Pulled from somewhere other than my ass:
Contemporary Liberalism - In its current American usage, liberalism refers to a belief in the positive uses of government to bring about justice and equality of opportunity. Modern-day liberals wish to preserve the rights of the individual and the right to own private property, yet they are willing to have the government intervene in the economy to remedy the defects of capitalism. Liberals advocate equal access to health care, housing, and education for all citizens. They generally believe in affirmative action programs, worker's health and safety protections, tax rates that rise with income, and unions' rights to organize and strike.
On a more philosophical level, liberals generally believe in the probability of progress. They believe that the future will be better, that obstacles can be overcome. This positive set of beliefs may explain their willingness to trust government programs. Modern liberals contend that modern technology and industrialization cry out for government programs to offset the loss of liberties suffered by the poor and the weak. Liberals such as Edward Kennedy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Paul Wellstone, and Jesse Jackson frequently stress the need for an involved and affirmative government.
Liberals charge that conservatives usually act out of self-interest and follow the maxim "Let the government take care of the rich, and the rich will in turn take care of the poor." Liberals prefer that govenment take care of the weak, for the strong can always take care of themselves. "We have rejected the discredited theory that the fortunes of the nation should be in the hands of a privileged few," said President Harry Truman. "Instead, we believe that our economic system should rest on a democratic foundation and the wealth should be created for the benefit of all....Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from his government a fair deal."
Equality of opportunity is viewed by liberals as essential, and to achieve that end, liberals believe that discriminatory practices must be eliminated. Some liberals favor the reduction of great inequalities of wealth that make equality of opportunity impossible. Most favor a certain minimum level of income. Rather than placing a cap on wealth, they want a floor placed beneath the poor. In short, liberals seek to lessen the impact of great inequalities of wealth nd work to extend opportunities to all, regardless of their economic standing.
Critics of liberalism say the liberals place too much reliance on governmental solutions, higher taxes, and bureaucracy. These opponents argue that somewhere along the line, liberals forgot that governement, to serve our best interests, has to be limited. Power tends to corrupt, and too much dependence on government can corrupt the spirit, undermine self-reliance, and make people forget those cherished personal freedoms and property rights our Republic was founded to secure and protect. Too many governmental regulations and too much taxation tend to undermine the self-help ethic that "made America great." In short, critics of liberalism contend that the welfare and regualtory state pushed by liberals will ultimately destroy individual initiative, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the very engine of economic growth that might lead to true equality of economic opportunity.
