Liberalism Vs. Conservatism In The United States

Conservatism vs. Liberalism Liberalism is defined as a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties. It considers the government as a crucial instrument for the improvement of social inequities. Liberalism was developed from ideals such as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier. Liberal’s believe that the government role should be to guarantee that no one is in need and have policies that generally call for the government to solve problems. Conservatism is defined as a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change. It calls for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs. Ronald Reagan’s economic and foreign policies were dominated by conservative principles. Conservative’s believe that the government’s role should be to provide people with the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals and have policies that generally call for empowerment of the individual to
solve problems. It is hard to say which movement has had a more positive impact on the United States because they have both had a great impact with good and bad ideas on both sides.
If I was asked if I was a conservative or a liberal, I would have to say neither because there are things that I like and dislike about both. Look at Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, which was dominated by conservative principles; the federal tax revenues grew despite tax cuts and family income grew by 10% and his two terms were among the most prosperous in American history. But liberals like Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy have given us Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and civil and women’s rights legislation, among many other great
programs. With that said, I would have to say that the liberal movement has had a more positive impact on our country. When I think of important things that the government has done, I always think of civil rights and women’s rights. I mean, could you image not being able to vote because of the color of your skin or your gender? What if you weren’t allowed to eat in your favorite restaurant because of your ethnicity or you got paid a third of what someone doing your same job did, solely because of gender? I know I wouldn’t want to live like that, and it is the liberal movement that made it possible for me to not have to. Beginning in 1947, self-proclaimed liberals began to embrace the civil rights movement and in 1948, President Truman desegregated the armed forces. In 1963, Jonh Kennedy endorsed the March on Washington and proposed what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was passed by Lyndon Johnson along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Though there were many road blocks to get to what civil rights are today, it was the liberals who began the journey. In 1961, John Kennedy established the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman. A report issued by the Commission documented discrimination against women in the workplace and made specific recommendations for improvement. In 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act that made it illegal for employers to pay a woman less than what a man would receive for the same job. In 1967, an Executive Order was created to expand Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 affirmative action policy to cover discrimination based on gender. These are just a few of the things that the liberal movement did to establish women’s rights. Whether you consider yourself a conservative or a liberal, you cannot say that the civil and women’s rights movements did not have a positive impact on the United States. This also means that you cannot say that the liberal movement didn’t have a positive impact on the United State. So when you think about which movement has had the most positive impact on the United States, think about where this country would be without civil and women’s rights.