economic liberals

Examples of economic liberals in the following topics:

• Capitalism

  • Economists usually focus on the degree that government does not have control over markets (laissez-faire economics), and on property rights.
  • Capitalism is generally viewed as encouraging economic growth.
  • A number of political ideologies have emerged in support of various types of capitalism, the most prominent being economic liberalism.
  • However, in the 20th century, capitalism also accompanied a variety of political formations quite distinct from liberal democracies, including fascist regimes, absolute monarchies, and single-party states.
  • Examine the different views on capitalism (economical, political and historical) and the impact of capitalism on democracy

• The Capitalist Critique of Socialism

  • Criticism of socialism refers to a critique of socialist models of economic organization, efficiency, and feasibility, as well as the political and social implications of such a system.
  • Economic liberals, pro-capitalist libertarians, and some classical liberals view private enterprise, private ownership of the means of production, and the market exchange as central to conceptions of freedom and liberty.
  • The philosopher Friedrich Hayek argued in his book The Road to Serfdom that the more even distribution of wealth through the nationalization of the means of production advocated by certain socialists cannot be achieved without a loss of political, economic, and human rights.
  • Milton Friedman argued that the absence of voluntary economic activity makes it too easy for repressive political leaders to grant themselves coercive powers.

• Property

  • An example of private property stimulating economic growth is when a homeowner makes home improvements to increase the value of their home, when in a similar situation a tenant in a government-owned building would not invest money in home improvements.
  • An example of private property stimulating economic growth is when a homeowner makes home improvements to increase the value of their home, when in a similar situation a tenant in a government owned building would not invest money in home improvements.
  • Socialist policies benefiting national economic growth may include the protection of natural resources to secure longterm access to land, oil, or fresh water, as opposed to private corporation's solely short term interest in exploiting natural resources for immediate profit.
  • Economic liberals consider private property to be essential for the construction of a prosperous society.
  • Lastly, libertarians believe that private property rights are a requisite for rational economic calculation, and that without clearly defined property rights, the prices of goods and services cannot be determined in an "efficient" manner, making the most efficient economic calculation impossible.

• Distribution of Wealth and Income

  • Conservative economic policy may provide tax cuts to wealthy business owners in attempt to increase their profits, on the basis that doing so will improve the country's overall economy.
  • By contrast, liberal economic policy may provide increased welfare to the poor in an attempt to raise their standard of living and directly decrease economic inequality.
  • Sizable numbers of households own no land, while a small percentage of people at the top of the economic hierarchy own most of the world's privately held land.
  • On an international level, wealth is distributed unequally between nations, which are stratified in a world economic order.
  • Various forms of socialism, an economic system in which the state exerts significant control over wealth distribution, attempt to diminish the unequal distribution of wealth and the conflicts that arise from it.

• Evaluating Global Theories of Inequality

  • Occupy Wall Street protesters approach inequality from a social justice perspective that holds that all Americans deserve equal life chances and have been denied them by market-oriented approaches to economic regulation (or lack thereof).
  • The idea that all members of a society should be equal is often associated with modern liberalism.
  • In modern liberal societies, individuals tend to value human rights according to the idea that all people are born with equal value.
  • By protesting the financial institutions that provide capital to economic enterprises, "occupiers" suggest that the market-driven approach to inequality, embraced by financiers, has not resulted in a fair and equitable economic order.
  • Differentiate between the positions on social inequality taken by functionalists, Marxists, modern liberalism, and social justice advocates

• Mexico's Economy

  • Mexico's rapid economic changes have led to huge gains in GDP, but have caused social problems such as stratification and inequality.
  • The years from 1930-1970, during which Mexico instituted its new protectionist economic policy, have been dubbed by economic historians as the "Mexican Miracle," a period of economic growth and capital accumulation.
  • Trade liberalization continued after that, with several free trade agreements with Latin American and European countries, Japan, and Israel signed during former President Vincente Fox's leadership (2000-2006).
  • Mexico's economic development has been substantial.
  • Since liberalizing its trade policies beginning in the 1980s, Mexico has entered into Free Trade Agreements with many countries.

• The Spread of Liberal Democracy

  • Liberal democracy is a common form of representative democracy.
  • Reforms and revolutions helped move most European countries towards liberal democracy.
  • Liberalism ceased to be a fringe opinion and joined the political mainstream.
  • By the end of the 19th century, liberal democracy was no longer only a liberal idea, but an idea supported by many different ideologies.
  • Defend the notion of liberal democracy using examples from its enlightenment origins

• The Development of Sociology in the U.S.

  • As a political approach, Ward's system became known as "social liberalism," as distinguished from the classical liberalism of the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • While classical liberalism (featuring such thinkers as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill) had sought prosperity and progress through laissez-faire policies, Ward's "American social liberalism" sought to enhance social progress through direct government intervention.
  • He has, in fact, been called "the father of the modern welfare state. " The liberalism of the Democrats today is not that of Smith and Mill, which stressed non-interference from the government in economic issues, but of Ward, which stressed the unique position of government to effect positive change.

• The Feminist Perspective

  • Mary Ann Weathers demonstrates intersectionality in action in "An Argument for Black Women's Liberation as a Revolutionary Force."
  • Members of society are socially stratified on many levels, including socio-economic status, race, class, ethnicity, religion, ability status, and gender.
  • Mary Ann Weathers demonstrates intersectionality in action in "An Argument for Black Women's Liberation as a Revolutionary Force."

• Monarchies and Liberal Democracies

  • Monarchies, in which sovereignty embodied in a single individual, eventually gave way to liberal democracies.
  • Liberal democracy traces its origins, and its name, to the European 18th century, also known as the Age of Enlightenment.
  • Near the end of the 18th century, these ideas inspired the American and French Revolutions, the latter giving birth to the ideology of liberalism, and instituting forms of government that attempted to apply the principles of the Enlightenment philosophers into practice.
  • Reforms and revolutions helped move most European countries towards liberal democracy.
  • Liberalism ceased being a fringe opinion and joined the political mainstream.