Liberal Democracy
Making Sense of Our Liberal Democratic Republic
[Excerpts]
People in America tend to think a “liberal” is someone on The Left politically. But that popular usage is wrong. Liberals occupy either side of the political center. That’s because our Republic itself is founded on the core principles of Liberalism: the USA is a Liberal Democratic Republic.
Liberalism is about individual freedom grounded in unalienable natural rights. It centers the right of each individual to pursue their own personal happiness according to their own conscience within the framework of The Rule of Law. As Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman championed it:
“The heart of the liberal philosophy is a belief in the dignity of the individual, in [their] freedom to make the most of [their] capacities and opportunities according to [their] own lights, subject only to the provision that [they] not interfere with the freedom of other individuals to do the same.”
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The Alluring Warmth of Collectivism
While Liberal Democracy centers individuals, Social Democracy centers the collective. Social Democrats defend “the right of the people” over individual rights. They favor government-led economic and social interventions to promote “social justice.” That appeals to people’s innate psychological desire for collective unity and action.
Although some find them attractive, collectivist ideals tend to negatively impact society. Liberalism replaces the innate desire for collective group action with an individualist framework promoting free inquiry, deliberative democracy, and The Rule of Law. The USA is a republic of reasons, not a majority power grab. It’s why we succeed.
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Social Democracy Is Illiberal
Adopting the core principles of Liberalism is essential to being an American — it facilitates the civil coexistence of many diverse groups, beliefs, and interests. Yet some ideas are antithetical to Liberal Democracy. They are decidedly illiberal.
Liberalism is a constrained progressive vision like our republican Constitution itself. American government works best with a center-Left to center-Right balance. Today’s illiberal extremes undermine that.
We need to restore an effective center.
Read the new explainer on Liberal Democracy (10 minutes, with links to sources+)
