The Evolution of Liberalism

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the changes from the classical Liberal "Night Watchman" state to the Keynesian Welfare State to the contemporary Neo-Liberal model. The paper attempts to determine how these changes have impacted state, market and society relations and the quality of democracy. The paper argues that market forces have been predominant in Liberalism for much of this period, shaping both the quality of democracy and determining the limits of the democratic state's role in social economic relations.

From the Paper:

"It may be argued that we cannot truly understand the shifting nature of Western Liberalism unless we appreciate the role of market forces in shaping these changes. Early classical liberalism, in the view of C.B. MacPherson, was highly influenced by attitudes towards property and the market. Indeed, as MacPherson notes, there exist clear structural parallels between the classical Liberal political system and the market:
". . . you have a society based on individual mobility, on contract and impersonal market allocation of work and rewards in response to individual choices. Everyone was swept into the free market. (Swift 41)""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Harder, Lois. "The Modern State." In Janine Brodie and SandraRein, eds. Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics.Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005: 95-108.
• Swift, Richard. The No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy. London:Verso, 2003.

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