Trevor Louis — Classical Liberalism: How Small Government Can Regain Its Voice

The principles and values of classical liberalism are enshrined in American culture because they are what the nation was founded upon, unlike any other country on Earth.

Three of America’s mainstream ideologies have stemmed from a classical liberal culture: conservatism, libertarianism, and liberalism. Their own spin on the ideology of their roots follows as a result of the primary goal of each - preserving the social order, preserving liberty, and solving social problems, respectively. While these goals have put the competing ideologies at odds with each other over the past several decades, they must unite lest they let the fascists and Marxists gaining in power bring about the end of the “liberal consensus” (in the classical sense) these three ideologies have forged, which Ross Douthat identifies as a possibility.

A coalition of conservatives, libertarians, and reasonable liberals can emerge by returning to the classical liberal tradition of their roots. Conservatives would have to drop their tendency to bring religion into politics. Libertarians would have to drop their tendency to see no legitimate role for government at all. Liberals would have to drop their tendency to use the government as a vehicle for social change. If done properly, this could create a governing majority that wants to reduce the size and power of government in a secularized America.…

Some paradoxes of liberalism. Can liberals unite and create a political coalition in spite of them? I doubt it. The differences are too great to bridge based on "freedom" alone.

It's a pretty good post for a high school student though.

The American Thinker
Classical Liberalism: How Small Government Can Regain Its Voice
Trevor Louis, student at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC