Perhaps to the surprise of many, I, Rex Maverick, am a self-identified classical liberal. Classical liberalism “advocates civil liberties under the rule of law with an emphasis on economic freedom.” Recent decades have seen a steep decline in the number of self-identified “classical liberals.” While this decline cannot be quantified, there has been a decline in legislation that favors classical liberalism. From the drug war to excessive federal and state social welfare programs, classical liberals have been betrayed by the mainstream political parties.
Classical liberals, can also be referred to as “libertarians,” since the connotation is practically interchangeable. Two common trends among classical liberals is being fiscally conservative and socially liberal. These two stances stem from the “Non-Aggression Principle” that states any violence that is not initiated, is immoral in every situation. The non-aggression principle states plainly that the threat of violence or actual violence to assert a political system or ideology is immoral.
Currently, the two major American political parties lean liberal and conservative in different areas. Generally, Republicans are conservative when it comes to spending unless it serves their special interest. Democrats, while labeled liberal, are actually far from it. Democrats endorse legislation that often infringes on the rights of individuals in order to further the collective. While democrats claim to advocate for the rights of minorities, famous libertarian, Ayn Rand, once famously said, “The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.”
So what caused the death of the classical liberal? While there are many individuals that cling to this ideology, including myself, the fact is that both major political parties in the United States support big government. From the big military and border security projects proposed and supported by the Republican Party and lavish social welfare programs, economic regulations, and environmentalist policies supported by Democrats, both political parties of the United States have rejected the premise of classical liberalism in exchange for big-government policies. In short, while classical liberalism previously reigned supreme as one of the most popular political ideologies with moderate federal leaders, recent partisanship has caused a steep decline in the familiarity and popularity of a relatively moderate political ideology, now being replaced with extreme, big-government policies on both sides of the isle.