The terms liberal and conservative are tossed around in everyday political discussion so much that the original theoretical and the actual meanings of these words is often either misunderstood or forgotten. These words and their association with modern political party relations must be set aside in order to examine these theoretical ideas and how they connect and apply to real world political in practice.
Many of the ideas which Americans are familiar with as treasured characteristics of the United States’ government are actually core pillars of liberalism. At the center of liberalism are the notions of individual liberty, rights and obligations among citizens, and the idea that even the government is under the rule of law. Movements for universal …show more content…
Recall that throughout much of history including in colonial America, voicing political dissent or criticizing public officials in public was a crime. A free and open democratic discussion of politics in a public sphere is another liberal notion which is today often taken for granted. Today modern bureaucracy may stifle public participation. It was simpler for a citizen to write a public official or government representative about their grievances or opinions, but after Congress delegated many governmental powers and rulemaking to bureaucracies, who does one voice their opinions and concerns to? The bloating of bureaucracies which are not held accountable to the public at the ballot box do tamper with the public’s involvement in the issues they oversee. Consumerism also seems to stifle such public sphere participation because it distracts the public from participating in political discourse. With celebrity gossip magazines, fashion magazines, TV guides, cooking and housekeeping magazines on the shelf, why pick up the newspaper? Consumerism is also a distraction which can prevent traditional public sphere participation. Regardless, town hall meetings and newspapers have been the traditional forums of public opinion in …show more content…
It was the conservative response against legalized abortion and the ban on school prayer. Liberal America pushed for more individual rights in the form of reproductive rights and religious freedom of non-Christians in public schools. The more these revolutionary reforms were advanced, the more those with a conservative disposition pushed back to maintain the status quo. America’s protestant Christian heritage was being defended by conservatives, at the expense of the liberal advancement of individual rights and liberties.
As described in the documentary “Hayek and the Free Market: Masters of Money—Three Economists Who Changed the World”, Friedrich Hayek rejected the idea that government has any role in regulating the economy. He believed that free markets can regulate themselves if left alone. He advocated against such practices as the U.S. government’s current policy in setting interest rates artificially low. This practice encourages people to borrow more, creating bubbles like the housing market which burst in
Many of the ideas which Americans are familiar with as treasured characteristics of the United States’ government are actually core pillars of liberalism. At the center of liberalism are the notions of individual liberty, rights and obligations among citizens, and the idea that even the government is under the rule of law. Movements for universal …show more content…
Recall that throughout much of history including in colonial America, voicing political dissent or criticizing public officials in public was a crime. A free and open democratic discussion of politics in a public sphere is another liberal notion which is today often taken for granted. Today modern bureaucracy may stifle public participation. It was simpler for a citizen to write a public official or government representative about their grievances or opinions, but after Congress delegated many governmental powers and rulemaking to bureaucracies, who does one voice their opinions and concerns to? The bloating of bureaucracies which are not held accountable to the public at the ballot box do tamper with the public’s involvement in the issues they oversee. Consumerism also seems to stifle such public sphere participation because it distracts the public from participating in political discourse. With celebrity gossip magazines, fashion magazines, TV guides, cooking and housekeeping magazines on the shelf, why pick up the newspaper? Consumerism is also a distraction which can prevent traditional public sphere participation. Regardless, town hall meetings and newspapers have been the traditional forums of public opinion in …show more content…
It was the conservative response against legalized abortion and the ban on school prayer. Liberal America pushed for more individual rights in the form of reproductive rights and religious freedom of non-Christians in public schools. The more these revolutionary reforms were advanced, the more those with a conservative disposition pushed back to maintain the status quo. America’s protestant Christian heritage was being defended by conservatives, at the expense of the liberal advancement of individual rights and liberties.
As described in the documentary “Hayek and the Free Market: Masters of Money—Three Economists Who Changed the World”, Friedrich Hayek rejected the idea that government has any role in regulating the economy. He believed that free markets can regulate themselves if left alone. He advocated against such practices as the U.S. government’s current policy in setting interest rates artificially low. This practice encourages people to borrow more, creating bubbles like the housing market which burst in