Are You Liberal, Libertarian, Conservative or Confused?

This book clarifies one’s thinking by defining generally accepted definitions for liberal, libertarian, and conservative. This establishes a linear scale. In order to do so, the author went to experts in each area and used their definitions. He found that some definitions have changed with time. Specifically, a Liberal in the 18th century is what we would call a Libertarian in the 20th and 21st centuries. The socialist of the 19th century is what is called liberal at the end of the 20th and in the 21st century. The general scaling of these political positions is clearly defined and plotted so that the reader can find themselves on a linear spectrum scale based on the reader’s beliefs. Thus, liberals are on the left, which follows social freedom, but economic constraint. On the right, one has conservatives, who follow social constraints and economic freedom. In the center, one has Libertarians who allow both social freedom and economic freedom.

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