Liberalism can trace its roots back to the philosophies of John Locke. Locke is the first and foremost believed that all people on the planet are entitled to natural rights, consisting of life, liberty, and property. He also believed that citizens create a social contract with the nation they live in, defining the state as something that exists solely to protect its citizenry, and must use its powers to do so. Therefore, a nation can only rule from the consent of the governed and must use their position to protect and advance the rights of the people. Liberalism sprouts from the idea that social progress and equality can be brought upon not by violence and revolution, but instead through the creation of laws and policies. These liberals believe in the democratic process, and are willing to work with political enemies in order to achieve their goals, including universal suffrage, universal education, property rights, and the advancement of marginalized populations. Alongside this, they strongly support capitalism and free trade while also believing that governmental oversight is necessary for a healthy economy and safe populace. Due to the rise of fascism and other right-wing extremist ideologies, many free nations have drifted towards liberalism, and many people see it as the most sane way to counteract such a dramatic shift in the world.
Proponents and subideologies
Note: People marked with an asterisk are their countries' starting leaders.
Subideology | Description | Adherents |
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Default (None)
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The seed that was planted in the halls of ancient Athens, began to sprout with the American Revolution and finally blossomed into the world after the Congress of Vienna; the deep meaning behind the word Liberalism, rooted in the word "Liberty", has arguably become one, if not the most transformative political philosophies in history. On a fundamental level, Liberalism proclaims the self-evident truth that all men are created equal, guaranteed the right to equality under the law, representation , accountability, and that they are entitled to these rights regardless of upbringing, class or country of origin, and while the subject of who qualifies for which has -and in many places still is- a longstanding subject of debate, civilizations who adhere to the principles of Liberalism on a base level all maintain an uncompromising loyalty to the principle of equality and freedom. This fundamental truth makes virtually all forms of liberalism the de-facto arch enemy of fascism and totalitarianism and their fanatic cohorts, aspiring to be the dominant political compass of the world in defiance of the New World Order. While the cause of liberalism suffered a near-fatal blow in its defeat in the Second World War, with the former great liberal democracies of France and Britain having fallen to the Nazi jackboot, it lives on in the liberal democracies of the Western Hemisphere, and even if they, or the whole world itself even, crushed, it will never be stamped out of the human consciousness. So long as a single human being possesses a will that is their own, the torch of liberalism shall never be extinguished. |
John W. McCormack Lester B. Pearson* Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado Torcuato Fernández-Miranda Josep Tarradellas Álvaro Cunqueiro Mohamed Choukri Gunnar Garbo Rasul Gamzatov Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Bertil Ohlin Souvanna Phouma Chakravarti Rajagopalachari Fatima Jinnah Tom Mboya Ernest Kabushemeye Konstantin Katushev Roman Gul Ramón Morales Hugo Zepeda Barrios Julio Philippi Izquierdo Fernando Belaúnde Terry Grantley Herbert Adams* Norman Manley |
National Liberalism
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Originating in the continental European democratic movements of the 19th century, National Liberalism is a synthesis of liberal political theory with nationalist philosophy on the integrity of the nation-state. It retains liberalism's emphasis on individual and economic freedom, but stresses that the continued health of the two is predicated on continued, unthreatened national sovereignty. National Liberal theory can manifest in anti-immigration and economically protectionist policy, but also in support for limited industrial planning and state subsidies for critical economic sectors. National Liberal praxis, however, is not tightly bound by strict ideological tenets. Because National Liberal theory orbits the salient concerns of sovereignty and liberty, subservient policy areas can be reoriented in their defense. Protectionist economic policy can sometimes give way to free trade agreements, and industrial planning to free enterprise, if doing so is considered conducive to the maintenance of state sovereignty and individual liberty. |
Miki Takeo Camile Chamou Ales Adamovič Georgy Basharin John Gorton Patrice Lumumba Joseph Kasa-Vubu Cyrille Adoula Dominique Mbonyumutwa Henrique Teixeira Lott* Juscelino Kubitschek Tancredo Neves Arturo Frondizi* Eric Williams |
Liberal Radicalism
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Something of a relic of the past, the concept of Radicalism holds its roots in the days of the French Revolution in specific and the Enlightenment in general, and has kept itself close to those roots moreso than the adherents of other liberal ideologies. To the Radical, the ideals of democracy, secularism, and the development and advancement of human rights come before all other priorities. As the world continued on into the 20th century, things began to change as more and more radical ideologies took center stage. As first Marxist, and then later Fascist, ideologies began to overwhelm the continents of Europe and Asia, many strains of liberalism began to shift and evolve as reactions to the changing tides. In the 40's, Italy's and Germany's utter and complete victories over the democracies of Western Europe looked to be the deathknell of their ideology, but twenty years later, one can see that has not been the case. After the stagnations and failures of Italy and Germany in the 1950's, people began to look for answers once more, and a renewed faith in Enlightenment ideals has taken root in many parts of the world, especially in the West. A torch once thought snuffed out has been lit once more, and has been raised to the heavens as many call for a return to the virtues liberty, equality, and brotherhood. |
