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INVENTORY OF LIBERAL POLITICAL VALUES
We have noted that liberalism, like any ideology, is
essentially composed of two levels of political thought.
At the core level are the fundamental assumptions of the
ideology concerning human nature, social life and social
relationships, and the purposes and scope of
governmental authority. There appears to be widespread
consensus among Americans concerning these
fundamental assumptions. In the Declaration of
Independence, Thomas Jefferson asserted that these were
“self-evident truths.” Few Americans question the basic
assertions of the Declaration of Independence.
At the superficial level of ideological thought are
order
specific values that flow from and are logically
consistent with the fundamental assumptions concerning liberty
human nature, society, and government. It is here that
we see debate in American politics, though the debate is
not over whether these are or should be held as values in
the political culture. Rather it is over how to prioritize
them when they come into conflict with one another and
over how to pursue them as a matter of public policy.
What follows is an inventory of the American political
culture. This is by no means an exhaustive list of
American political values, rather it is intended to
indicate some of the most important values associated
with liberal political thought.
Fundamental
Assumptions
Concerning Human
Nature, Society, and
Government
democracy
republicanism
equality
justice
rule of
law
order
civil order – refers to government’s authority to maintain the public peace, prevent lawlessness, and
protect life and property (police power)  Americans associate this meaning of order closely with
the rule of law (law & order).
political order – refers to the established patterns of political power and influence in society (who has
power?)  We frequently attempt to characterize a country’s political order with labels such as
democratic, autocratic, pluralistic, or elitist, among others.
economic order -- refers to the established patterns of economic interaction (i.e., commerce) in a
society and may include considerations such as the distribution of wealth  We may use labels
such as capitalist, mercantilist, or socialist to characterize a country’s economic order.
social order – refers to the established patterns of social interaction in a society and may suggest a class
system or a system of privilege  We may use terms such as aristocratic or egalitarian to label a
country’s social order.
liberty – there are two dimensions of liberty as a political value: [1] the freedom to pursue individual
happiness and has both civil liberties and economic liberties (property rights) components (i.e., freedom
to choose one’s vocation, where one wants to live, lifestyle, people to associate with, religious beliefs,
speak one’s mind, own and dispose of property, etc.); [2] the freedom from impediments with the
pursuit of individual happiness. In the classical liberal tradition, government represents the principle
threat to individual liberty, but by the late 19th and early 20th centuries many liberals (populists and
progressives) began to see additional threats to individuals, such as private centers of economic and
political power (large corporations), poverty, and discriminatory practices. Liberty is a preeminent
value in a liberal political culture (“Give me liberty or give me death!”). Note the common root of the
words liberal and liberty.
equality – in the American political culture, equality clearly implies that individuals should have
substantially equal opportunities (equality of opportunity) to pursue their choices and achieve according
to their talents and abilities rather than the idea that individuals should receive substantially equal shares
of the benefits of social life (equality of outcomes or equality of results)
justice
rule of law
republicanism
democracy
localism
property
personal achievement
competitive individualism
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