.