NationStates Jolt Archive

I should know this but it's been over a year since I studied any politics. Roughly when did "Liberalism" as understood in American English switch meanings from Classical Liberalism to Neo-Liberalism? Was it sometime in the 60's?

I specify America because here in Britain the Liberal Democrat Party still runs of principles incorporating elements of classical liberalism whereas it appears that in America the term is taken to mean solely neo-liberalism.

Just wondered.

eh?

I think he refers to the fact that the modern definitions of Liberalism are hippy pacifism, mild social democracy and imperialism, depending on who you are and where you live, and he wants to know, what gives.

I think he refers to the fact that the modern definitions of Liberalism are hippy pacificism, mild social democracy and imperialism, depending on who you are and where you live, and he wants to know, what gives.

Yes. AFAIK in the states the modern definition of Liberal is basically "hippy pacificism, mild social democracy" although I don't know about the "Imperialism" (how does that factor in?). Other characteristics include the wish for a large government hand in economic matters but little or no government interference in social matters

Whereas Classical Liberalism is pretty much all about relatively small government (both in social and economic matters) and a free market as far as possble. Taken to it's extreme form it's indistinguishable from Libertarianism

i don't know about word usage, but the ideological shift started happening as a response to the rise of socialism (and the catastrophic economic collapses of capitalism's that happened fairly regularly before the mild social democracy thing got going).

i don't know about word usage, but the ideological shift started happening as a response to the rise of socialism (and the catastrophic economic collapses of capitalism's that happened fairly regularly before the mild social democracy thing got going).

So I figured- that ideological shift happened universally with Liberalism all over the world. I mean no one except the Libertarians clings to the full tenets of Classical Liberalism. The Liberal Democrat Party here in the UK is in favour of the free market but with government supervision where necessary to prevent abuses.

However, linguistically speaking, I was just wondering when the shift from Liberal (a specific political school of thought- note the capital L) to liberal (a general term for anyone vaguely left wing- quite ironic really as moderate Liberals like myself are ever so slightly right of centre economically speaking) came about.

Actually I'll check the dictionary. Hang on.

oh yeah, and i don't think you actually mean 'neoliberalism'. both american political parties are full of neoliberals.

Couldn't get any definite dates from there. Bugger.

Hmm...what do you mean by 'neoliberalism'? I'll have to drag up my old politics textbooks one of these days.

Couldn't get any definite dates from there. Bugger.

Hmm...what do you mean by 'neoliberalism'? I'll have to drag up my old politics textbooks one of these days.

i'm not finding any dates on it either.

neoliberalism is used mainly to describe free market types - particularly 'free markets for other people'. the world trade organization, nafta, ftaa, etc are all neoliberal projects.

i'm not finding any dates on it either.

neoliberalism is used mainly to describe free market types - particularly 'free markets for other people'. the world trade organization, nafta, ftaa, etc are all neoliberal projects.

<hits head>

Sorry. My bad. I should have actually gone to those politics lectures instead of sleeping in :) .

Having said that, would it then be safe to distinguish between Liberalism (and it's various sub-branches, neo-Liberals, classical Liberals, Liberal Democrats) as a political ideology and liberalism (small 'l') as a generic term for any social phemomenon or policy seen as somewhat left wing and generally "non-conservative" (Conservative- another tricky word :) )