classical liberalism

(noun)

A political ideology that advocates limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, free markets, and individual liberties including freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly.

Related Terms

Examples of classical liberalism in the following topics:

  • Classical Liberalism

    • Classical liberalism is a political philosophy committed to limited government, the rule of law, individual liberties, and free markets.
    • Hence, classical liberals believed that individuals should be free to pursue their self-interest without societal control or restraint.
    • Classical liberalism determined that individuals should be free to obtain work from the highest-paying employers.
    • Classical liberals also saw poor urban conditions as inevitable, and therefore opposed any income or wealth redistribution.
    • Classical liberals extended protection of the country to protection of overseas markets through armed intervention.

  • Principles of Freedom

    • Republicanism, along with a form of classical liberalism, remains the dominant ideology.

  • The Debate over American Imperialism

    • Journalist Ashley Smith divides theories of the U.S. imperialism into five broad categories: (1) "Liberal" theories, (2) "social-democratic" theories, (3) "Leninist" theories, (4) theories of "super-imperialism," and (5) "Hardt-and-Negri-ite" theories.
    • The League also argued that the Spanish-American War was a war of imperialism camouflaged as a war of liberation.
    • Many of the League's leaders were classical liberals and "Bourbon Democrats" (Grover Cleveland Democrats) who believed in free trade, a gold standard, and limited government; they opposed William Jennings Bryan's candidacy in the 1896 presidential election.

  • Democracy v. Republicanism

    • A second stream of thought growing in significance was the classical liberalism of John Locke, including his theory of the "social contract".

  • Budget Cuts

    • Reagan implemented policies based on supply-side economics and advocated a classical liberal and laissez-faire philosophy, seeking to stimulate the economy with large, across-the-board tax cuts.

  • The Soul of a Republic

    • The Country Party relied heavily on the classical republicanism of Roman heritage and celebrated the ideals of duty and virtuous citizenship in a republic.
    • The open question of the conflict between personal economic interest (grounded in John Locke's philosophy of liberalism) and classical republicanism troubled Americans.

  • A Virtuous Citizenry

    • The Country party relied heavily on the classical republicanism of Roman heritage.
    • The open question of the conflict between personal economic interest (grounded in Lockean liberalism) and classical republicanism troubled Americans.

  • American Republicanism

    • Drawing from colonial experience, British political liberties, classical Roman and Greek culture, and various notions of civic virtue, intellectuals and leaders devised a political theory known as "American republicanism".
    • English country party drew heavily on the classical republican language of ancient Rome: celebrating the ideals of duty and virtuous male citizenship as the basis of effective republicanism.
    • The country party system was adopted by liberal Whigs, and even some Tories in England, who criticized the corruption and nepotism of the royal court party in favor of parliamentary representation as the least corruptible form of governance.
    • For example, during Washington's two terms as president, Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans clashed over numerous domestic matters and, in this conflict, drew on conflicting visions of classical republicanism to advocate for two distinct socio-economic visions of American society.

  • The Culture of the Roaring Twenties

    • Dance clubs became enormously popular, and classical music, operettas, and folk music were all transformed into popular dance memories to satisfy the public craze for dancing.
    • Young women began to attend large state colleges and universities, and also to stake claim to their own bodies, taking part in a sexual liberation movement of their generation.

  • Higher Education

    • ... without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactic, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.