Jim Sullivan: Defining today's modern liberals

In a guest column in September titled "How liberals perceive economic justice," I defined modern liberalism as a current manifestation of the philosophy, policies and ideas espoused by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the New Deal.

This column is an attempt to update that definition by examining liberal philosophy and issue positions and contrasting them with conservative ones.

Equality and economic justice are foundational goals for modern liberals. Additionally, modern liberals support the idea of a government large enough to make the goals of equality and economic justice, including the elimination of dire poverty and other socioeconomic problems, a reality.

Government is seen as the protector of rights and liberties enumerated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and should take an active role in encouraging and guaranteeing equality and economic justice.

In contrast, modern conservatives reject the idea of large government, government-supported equality and the elimination of socioeconomic problems by government.

Modern conservatives maintain that free individuals should be able to eliminate socioeconomic problems on their own, assisted by a free and competitive marketplace.

Personal freedom, small government, and a free and minimally regulated marketplace are the philosophical linchpins of modern conservatism.

Current issues and contrasting views include:

Gun Control: Modern liberals hold that the Second Amendment to the Constitution allows states to have and maintain militias. It does not guarantee the right of individuals to have firearms. In addition, the purchase and ownership of firearms is to be closely regulated by the government.

Modern conservatives insist that the Second Amendment gives the right of gun ownership to private individuals, and the purchase and ownership of those weapons are to be minimally regulated.

Immigration: Modern liberals support amnesty for illegal immigrants already in this country. Moreover, modern liberals maintain, such illegal immigrants are entitled to certain rights and benefits that normally accrue to American citizens.

By contrast, modern conservatives reject amnesty for illegal immigrants, holding that immigration policy should focus on legal immigration and enforcement of existing immigration laws.

Social Security: The act was passed in 1935 to ensure that seniors and elders do not become impoverished due to the significant reduction in income once retired, as well as due to higher medical expenses as a result of increased age. Modern liberals strongly support Social Security and believe it should continue to be administered by the government to help ensure its safety and liquidity.

Modern conservatives believe Social Security should be privatized and, therefore, that individual retirements should in effect be guaranteed by the investment marketplace and individual due diligence.

Abortion: Modern liberals maintain that abortion should be available to any woman who desires one. This position is a manifestation of the view that a fetus is not a human life and that a woman has control over her own body. The right to abortion must be protected by government.

Modern conservatives maintain that a fetus is a human life and that, indeed, life begins at conception. Accordingly, any manifestation of an unborn baby from conception onward has the right to life and thus abortion is immoral and should be illegal.

Global warming: That global warming has been proven by scientists and is a clear danger to the planet Earth is a view held by modern liberals. Additionally, modern liberals hold that global warming is caused by human burning of fossil fuels. Accordingly, carbon emissions must be regulated.

Modern conservatives hold that scientists have shown that global warming is not a threat that requires regulation of carbon emissions and that it is a function of normal changes in global temperature.

Health care: Modern liberals think all have a right to affordable health care. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 was a clear liberal victory. The reasoning behind this act is that literally millions of Americans do not have access to, or are denied, affordable health insurance and thus affordable health care. Many are forced to rely on emergency room physicians for their primary medical care.

Modern conservatives say that all have access to health care through a free, competitive marketplace and that the government should not subsidize health care for individuals. Many conservatives reject government subsidization of health care as socialized medicine.

The foregoing is intended as a brief updating of modern liberalism in terms of philosophy and six current high-profile social, economic and political issues.

People will recognize that not all liberals or all conservatives are necessarily consistent in how they define modern liberalism in terms of philosophy or issues — some will differ with the view of liberalism and conservatism presented here.

The hope is that there is enough common ground in this column to constitute a reasonable and realistic presentation of modern liberalism and, by association, modern conservatism.