POSC150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Fiscal Conservatism, Gilded Age, Age Of Enlightenment
4 Apr 2018
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Believe that free market maximizes human liberty. Belief that state intervention (taxing and spending) can be used to achieve social progress, economic success, and a fuller realization of personal liberty. Aftermath of industrial revolution, class inequality, etc. When we discuss liberalism in class - we will use this understanding. Economic freedom leads to the concentration of economic power. Often at the expense of those who lack economic power. Political freedoms are meaningless if you are not in an economic position to use them. I. e. pointless to have free speech if you work 80 hours a week with no time to think about politics. Socialism wants to eliminate capitalist economic system. Liberalism aims to reform capitalism andmake it more efficient. Liberals and conservatives both believe that capitalism is the economic system most conductive to human freedom and liberty. They differ in that liberals see a positive role for government to play in improving people"s lives and the state of the economy.
