Liberalism is defined as a political and ethical stance based on liberty, authorization of the governed, and equivalence before the law (Barry et al., 2013). It can also be described as any political movement founded on the sovereignty of the governed. The political party in the United States that is associated with liberalism is the liberal party. It promotes a classical liberal platform that opposes any suppression; hence it supports unrestricted freedom of speech.
According to Barry (2013), liberals support policies such as an individual's independence, including gender equality and freedom of religion. They also support the independence of the press and free trade because they believe in the principles of liberty and equity for all. Moreover, liberals support these policies because of their willingness to accept different opinions apart from their own. They vehemently believe in the personal freedom of every individual. Liberals support free trade policy because it leads to economic growth and increased job opportunities for people in society ( Barry et al., 2013 ).
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Conservatism is described as a political and social philosophy that supports traditional social institutions from culture and civilization. Essentially, conservatism involves political ideologies that advocate for a strong national defense, limited government control, and a free economic market. Bourke (2018) states that the key doctrines of conservatism are tradition, hierarchy, and authority. These doctrines are formed in applicable customs and property rights.
The constitution party is a political party in the United States that supports the conservative religious view of the United States constitution's doctrines and objectives ( Bourke, 2018 ). While expressing its belief in citizens' and corporations' responsibility, the party maintains that the government plays an important role in establishing and providing the ultimate level of dignity in America’s community standards. Some of the policies a conservative would support include free markets, individual liberty, and traditional American values. Conservatives support these policies because they believe that the government's role is to give freedom to the people to achieve personal goals ( Bourke, 2018 ). They also support these policies because they accentuate the empowerment of individuals.
Conservatives support the free market policy because they believe free markets will boost employment and create job opportunities ( Bourke, 2018 ). They are also convinced that such an economy will result in better social outcomes than the administered policies by government officials who do not have citizen welfare in mind. Conservatives support traditional American policy because they believe that people depend on one another and relate to the ones gone before us; hence, we get our sense of belonging and history through our ancestors and our culture.
I am both a conservative and a socialist. The main reason why I am a conservative is that I believe in personal responsibility, and I also want a chance for success and independence. I am a socialist because I believe in freedom for everyone, not just for the community's privileged. Moreover, I am a socialist because I support social equality, which focuses on reducing unemployment and price inflation through price controls. Another reason why I believe in socialism is that I advocate for democracy for all. The principal influencer is conservatism because, in terms of the free market, I trust that it can lead to more jobs and higher living standards. Since conservatism involves holding political views that support free enterprise through free trade zones, I trust that everyone should be considered.
Between the ideologies of conservatism and socialism, the former is dominant for me. One of the core reasons is that I am a firm believer in business. There is no conservatism without a political duty that encourages the creation of wealth. This is inclusive of interference by the federal government to heighten competition and protect consumers. However, when the marketplace is not favorable, it should not be far from conservative priorities. Another reason conservatism dominates for me is my firm belief in inequality, especially on wealth distribution issues. People must be allowed to succeed with the resources at their disposal. Equal distribution of resources would result in a nation where citizens with the greatest deficit while those with the greatest potential get disproportionate resources. Doing so is likely to result in inadequate innovations and creativity.
Also, as a conservative, I support some policies and oppose others. One of the policies I support is the Tax and Jobs Cut Act. Passed by Donald Trump in 2017, the policy had tax repercussions on individuals depending on their levels of income and deductions. A significant win brought about by the policy was the reduced taxes for corporations. This would ensure that companies see huge gains. From an individual perspective, tax cuts encourage saving for retirement and having more money set aside for innovations. As a conservative, I oppose the policies passed on the right to abortion and same-sex marriages. The rationale stems from the fact that the U.S. was founded on Christianity, which does not support either of the policies. I am a firm believer that life is God-given and should not be terminated. Also, same-sex marriages do not uphold Christian virtues and should be banned. I believe in upholding the moral values of society.
References
Barry, A., Osborne, T., & Rose, N. (Eds.). (, 2013). Foucault and Political Reason: liberalism, neo-liberalism, and the rationalities of government . Routledge.
Bourke, R. (2018). What is conservatism? History, ideology, and party. European Journal of Political Theory , 17 (4), 449-475.
