Liberal vs Conservative: Introduction
The American society is traditionally divided into people who support either liberal or conservative course, although the major part still supports the mixture of values (Samara 354). This division started as early as the 18th century. After gaining independence from Great Britain, the country was left in economic ruin. Some politicians believed that power should become more centralized to tackle the crisis. However, another political group opposed this idea as it reminded them of the former rule of the British monarchy. At that time, the debate was known as federalist vs. non-federalist. Nowadays, the issue of power still remains, as it is one of the most discussed topics among the liberals and the conservatives. Liberal and conservative representatives have different approaches towards political, economic, and social issues, which have both advantages and disadvantages for different groups of Americans.
Liberalism
Supporters of liberalism believe that the government must consolidate most of the power and be responsible for social well-being. They promote the increase of taxes because they believe that the government should spend more money on social programs like health care and education. Moreover, liberals propose to make taxes higher for the wealthier part of society. They tend to value education and commonly have more people with PhD’s (Woessner and Kelly-Woessner 36). The liberal approach towards social politics includes the promotion of tolerance through accepting gay marriage and abortions.
Conservatism
Conservatives, on the contrary, believe that governmental interference will harm the country’s economy. They find the private sector to be providing better services than the government does. The Conservative course does not support high taxes and argues the necessity of the major budget spending. While a conservative approach promotes to solve problems individually, studies show that people still tend to address it instead of relying on the government when the financial inequality increases (Luttig 820). The social ideas oppose gay marriage and abortion rights but support gun ownership.
Liberal vs Conservative Ideology: Advantages
Conservatism can benefit the country by strengthening the economic situation, while liberal ideas can help to develop a tolerant society. The decentralization of financial flows can provide the growth of local budgets that could be spent according to the communities’ demands. Moreover, the ease of the government’s pressure will support the development of start-ups. Liberal values might ensure every member of the society has the same social opportunities as others.
Liberal vs Conservative Ideology: Disadvantages
The unwillingness of conservatives to pay high taxes may have an adverse effect on disadvantaged communities, and the liberal social course may cause the opposition of values in the society. Citizens with low income, for example, will not receive quality health care services. Liberal attitudes towards marriage will face the discontent of religious people.
Liberal vs Conservative: Conclusion
Both liberal and conservative approach offers solutions which can be beneficial or not for American society depending on the group addressed. The supporters of these two courses appear to be strongly intolerant towards each other (Crawford and Polanski 849). It is interesting to address these issues from the perspective of the American society’s development. A long time ago people from various countries traveled to this new world in search for the independence from their governments. However, the history has shown that the lack of governmental control may lead to the violation of the fundamental human rights. The democratic values were the primary concern during the Civil War. Nowadays, as the globalization trend has hit the world, Americans find it essential to strengthen their positions and promote once again the freedom, which has always been the fundamental value of the country.
Works Cited
Crawford, Jarret T., and Jane M. Pilanski. “Political Intolerance, Right and Left.” Political Psychology, vol. 35, no. 6, 2014, pp. 841-851.
Klar, Samara. “A Multidimensional Study of Ideological Preferences and Priorities among the American Public.” Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 78, no. s1, 2014, pp. 344-359.
Luttig, Matthew. “The Structure of Inequality and Americans’ Attitudes Towards Redistribution.” Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 3, 2013, pp. 811-821.
Woessner, Matthew, and April Kelly-Woessner. “Reflections on Academic Liberalism and Conservative Criticism.” Society, vol. 52, no. 1, 2015, pp. 35-41.