Liberalism and Conservatism

1
Liberalism and Conservatism

• In the U.S. Today

2
Modern Liberalism

• Government power can and should be used to
  protect citizens and to ensure the general social
  welfare of the nation
  
• End discrimination, ensure employment, end
  poverty, eliminate sickness, educate the masses
  
• Public service
• Promote absolute equality (equality of outcome)

3
Liberalism cont.

• Modern liberalism envisions a large role for
  government in society
  
• Specific areas of involvement- education,
  environment, welfare, health care, child care,
  employment

4
Issues

• High taxes for corporations and wealthy citizens
• Government regulation of business
• Subsidized day care
• National health care
• Social welfare programs

• Affirmative action
• Abortion rights
• Gun control
• Environmental regulation (including eventual
  elimination of SUVs)
  
• Unions, minimum wage laws

5
Modern Conservatism

• Very similar to classical liberalism
• Individual freedoms paramount
• Limited governmental role in society
• Reliance on individual initiative for
  self-improvement
  
• Advocates free market economy
• Guided by law, tradition, and morality

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Conservatism cont.

• Support equality of opportunity as opposed to
  equality of outcome
  
• Inequalities of outcome are acceptable because of
  individual tastes, skills, abilities, and desire
  for work or leisure

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Issues

• Free market competition
• Private sector is supreme
• Low taxes (or national sales tax, flat tax)
• Social welfare programs best kept to a minimum

• Right to life
• Opposed to gun control
• Support specifics such as Medical Savings
  Accounts, privatizing social security (either
  partially or fully)
  
• Opposed to quotas (affirmative action)

8
Liberals and Conservatives

• Liberals advocate government intervention in
  primarily economic issues, they oppose government
  interference in issues of morality (marriage,
  sex, religion)
• Conservatives advocate government intervention in
  primarily morality issues, they oppose
  interference in economic issues.

9
Authors note conservatives also support the
right of people to own SUVs and drive these behe
moths around and pollute the
environment and use up all the gas. Professor
Arnold owns an SUV.