Paul Chaudet* José María Guido Silvano Santander Ricardo Balbín Raúl Rettig Guissen Alberto Abdala |
Revisionist Zionism
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The logical counterbalance to Labor Zionism, Revisionist Zionism is a center-to-far-right ideology, made to counterbalance the, in its eyes, 'Bolshevization' of Theodor Herzl's Zionist dream. Revisionist Zionism seeks to 'revise' the Zionism of the political establishment - specifically, in terms of the territory of the future state of Israel. While many Labor Zionists compromise with a two-state solution, or a state 'merely' spanning the borders of Palestine, Revisionist Zionists champion a larger state, with even moderates seeking the annexation of Transjordan, with some few extremists even arguing for the Biblical borders of Israel - that is, the Nile to the Euphrates. Revisionist Zionism is, for the mainstream, still Democratic, however, with its founder, Ze'ev Jabotinsky, subscribing to British Liberalism, and the idea that, while Israel is, of course, a Jewish State, Arabs should be free to assimilate and participate in its electoral systems. The feasibility and morality of this, however, is hotly debated by Zionists both Revisionist and Labor. |
Menachem Begin |
Christian Liberalism
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In the gospel of the Bible, it is written: "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself". Such words have come to dominate a spectrum of political thought within various cultures adherent to the teachings of the Bible and the philosophy of Jesus Christ known to contemporary politics as Christian Liberalism; contrary to the predominantly conservative leanings of most politics where it relates to the Church, Christian Liberals are firmly in the belief, in a general sense, that all men should be treated equally and with respect, and that any overtures towards economic or societal separatism is not only a violation of the rights of man and individual liberty, but a bluntly immoral attitude that goes against the Christian principle of equality, and believe staunchly in the ideals of charity, compassion and to provide shelter and aid to the destitute and infirm. Christian Liberals will often be contrary to stiff opposition to societal reforms, or may even support said reforms themselves, believing in the words of Christ to "Render unto Caesar" and that government has no place interfering in the lives of its citizens on the basis of religion, even their own, and while they tend be averse to more radically progressive or socialist movements, with none more feared than the prospect of communism, Christian Liberals, by and large, are avowed allies to the idealism of liberal democracy, and will champion the cause of the underclass, righteously defend the cause of democracy under the providence of the Lord. |
Aldo Moro Eduardo Frei Montalva |
Liberal Agrarianism
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Out of the many strains of Agrarian politics extant since the rise of Agrarianism as a system of thought, Liberal Agrarianism has pride of place right in the middle of politics. Liberal agrarians fervently advocate personal and economic freedom, particularly that of the farmer, the peasant, and the average rural citizen. They adhere to a proud tradition begun by the various liberal farmer's parties throughout Europe and especially. Liberal agrarianism is very distinct from its counterparts in other political-economic clades. They eschew the traditionalism and social conservatism of right-wing agrarians, instead preferring a socially moderate or even liberal stance. The socialist definition of economic justice promoted by left-wing agrarians is also dismissed by Liberal Agrarianism; to a liberal agrarian, "economic justice" is met by a capitalistic system with all appropriate changes made so that the common people of the ruralities can live prosperously. |
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Progressive Liberalism
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Finding common ground among western democracies at the turn of the century, Progressive Liberalism defines efforts on the part of the liberal center of the political theater to reconcile the tenets of classical liberalism -particularly free market economics and strong civic nationalism- with the emerging desire for governmental and societal reform incumbent with the rise of mainstream progressivism that emerged in the years prior to, during, and after the First World War, whose stance towards aligning traditional liberal thought with a more contemporary progressive ideal was facilitated through the rise of progressive-minded liberal thinkers such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, David Lloyd George, and Alexander Kerensky. With the triumph of Fascism in Europe, many Progressive Liberal movements in the west have been, in many cases, facing an uphill battle; fear-mongering over the loss of the great european democracies has seen many Progressive and Liberal reforms sidelined by mainstream liberalism and conservatism out of protectionism against the New World Order, and in an effort to counter what they see as an increasingly untenable status quo, Progressive Liberalism has seen a new resurgence as a means to counter the influence of autocratic regimes in Europe and East Asia. While they tend to lean closer to the left of the political center on social issues compared to mainstream liberals, they are nonetheless committed to the ideals of individual egalitarianism and liberty as a matter of course, as far as economics go, Progressive Liberals often remain committed to the ideal of the Free Market, although individual movements and politicians pushing for market regulation and controls are not unheard of. |
