Source: Law & Liberty
by Matt Wolfson
“For almost a decade, many thoughtful people have agreed that something called ‘liberalism’ is under assault in America without ever concretely explaining what liberalism is. Two weeks ago, John McGinnis brought unusual clarity to the discussion in these pages with a two-sentence summary of liberalism that was comprehensive and specific. Liberalism, he said, ‘has historically been marked by independent courts, free trade, protection of property rights, and a limited state, even if it incorporates social welfare programs’ and could be linked to figures ranging from Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to Lyndon Johnson and George Bush. McGinnis is correct about liberalism’s historical features, but it is important to note that it can be divided into two very different approaches for how to achieve them …. We might call the two approaches ‘classical liberalism’ and ‘managerial liberalism.'” (09/18/24)