Characteristics of Modern American Liberalism

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1. Belief that government--especially the Federal government--should play a large role in social and economic life.  Liberals usually believe that government can change social and economic conditions.

2. Reluctance to impose moral standards on individuals.  This is based partly on the tendency to see problems as social rather than moral.  For example, liberals tend to see poverty as caused by social conditions rather than the moral failures of the poor.

3. In foreign relations a distrust of traditional uses of force and a search for alternative means of conflict resolution.  This means basing foreign policy on other than traditional power concerns: Woodrow Wilson, for example, sought to root it in morality. In the League of Nations he also sought to create an international force to replace traditional national forces--an idea modern liberals have supported in the United Nations.