policy.house.gov     Why We Are Liberals Saturday, June 14, 2003 The Republican ideal, originally stated by our first presidential candidate, John C. Fremont, is freedom: free minds, free markets, free expression, and unlimited opportunity. In the 19th century, a political "liberal" pursued these goals -- a Socialist, on the other hand, sought greater government control over individual passions and perceived selfishness. Today, Republicans are the champions of free minds, free markets, free expression, and unlimited opportunity. The leading organized opposition to these ideas comes from the Democratic Party in the form of "politically correct" speech, government ownership and regulation of enterprise, and an insistence on equal outcomes instead of equal opportunity. As the organization that led the fight to abolish slavery, enacted constitutional civil rights for all persons, and established women's voting rights in the Constitution, the Republican Party stands now and has always stood for liberality in the classic sense: freedom of the individual. [Back] Accessibility Alphabetical Site Index Search Site Map Site Navigator What's New? Biotechnology, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Freedom, Civil Liberties, and Human Rights Civil Justice Health National Security and Foreign Affairs Redesigning Government Tax Reform Agenda: 108th Congress 107th Congress 106th Congress 105th Congress Annual Reports of the United States: 1996 | 1997 | 1998 1999 | 2000 | 2001 2002 Budget Process Reform Freedom in China Report on Russia Why We Are Liberals Why We Are Conservatives Committee Members Multimedia Contact Information Subscribe to E-mail Alerts Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Accessibility Committee Internships White House Policy Offices Senate Policy Committee Policy Related Links Committee Rules (PDF) CRS Issue Briefs