Social liberalism facts for kids

Social liberalism is a political idea. Liberalism should address social justice is part of this belief.

Social liberalism is different from classical liberalism: it thinks the state should address economic and social issues. Examples of problems the state might work on include unemployment, health care, and education. For example, there was no state support for general education in Britain before about 1870. Support for poor people came from private charities, and the church.

A commitment to a fair distribution of wealth and power, led gradually (over about a century) to support for public services as ways of fairly distributing wealth. Democracy improved by increasing the franchise (the right to vote) to all adults. Some countries which did not have democracy now do have it.

According to social liberalism, the government should also expand civil rights. Under social liberalism, the good of the community is viewed as harmonious with the freedom of the individual. Many parts of the capitalist world have used social liberal policies, especially after World War II.

John Rawls's published a book called "A Theory of Justice" in 1971, he suggested that ‘new liberalism’ is focused upon developing a theory of social justice. This idea of liberalism leads to issues of sharing, equality and fairness in social and political circumstances. It is controversial because of it attacks neoliberalism.

Social liberal ideas and parties tend to be considered centrist or centre-left.

Images for kids

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  Leonard Hobhouse, one of the originators of social liberalism, notably through his book Liberalism, published in 1911.

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  Thomas Hill Green

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  Friedrich Naumann

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  Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, whose New Deal domestic policies defined American liberalism for the middle third of the 20th century

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  David Lloyd George, who became closely associated with this new liberalism and vigorously supported expanding social welfare

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  British leaflet from the Liberal Party expressing support for the National Health Insurance Act of 1911 and the legislation provided benefits to sick and unemployed workers, marking a major milestone in the development of social welfare

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  Alexander Rüstow

See also

In Spanish: Socioliberalismo para niños