American liberalism

American liberalism (also called modern liberalism) is a political current which claims descent from classical liberalism in terms of devotion to individual liberty, but generally rejects the laissez faire economics of classical liberalism in favor of institutions that promote social and economic equity. It is generally seen as beginning in the first decades of the 20th century, and achieving a political hegemony in the New Deal years that began to decline in the 1970s.

Related Topics:
Liberalism - Laissez faire - New Deal - 1970s

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American liberalism arose in the early 20th century as an alternative to realpolitik, the prevailing political philosophy of the time. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a self-proclaimed liberal, offered the nation a New Deal that consisted of constructing collaborative institutions that, with the support of the large majority of Americans, would pull the United States out of the Great Depression. In anticipation of the end of World War II, Roosevelt designed the United Nations as a means of encouraging mutual collaboration, rather than the threat and use of force, to solve political problems on the international stage. Roosevelt also laid the foundation, with his inclusion of African Americans in the United States Military and his support for women's rights, for the emphasis on individual liberty that would culminate in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 drafted by President John F. Kennedy.

Related Topics:
Realpolitik - Franklin D. Roosevelt - New Deal - Great Depression - World War II - United Nations - African American - United States Military - Women's rights - Civil Rights Act of 1964 - John F. Kennedy

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The U.S. brand of liberalism, inherited from Roosevelt, emphasizes mutual collaboration and consensus-building, rather than the threat and use of force, to solve political problems both domestically and internationally. A liberal in the United States is likely to favor institutions and political procedures that encourage economic liberty, protection of the weak from aggression by the strong, and freedom from restrictive social norms. Since World War II, liberalism in the United States has been associated with modern liberalism, the ideological successor of classical liberalism.

Related Topics:
World War II - Modern liberalism - Classical liberalism

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