History+and+Basic+Tenets+of+Liberalism

Liberalism is a political belief in equality and liberty for all people. Liberals therefore support a wide variety of freedoms, including freedom of speech, press, religion, and trade. These ideas originated from Europe in the 18th Century, when people felt like they needed more rights, and concepts of liberalism began. As the end of the 19th Century came around, liberals started to change from believing in a very limited government to a stronger one, which would help individuals' lives, which is called New Liberalism. Today, many wealthy countries are liberal democracies (while poor countries are usually dictatorships with strict trade) trade).


 * History of Liberalism**

In Eighteenth Century Europe, there was the beginning of a change in political structure, people were obtaining more rights, and asked for more representation in their monarchies, but still did not want to get rid of them. Those who wished for more representation were called liberals. An Englishman, John Locke, greatly influenced the ideals and view of the liberals of the time. As well as Locke, people such as Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau helped to develop the ideology. Locke believed in a government that exists solely to serve the people, mostly in the domain of private property interests. He also believed that all citizens must agree to it and give up some of their liberties to help to create it, known as a **social contract theory**. Americans during the time of the revolution heard Locke's ideals, and implanted his views into the Declaration of Independence, which means that the founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson can be seen as the liberals of their time.

In early America, liberals believed the opposite of what they do now. Liberals of the time thought that the government should be as limited as possible, so as to protect their individual rights, and to have as much of a hold on their property as possible. Reflecting the ideals of the Anti-Federalists of the time, liberals set out to protect the people from an oppressive government with too much regulation of the people, economy, and so on.

However, in the late Nineteenth century, liberalism transformed itself into something else entirely. Liberals began believing that the government was benevolent, an entity which could help citizens improve their lives. This is sometimes known as **New Liberalism**. They wanted government intervention in new areas of people's lives. The government should regulate the economy, as well as other fields. Liberals also tend to believe in social equality for all, and are forward on most issues. This ideology is what makes up the liberal mindset today. Liberals today also tend to vote much more democratic.

media type="youtube" key="iU-8Uz_nMaQ" height="315" width="560" This video gives what classical liberals opinions were, which at the time were much more anti-government.

__**Basic Tenets of Liberalism:**__

There are 7 basic key **tenets** of Liberalism. These basics are about the **ideology** of this type of #|progressive thinking which supports an individuals right to freedom of religion and freedom to economic and political matters:

1. __Individual Autonomy____:__
 * This tenet is about how the basis of society is the individual and how humans are usually motivated by self interest.

2. __Individual Rights:__
 * The second tenet states that all individuals must be equal and have the same rights as all other individuals including the right to protection of rights, use of reason, respect of others choices and decisions, and political equality. Some examples of key rights are freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and the right to property.

3. __Religious Tolerance:__
 * Religious tolerance creates a separation of church and state. People must respect each others faith and religious values and allow them to worship as they please.

4. __ Popular sovereignty and consent: __
 * This tenet states that the government should get its power from the people of whom it governs. Its also states that the power should rest in the hands of the people and not an elite type figure.

5. __ Limited and representative government: __ > 6. __ Private property: __ 7. __ Universalism and Progress: __
 * The fifth tenet is about how the government should have clearly defined powers and its role in society should also be made clear. The governments purpose is to protect an individuals rights to life, liberty, and the pursue of happiness. The government also represents the peoples interests which implies a representative government, the rule of law majority rule, and a constitutional government.
 * The sixth tenet states that society should put less restrictions on the accumulation of private property and instead encouraged it. Liberalism defends capitalism and implies free economic market economy, competition, and #|equal opportunity for all.
 * The last tenet of liberalism is about how all people are, in the end, the same, meaning that the only things that separate them are things like their culture, religion, and nationality. These parts of society are what make one person more advanced of powerful then the other.

Liberalism has been practiced in many places since the 18th Century, and has been greatly influenced by figures like John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In early America, liberals believed that government should be very limited in order to maximize individuals' power. As the late 19th Century came around, people's views about liberalism changed drastically and started a belief that government could help improve individuals' lives (New Liberalism). The seven basic key tenets of liberalism (individual autonomy, individual rights, religious tolerance, popular sovereignty/consent, limited and representative government, private property, and universalism and progress) are examples of liberal ideas. They included ideas about individual power, individual freedoms, and individual equality (with others).

=__Vocabulary__:=

__Ideology__- The ideas and manner of thinking of a group, social class, or individual __Tenets__-A principle or belief, one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy. __Social Contract Theory__-The idea that government comes form the consent of the people, important to liberals __Liberalism__-A social ideology that stresses equality, the importance of government, and progressive thinking. __New Liberalism__-The changed ideology of liberals as a result of the late 19th century, liberals switched from hating government to wanting it.

=Modern Example:= [] = = =**__Multiple Choice:__**=

1. Which tenet states how government should be involved in society?

a. Private property: b. Limited and representative government c. Popular sovereignty and consent

2. Which tenet has to do with the restrictions on private property accumulation?

a. Individual Rights b.Universalism and Progress c.Private property

3.Who helped develop the ideology of liberalism? I.Thomas Hobbes II.John Locke III.Alexis De Toqueville IV.Jean-Jacques Rousseau

a.I and II b.III and IV c.Only IV d.I, II, and IV

4.Who did liberals most connect with in their beginnings? a.Federalists b.Anti-Federalists c.Quakers d.Loyalists

5. What is the term used to describe the new liberalism in which there was more trust in the government to care for individuals? a. Liberalism II b. New Liberalism c. Government Liberalism d. Power Liberalism

= __Essay Questions:__ =

1) Can liberalism be as universal as it claims to be? 2) How has Liberalism changed over time? 3) How do the tenets of Liberalism relate to its definition and the beliefs of liberals?

Work Cited:
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jo52/POS254/libtenets.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism []