Individual Liberty

1
Individual Liberty

• CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
• Individual worth and dignity
• POLITICAL LIBERTY
• Philosophy of individual liberty leads to
  independence for colonists.
• ECONOMIC FREEDOM
• Capitalism evolves from classical liberalism.

2
DILEMMAS OF EQUALITY

• Legal Equality vs. Political Equality
• Equality of Opportunity vs. Equality of Result
• Equality in Economics vs. Equality in Politics

3
Inequality of Income and Wealth

• Conflict in society is often generated by
  inequality.
  1960
• Poorest households receive 4.8 of the income
• Wealthiest households receive 40.9 percent of
  income
• Today
• Poorest households receive 3.6 of the income
• Wealthiest households receive 46.9 percent of
  income

4
REASONS FOR RECENT INCREASES IN INCOME INEQUALITY

• REASON ONE Decline of manufacturing
  sector and rise of communications, information,
  and service sectors.
• REASON THREE
• Global competition that rewards high-tech,
  high-productivity occupations.

• REASON TWO
• Demographics Rise in numbers of aged and
  larger proportions of female-headed families.

5
IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF
1986Placed principal responsibility on
employersSet fines for knowingly hiring an
illegal alienGranted amnesty to illegal aliens
who had lived in the U.S. since 1982Failed to
reduce the flow of immigrants.
6
Antidemocratic Ideologies

• Fascism
• Supremacy of state or race over Individuals.
• Marxism
• Capitalism oppresses workers - favors emergence
  of classless society.

7
21st Century Directions

• Income Equality
• Social Mobility
• Cultural Diversity
• Liberalism and Conservatism