Liberal Beliefs

You can type into Google "what do Liberals believe," and you will come across more than 5 million results.  Many are opinion pieces, and very few actually discuss liberal views. 


Then you have to ponder upon the difference between a Liberal, a Democrat, or a Progressive.  Most people use these three terms interchangeably, which is completely understandable because some Democrats are more liberal while others are more moderate.  One could be a Liberal Democrat or a Progressive Democrat.  It's a game of semantics, because many people don't really have a need to label themselves as a specific type of Democrat, Liberal or Progressive.  This is probably where Independents fare well, as independent thinkers, they are free from the cage of political epithets. 


For me, "Liberal" is a good term to use for anyone that isn't a part of the Republican Party, the Tea Party, Libertarians, or the like.   


One good place to start in defining what Liberals believe would be to start with the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.  Pew Research has a good reputations for unbiased research, and their page "Compare Political Typology Groups" reviews the Solid Liberal.  Although Pew is reputed to be unbiased, their opening statement proclaiming "Solid Liberals" as "highly educated and affluent," isn't what I believe is a proper representation of a Liberal.  However, we can overlook this faux pas and focus on some of the core beliefs of Liberals.


In a nut shell, according to Pew Research, the majority of Solid Liberals believe the following:

• Environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost
• Government should do more to help the needy
• Immigrants work hard and strengthen our country
• Abortion should be legal
• Active Racism adds to the inability of African Americans to live affluently

Other liberal beliefs can be found in the Next Generation Left typology:

• It's not necessary to believe in God to be moral
• Environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost
• Military force leads to more hatred towards America and creates more terrorists
• Government aid to the poor is more positive than negative

Hard-Pressed Skeptics have a few Liberal beliefs too:

• "Poor people have hard lives because government benefits don't go far enough"

Even Young Outsiders have a few Liberals beliefs:

• The Gay Rights Movement should be supported
• Marijuana should be legal

Other typologies that appear to be the opposite of Liberal beliefs include the Faith and Family Left, Business Conservatives, and Steadfast Conservatives. 


Another resource to answer the question at hand is an article at Student News Daily, Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs (revised in 2010).  Although Liberal Beliefs change with the ever-evolving situations faced by Americans, it sums up some basic Liberal views:

• It takes government action to achieve equality for all.
• Women have the right to choose and is a personal choice.
• Although Abortion is a hot topic, many liberals prefer to have the right to choose over no choice at all, even if that includes abortions for what an individual may believe to be the wrong reason.  The operative word is choice. 
• Racism is still prevalent in America, and sometimes the government must take action to help minorities advance in society.
• The death penalty should be abolished
• The greed of big businesses should be regulated by government as not to harm our citizens.
• Invest in the Public School System by raising educator salaries and reducing class size
• Support Embryonic Stem Cell research, which has proven to be effective in treatments and cures for diseases.
• Alternative power sources for clean energy is necessary and additional exploration is necessary. 
• Support Physician-assisted death
• Climate change is a real scientific force changing the Earth.  The government should propose laws to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and work towards clean energy.
• Gun control laws should protect the innocent
• This is another hot topic that isn't correctly stated on the aforementioned website.  Liberals want gun control laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who intent on using them for violent means.  This means stricter control on where a gun can be purchased.  Liberals, and especially Obama, are not out to get your guns.  Liberals are just tired of senseless killings in schools and public places by people with a history of mental health problems, and proposed gun laws are aimed at reducing these horrible events.
• Every American has the right to affordable heath care. 
• Homeland Security issues revolving around profiling may infringe upon the rights of our citizens.  Government oversight is needed to secure America.
• Support legal immigration. 
• Eminent domain, which is the seizure of private property while compensating the owner is acceptable as long as it benefits the public's interest. 
• This is another topic I believe is falsely represented on the quoted website.  Eminent domain can be useful in some situations, but no Liberal supports the idea that the government should be able to steal you land to put up a shopping mall.  This is another gray area where circumstances determine whether eminent domain is a valid and just decision.
• The separation of church and state is guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.  Religious expression should be kept at home, in the church, and out of Politics. 
• Gay Rights are being supported by more and more Liberals, Democrats and other political figures.  Much like the Civil Rights Movement, Gay Rights are now on the move. 
• Social Security should remain a part of the American safety-net and should not be abolished.
• The wealthy individual  and wealthy corporations should pay their fair share of taxes. 
• Support the United Nations as they promote peach and human rights.
• Diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy is the first avenue to fight Terrorism.  Military force should be considered only when absolutely necessary to secure the lives and freedom of Americans.   Terrorists should be captured and tried in the American Judicial system.
•  Welfare is a program to help the poor and needy, and the government should support the poor, hungry, and needy Americans.

Another topic Liberals stand behind, which isn't mentioned in the above references, is the support of our American Troops and Veterans.  More than a decade of America fighting abroad has left many active military, veterans, and disabled veterans with real issues.  American troops willingly join the armed forces, and when they come back home, they should be supported by the government.  This means they have a right to proper health care, including mental health, and the right to proper compensation for their service to our country.  There are more support groups, collectively, helping veterans, than the government itself.  This is shameful.  Our soldiers and veterans deserve care and respect.


Women's Rights are also a part of the Liberal belief system.  Many laws in many states have restricted women's rights, including the right to birth control.  The women's movement isn't about being a feminist, it is about equality. 


Liberals believe in equality for all citizens.