Liberals and Conservatives in the United States

¶ … liberal and conservative are generalized blanket words used to describe political leanings. Generally, the term conservative refers to the desire to preserve existing social norms and values; whereas liberals are defined by openness to change and diversity. In politics, though, the division between liberal and conservative can assume more specific meanings. Identification with specific political stances on certain issues can be determined by one's status as being liberal or conservative.

In the United States, the liberal moniker tends to connote support for social services through taxpayer money, greater regulation on corporate greed, and the promotion of civil liberties through the elimination of gender, racial, and other types of discrimination. Conservatives, on the other hand, are distinguished by their preference for patriarchal gender norms, espousal of free market economics and unbridled economic growth, and a minimal investment in social services or quality of life boosters.

While both liberals and conservatives in the United States may support a strong national defense, conservatives tend to believe that one of the only reasonable responsibilities of the federal government should be the maintenance of a mighty military force. Liberals would prefer that federal spending be more uniformly distributed among various types of services in addition to the national defense. The liberal perspective is more consistent and keeps in mind the core values of the American ethos.

National defense is one of many elements that preserves the integrity and safety of the American people. Services such as education and healthcare are more important from a liberal perspective because conservatives revert to the private sector for as much as possible. Yet the private sector is by definition profit-driven and not motivated by values that promote higher quality of life, such as social justice or gender parity.

Health care and education should not be controlled by a profit-driven private sector from the liberal perspective, because it is obvious that within such a system money can purchase access to resources, creating problems like social unrest. Yet while conservatives claim to embrace the private sector for most services, the conservative platform has simultaneously pushed for governmental intervention into issues such as abortion and marriage. Therefore, conservatives generally harbor hypocritical beliefs related to the extent of government interference in the private lives of individuals.

For instance, conservatives claim to embrace individual liberties and "small government," but at the same time believe in legislation that promotes conservative values such as heteronormativity and patriarchy. Liberals prefer a "live and let live" approach to social issues, and promote social justice reform via such things as universal marriage equality. Moreover, liberals understand the ramifications of institutionalized racism, which is why affirmative action is more likely to be supported by liberals than by conservatives.

Liberals and conservatives differ in their approach to government regulation of business and the private sector. Most conservatives in the United States support minimal government regulation of the private sector, except when it comes to regulating access to abortion or restricting the rights of same-sex couples to marry. Most liberals in the United States support government regulation of the private sector when the rights of consumers or any citizen is being infringed upon by corporate greed.

An unfettered free market is an ideal for conservatives, but for liberals, unfettered corporate greed impinges on the rights, freedoms, and liberties guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States. Liberals are less likely than conservatives to believe that corporations should be defined as "people," a view that enables individuals to shirk responsibility and avoid prosecution for unethical actions. This is true even though conservatives usually take credit for the value of personal responsibility ("Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs," n.d.).

Conservatives tend to believe that income inequality is not a problem, whereas liberals view income inequality as a major social justice concern ("Conservative vs. Liberal," n.d.). As Christina (2015) points out, it is impossible to separate fiscal issues from social issues because they are "deeply intertwined," (p. 1). Liberals would not support too much government regulation on the private sector; only regulation that relates to social justice. For instance, a liberal would not support arbitrary legislation that restricts innovation or enterprise.

Yet if a business were infringing on the rights of citizens, then government would have the right and responsibility to intervene and impose sanctions if necessary. Based on core issues like government spending and regulation of business, liberals offer a more coherent and logical point-of-view that promotes human rights, liberty, and social justice. Conservatives tend to base their arguments on spurious ethics, advocating.