Türkân Akyol Ghulam Muhammad Farhad Jean Lecanuet Alberto Lleras Camargo Carlos Lleras Restrepo |
Classical Liberalism
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Framing itself as the ideological descendants of the Greek and Roman Republics, Classical Liberalism is a contemporary branch of liberal democratic philosophy which found a surge in popularity in the reemergence of democratic institutions in the 18th Century, the most formative of which being the American Revolution, which prided itself as the vanguard for the reintroduction of liberal thinking in global politics. Commonly considered orthodoxy by liberal thinkers, Classical Liberalism promulgates a belief in individual egalitarianism, free market economics, and a drive towards societal cohesion through promotion of moderation and reform; it tends to put more of an emphasis on preserving the rights of personal freedom first and foremost, putting it in conflict with the more staunchly economy-centric Market Liberals, combatively traditionalist Status-Quo Conservatives, as well as contemporary Progressivism for promoting expansion of the civil government to combat social inequality at the expense of the free market. |
Edmond Giscard d'Estaing William McMahon Billy Snedden Oscar Kambona John Turner Hernando Durán Dussán Jorge Batlle |
Dynastic Liberalism
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To be a member of the US Democratic Party is to be part of a grand liberal tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. It is to be the inheritor of Madison and Jefferson's belief in the need for constitutional, democratic government. It is to be the standard bearer of Wilson's internationalism and support for robust institutions. It is to be the defender of the welfare state put in place by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and expanded by his successors Dwight D. Eisenhower and Estes Kefauver. The modern American liberal is the culmination of all these figures—a stalwart defender of civil rights, equality, social justice, and a regulated market economy. They look toward the future while firmly rooted in the traditions of the past.
Kennedy
The liberalism of John F. Kennedy is no different. With his soaring rhetoric and unabashed optimism, John Kennedy urges Americans to look forward to new frontiers and new opportunities. Guided by "the best and the brightest" of the era and a distrust of bureaucratic procedures, Kennedy has urged all Americans to come together to eradicate poverty, eliminate bigotry, and extend their country's reach toward the stars. On the domestic front, liberalism under Kennedy has become defined by policies seeking to end American stagnation—policies that include tax cuts, minimum wage hikes, and aggressive attacks against segregation. Internationally, liberalism has become defined by a robust foreign policy—combining both an aggressive military posture toward Japan and Germany with a renewed focus on development in other states across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Yet, it remains unclear whether this latest manifestation of liberalism will withstand the struggles America faces abroad and at home. Despite all the glittering images and inspiring speeches, America still faces enormous social and political challenges. There is the constant danger that the shining ideal that Kennedy puts forth will fall into the morass and be overwhelmed by extremists on the left and right. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson's liberalism holds that America, despite its stagnation, is the most prosperous nation in the world and possesses resources that make it possible to end all manmade maladies. Herein lies the continuation of the Democratic Party's generational revolution, to build a government strong enough to care for the people yet so free and accessible to ensure domestic tranquility. With the power of this almighty government, poverty, hunger, illness, and perhaps even prejudice itself can be eliminated, sweeping actions limited only by the President's ability to pass legislation and the bureaucracy's capacity to enforce such policies. Lyndon Johnson's liberalism is a relentless pursuit of righting wrongs, fighting at home to expand medical and retirement benefits, codify transformative civil rights laws, and eliminate poverty once and for all. Yet, it remains unclear whether this latest manifestation of liberalism will withstand the struggles America faces abroad and at home. Despite continued efforts toward national perfection, America still faces enormous social and political challenges. Should President Johnson fail to uphold his commitments at home, to execute his continuation of the New Deal, or to uphold American commitments with allies abroad, the resulting threat could jeopardize the future of American liberalism and its hard-fought benefits. Hart
