Modern American liberalism is the dominant version of
liberalism in the United States. It is characterized by
social liberalism,[SUP]
[1][/SUP] and combines ideas of
civil liberty and
equality with support for
social justice and a
mixed economy.[SUP]
[1][/SUP] The term "modern liberalism" in this article refers only to the United States. In a global context, this philosophy is usually referred to as
social liberalism.
The American modern liberal philosophy strongly endorses public spending on programs such as
education,
health care, and
welfare. Important
social issues today include addressing
inequality,
voting rights for minorities,
affirmative action,
reproductive and other
women's rights, support for
LGBT rights, and
immigration reform.[SUP]
[2][/SUP]
Modern liberalism took shape during the twentieth century, with roots in
Theodore Roosevelt's
New Nationalism,
Woodrow Wilson's
New Freedom,
Franklin D. Roosevelt's
New Deal,
Harry S. Truman's
Fair Deal,
John F. Kennedy's
New Frontier, and
Lyndon B. Johnson's
Great Society. American liberals oppose
conservatives on most issues, but not all. Modern liberalism is historically related to
social liberalism and
progressivism, though the current relationship between liberal and progressive viewpoints is debated.[SUP]
[3][/SUP][SUP]
[4][/SUP][SUP]
[5][/SUP][SUP]
[6][/SUP][SUP]
[7][/SUP][SUP]
[8][/SUP]
John F. Kennedy defined a liberal as follows:[SUP]
[9][/SUP][SUP]
[10]
[/SUP]
"...someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal', then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal'."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1941 defined a liberal party as one,
"which believes that, as new conditions and problems arise beyond the power of men and women to meet as individuals, it becomes the duty of Government itself to find new remedies with which to meet them. The liberal party insists that the Government has the definite duty to use all its power and resources to meet new social problems with new social controls—to ensure to the average person the right to his own economic and political
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."[SUP]
[11][/SUP]
Keynesian economic theory has played an important role in the economic philosophy of modern American liberals.[SUP]
[12][/SUP] Modern American liberals generally believe that national prosperity requires government management of the macroeconomy, in order to keep unemployment low, inflation in check, and growth high.[SUP]
[12][/SUP] They also value institutions that defend against economic inequality. In
The Conscience of a Liberal Paul Krugman writes: "I believe in a relatively equal society, supported by institutions that limit extremes of wealth and poverty. I believe in democracy, civil liberties, and the rule of law. That makes me a liberal, and I'm proud of it."[SUP]
[13][/SUP] Liberals often point to the widespread prosperity enjoyed under a mixed economy in the years since
World War II.[SUP]
[14][/SUP][SUP]
[15][/SUP] They believe liberty exists when access to necessities like health care and economic opportunity are available to all,[SUP]
[16][/SUP] and they champion the protection of the environment.[SUP]
[17][/SUP][SUP]
[18][/SUP]
