Social liberalism supports individual freedom and a market economy, and holds that government should act to widen opportunity through education, health care and a safety net.
Key thinkers:Nelson Mandela, Thomas Paine, Albert CamusTake the test and your match with Social Liberalism shows up here. It is worked out in your browser and never sent anywhere.
Where classical liberals fear government power, social liberals argue that real freedom needs more than the absence of coercion: people also need education, health and a minimum of economic security. They see a regulated market economy and a welfare state as compatible with liberty.
In the United States the word “liberal” usually refers to this tradition.
The ideas that most people in this tradition would sign up to.
It grew from the late-19th-century “new liberalism” of thinkers such as T. H. Green and L. T. Hobhouse and from reform movements in Britain and the United States.
Thinkers whose documented positions on the 12 axes align most closely with this ideology.
South African president · 1918–2013
A South African lawyer imprisoned for 27 years for his part in the fight against apartheid, who became the first president elected by all South Africans in 1994.
“Rainbow Nation: multicultural constitutionalism protecting diverse languages and traditions.”
Pamphleteer & revolutionary · 1737–1809
An English-born pamphleteer whose Common Sense and Rights of Man argued for American independence, republican government and public provision for the poor, and whose Age of Reason attacked revealed religion.
“Inherent human rights and free expression must be defended against tyranny.”
French-Algerian author · 1913–1960
A French-Algerian writer who wrote on the absurd and on revolt, broke with the communist left over its tolerance of terror, and opposed the death penalty.
“The Rebel and Reflections on the Guillotine defend free expression and oppose both capital punishment and ideological terror.”
These are its strongest leanings, followed by all twelve axes. They describe the typical version of the tradition.
Leans very strongly toward Democratic
92% toward Democratic
Leans very strongly toward Freedom
85% toward Freedom
Leans strongly toward Progressive
84% toward Progressive
Editorial estimates for comparison and discussion. Real people and parties in this tradition vary.
Countries whose estimated profile is most like this ideology. No country follows a single ideology, so read this as a comparison, not a label.
Every tradition has critics. These are the objections most often raised.
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The test scores you on all twelve axes and ranks every ideology by how well it matches you.