Liberalism, according to Philip A. Hart, is a force for changing the world. Yet, a man like Philip Hart has no ambition to champion New Deal-style executive expansion. Instead, he opts to continue his party's generational revolution with the cooperation of local governments, using state bureaucracies to circulate and entrench good, humanist policies. This suite of policy programs aims to revitalize cities, build infrastructure, attack crime, and create unprecedented opportunities for consumers in both the market and their workplace. Abroad, Hart's liberalism assumes a pragmatic face by softening attitudes towards Japan, seeking to de-escalate the Cold War in the Pacific in favor of further isolating the German Reich. Yet, it remains unclear whether this latest manifestation of liberalism will withstand the struggles America faces abroad and at home. Despite all the glimmering hope and human conversations, America still faces enormous social and political challenges. Politics of equity, if not executed carefully, can generate backlash, in turn isolating and polarizing sections of the country before the later failure of policy. For those citizens who are neither city-dwellers nor minorities, an overzealous effort to help urban finance might contribute to a Nationalist backlash. Morrison
Liberalism under Chep Morrison is about preserving this continuity. Thrust into the spotlight by accident of history, deLesseps Story Morrison finds himself desperately trying to tie together the various strands of a party ambivalent to him at best. He seeks to draw upon the public memory of the Hart Administration as well as his own popular leadership of Louisiana to keep his political allies committed to their urban constituencies, to ensure that Hart's urban projects do not fail but might remake America into a new, modern nation. In this way, Chep's America is one with precious few new ideas—he is not an uplifting beacon like Kennedy or an experienced political manipulator like LBJ—but if he can ensure that progress is not rolled back domestically or internationally, the president hopes others can count his Administration a success. Kirkpatrick
Jeane Kirkpatrick's liberalism is about strength. On the domestic front, strength is about giving people the power they need to seize control of their destinies—bolstering unions, eliminating bias from the workplace, and enriching everyday families. It is also about reinforcing America's institutions by marginalizing those cynical, unpatriotic, and "able-bodied but lazy" persons who make up America's extremes. In foreign affairs, liberalism is about aggressively expanding democracy through the assertion of American military power. Kirkpatrick's liberalism would see the military and intelligence establishment unshackled in its effort to end totalitarianism everywhere. There will be no peaceful coexistence. America will assert its interests all across the globe—without apology. Yet, it remains unclear whether this latest manifestation of liberalism will withstand the struggles America faces abroad and at home. There is a sense among the mainstream that this liberalism has replaced the welfare-oriented policies of previous administrations with policies of radical self-interest. The disaffected fringes, meanwhile, see Kirkpatrick as a confirmation of what they always knew about the American government's real imperialistic designs. If not carefully managed, liberalism could find itself delegitimized at home and abroad. |
John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Philip Hart Chep Morrison Jeane Kirkpatrick |
Liberal Technocracy
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Technocracy can be distilled into a single idea: that those citizens most qualified, having the strongest experience, learning, and knowledge in the scholarly fields most pertinent to the welfare of the state, should be those to run the affairs of state. A technocrat's idea of the ideal rulers for the nation are problem-solvers: researchers, theoreticians, scientists, businessmen, and engineers. Attempting, to the best of their ability, to divorce liberal democracy from party politics—or 'particracy', as some call it—liberal technocrats will strive to reform the state into a technocracy. Recruiting on merit to the best of their ability, their aim is to take away as much power as possible from the hands of elected officials and party cadres. This may seem undemocratic; many have raised this objection. Liberal technocrats' response to that charge is generally to point at the sclerotic, byzantine nature of the state bureaucracies they have often emerged to respond to. So taking away power from incompetent, illiterate elected officials is undemocratic. But how democratic is permitting bureaucrats to form political mafias that bloat the State and destroy its ability to get things done? How democratic is it to permit government officials, whose job is allegedly to serve the people, to instead engage in eye-watering degrees of internal corruption and nepotism that eat away at the state's institutions and government? If that is one's idea of liberty, so be it—but the liberal technocrat will never accept that answer. The State must serve its people, not parasitise them; technocracy is the sole guarantor of such a state |
Andrey Sakharov |
Trivia
- The sub-ideologies of Social Liberalism and Neoliberalism were tested for the Toolbox Theory update, but ended up being incorporated into base Liberalism.
- The only known adherents of Neoliberalism were Harold Holt and Konstantin Katushev.
- Market Liberalism was also incorporated into base Liberalism, before becoming a seperate sub-ideology in the 1.2.1 patch and moved to Liberal Conservatism.
- Before the Toolbox Theory update, Market Liberalism was its own independent ideology and according to the devs, it was a leftover from the Kaiserreich ideology mechanic the mod was using at the time (in Kaiserreich, Market Liberalism is a separate ideology).
- Before Toolbox Theory 3, Liberalism was known as Liberal Democracy.