What Is a Liberal?

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What Is a Liberal?

What Is a Liberal?

James Madison, in the Federalist Papers, made a definition of what term refers to both parties and their supporters. It is called bipartisanship. The Federalist Papers and the history behind it show that the phrase used to describe the two parties' positions, although written a few months apart, comes from the very early days of the Republic. Madison was not so far-fetched in making this usage even in those days.

This term was first coined in 1789, so you can see how long it has been around. In 1814, however, when Madison was using the term, its meaning was slightly different from the one we use today. When Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that 'it is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest,' he was referring to them as consumers.

In these days, however, it has become a matter of whether or not a person is in favor of a particular party. The two terms we use for one or the other would be liberal and conservative. Sometimes, those are used interchangeably, but they aren't always.

As far as how the election campaign is conducted, though, the opposite is true. As long as an election campaign is not viewed as political, then neither party will be labeled as liberal or conservative. A television commercial, for example, won't call for the re-election of a Democratic politician or an individual Democratic candidate if the purpose of the ad is not to promote the election of a Democratic candidate. So, on the one hand, there are more conservative words used to describe the Democrats, and on the other hand, more liberal ones for the Republicans.

It is the same with people who try to determine who is a liberal or a conservative. They use the terms to mean what they think a person might consider liberal or conservative. But they do not always fit the criteria of their own argument.

So, even though those terms are used to describe one or the other, the terms themselves have no meaning when you are talking about the political issues that affect all of us. In terms of the election campaign, though, there are not really any words to describe the candidates other than their political affiliation. They might say something about being a Christian, or perhaps they might say something about being pro-life, but that is all they will say.

To help describe the political affiliations of a candidate, it is better to use another word, such as 'progressive'liberal.' In fact, the label 'liberal' may be a bit of a misnomer, as there are many conservatives who also call themselves 'liberals.' These terms, though, should still be used when referring to the candidates, but the words themselves must not be used to identify any one particular politician.