Below, you can learn about the many forms of liberalism! Many of which may come as a surprise. Before reading this article, we encourage you to visit the page liberalism.
Classical liberalism
That is the form of liberalism of Adam Smith and John Locke. The vital elements are a free market, the rule of law, and civil liberties. Hence, it allows as few interferences from the government as possible. Its ever-lasting motto is “Laissez-faire.”
Neoliberalism
Just like classical liberalism, neoliberalism favors a small government, deregulation, and privatization. Hence, it is close to the conservative New Right movement of Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thacher.
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is one of the more progressive forms. It promotes regulation of the market and focuses on social justice. Further, it finds inspiration in socialism and social democracy. It rose with the Great Depression. Besides, many former social-democratic parties turned into social liberals.
Conservative liberalism
This form is also similar to the classical understanding. But, it is not as radical. It combines conservative positions on some topics with a liberal view of the economy. Further, it is common among European parties.
National liberalism
As the name states, this belief combines nationalism with liberalism. For example, the revolutionary movements of 1848 were national liberal. Today, it is not so common.
Green liberalism
This form believes in protecting the earth. Like many others, they see a problem with overproduction. However, they do not think regulation is the solution. Instead, they promote sustainable technologies and climate consciousness.
Cultural
Cultural liberalism says that anyone can accept or reject any social norms. That is any standard of how people live. Hence, it is up to an individual how he behaves. For example, they may refuse traditional gender-based clothing and so on.
American
Modern or American form of liberalism is the current understanding of liberalism in the USA. It addresses social and economic differences and universal suffrage. Besides, just like classical liberalism, it has a strong sense of individual liberty. On the other hand, they do favor government interference in the economy. The symbols are John F. Kennedy or Franklin D. Roosevelt (New Deal Liberalism).