Liberal Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1874 |
| Youth wing | Young Liberals of America |
| Ideology | Liberal conservatism Economic liberalism Fiscal conservatism Factions: • Centrism • Classical liberalism • Social liberalism • Conservative liberalism • Neoconservatism • Consistent life ethic |
| Colors | Yellow |
The Liberal Party is one of the three biggest parties in the United States of America, the other being the Republican Party and the Progressive Party. The Liberal Party was founded in 1874 by anti-Grant Republicans and the Northern Democrats after the War of Southern Secession. The party is also, pejoratively, called as the Jackass Party or the Jackasses, for its long-time use of donkey as the party's logo.
The party is a "big-tent" party and its platform is generally based upon individual freedoms and rights and support for balanced budget. However, in contrast to the Progressive Party, whose members endorse more progressive policies, the Liberal Party adopted more conservative variant of liberalism. The party is more fiscally conservative than the Progressives, but more socially progressive than the Republican Party. Historically, the party has favored the working classes and religious and ethnic minorities; it has opposed unregulated business and finance, and favored progressive income taxes. However, by 1950s and 1960s, the party shifted more toward centre-right position.
The Liberal traditional political bases are the states in the United States' borders with the Confederate States (Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia and East Tennessee) and Massachusetts. Massachusetts is known to be the home state of Kennedy family, the leading political family of Liberal Party. The Liberal Party also has several pockets in the Eastern Coast and Western Frontier states.
History[]
Samuel J. Tilden (1814–1886)
The Liberal Party traced its origin from the Liberal Republicans, a faction of Republican Party that opposed the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 who they thought to be corrupt. The Liberal Republicans nominated Horace Greeley and Benjamin Gratz Brown as their presidential and vice-presidential nominees in 1872. On other hand, the rump Democratic Party also endorsed the Liberal Republican ticket albeit their dislike of Greeley. During this period, the Liberal Republican Party fused with the Democratic Party in all states. In the end, Grant was re-elected and defeated Greeley died shortly after the election.
In 1874, the Liberal Republicans and the rump Democrats formally merged to become the Liberal Party. The party nominated Samuel J. Tilden and Charles Francis Adams in its presidential ticket in 1876. Tilden eventually defeated Republican candidate, James G. Blaine, in the 1876 presidential election and became the first President from the Liberal Party. Tilden's presidency signaled the growing strength of Liberals and the emergence of the Third Party System that would lasted until early 20th century.
Grover Cleveland (1837–1908)
By the end of 19th century, the party was dominated by pro-business Gold Liberals led by Samuel J. Tilden and Grover Cleveland, who represented business interests, opposed imperialism, supported civil service reforms and gold standard. Cleveland was elected to the presidency for two terms in 1888 and 1893. In 1896, the Silver Liberals in support of free silver and more agrarian platform overthrew the Gold Liberal dominance and nominated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency thrice in 1896, 1900 and 1908.
After Cleveland's term ended in 1897, the party was unable to return to the White House until 1952 following the Republican dominance and the rise of Progressives in the political scene. The Liberals, however, took control of the House of Representatives in 1910 and 1930. The election of Progressive candidate, Franklin D. Roosevelt, a former Liberal to the presidency in 1932 hit the party hard during 1930s. Many progressive-minded Liberals shifted their votes to the Progressive Party thanks to the government's New Deal programs.
The Liberal Party became more conservative after entered the Conservative Coalition with the Republicans in 1937. In 1940, Wendell Willkie, a Progressive who, disappointed with Roosevelt's policy, joined the Liberal Party and was nominated as the party's presidential nominee. Willkie, an internationalist with anti-New Deal overtone, attracted not only the party's traditional supporters, but also moderate Republican votes. Although Roosevelt was re-elected into his fourth term in 1940, Willkie successfully boosted the party's political standing with his personal charisma and strong internationalism during World War II.
Joseph P. Kennedy (1888–1969)
On other hand, the party's conservative wing led by Joseph P. Kennedy encouraged the electoral fusion with the Republicans at local and state levels. Kennedy, a Catholic and a New-Dealer with less internationalist view, attempted to sway the conservative votes from the Republicans. In contrast with charismatic Willkie, Kennedy was more a behind-the-scene player and already used to the traditional party machinery.
With Willkie's sudden death in 1944, Kennedy emerged as the Liberal leading figure. Kennedy unsuccessfully challenged the Progressive incumbent, Thomas E. Dewey, in the 1948 presidential election. During this period, Kennedy personally did not rejecting New Deal policies at all and, like Dewey, wanted more efficient spending of public budgets and friendly climate for private enterprises. In foreign issue, Kennedy was initially more ideologically closer to Republican non-interventionism. However, Kennedy's anti-communism brought the party into more interventionist stance by 1950s.
As Cold War intensified in early 1950s, the Liberal Party adopted more aggressive anti-communist platform compared to the Progressives and accused the latter had been infiltrated by the Communists. The Liberals controlled the House of Representatives in 1950 and the Congress two years later. In 1952, Kennedy narrowly defeated Progressive candidate Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. in the 1952 election, marking a Liberal president's return to the White House in 64 years. The Liberal electoral victory also indirectly finished the political standing of Republican Party as a major player in the country's politics.
Kennedy administration became renowned for its fiscal conservative policies, almost curbing the New Deal legacies into non-existence. Between 1953–1961, the Liberal administration cut spending on social security programs and rather invested federal budget to partially fund government programs that were mostly public-private partnerships. However, low interest rates for small and medium businesses were highly popular among the emerging middle class, boosting the U.S. economic growth. Liberals' internationalism also directed government budget for military spending, expanding the defense posture during the peak of the Soviet-American political tensions.
Ideology[]
Conservative liberals[]
Conservative liberals are supporting small government, reduced government spending and rejecting government interference on economic issues. They are socially conservative by championing traditional family values, including pro-life position on the abortion issue, supporting the right of gun ownership and opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage. Conservative liberals are in favor of traditional morality and the preservation of social hierarchies. They view the state in more negative light than other factions of the party and believe the powers of state should be reduced and be replaced in its stead by conservative institutions and authority, such as family, religion and education. This faction is close with most of evangelical churches in the United States, although one of its most known leading figures is Joseph P. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic.
Liberal conservatives[]
The majority of Liberal Party members are made up by the liberal conservatives. Liberal conservatives are supporting economically liberal position as they believe that the individuals should participate in the market mechanism without being intervened by the government. Liberal conservatives espouse pro-growth economic position and support free-trade agreements. They differ with the conservative liberals for their belief in individual responsibility and freedom as well as their support of limited welfare state and social security. Unlike fiscal conservatism of conservative liberals, liberal conservatives support the increased government funding on military and police forces in line with their interventionist stance on foreign policy.
Liberal democrats[]
Liberal democrats within the Liberal Party are advocating socially liberal position like majority of Progressive Party members. They favor welfare state, cultural pluralism, stem cell research, the legalization of same-sex marriage, stricter gun control and environmental protection laws as well as the preservation of abortion rights. The only thing differs between two groups are social liberal wing of Liberal Party adopts pro-free trade, pro-growth positions over protectionism and workers' rights. While Joseph P. Kennedy belonged to conservative wing of the party, his sons did not. All Joseph's sons, John, Robert and Ted, as well as most of their extended families have hold more socially liberal positions in their political records.
