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Liberal

2018-05-27T15:27:08Z

Hisfort9: Replaced a source from almost ten years ago with a source from this year, and modified the relevant claim accordingly.

[[File:Elizabeth Warren 2016 DNC cropped.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Elizabeth Warren]]]]

A '''liberal''' (alternately called a left-winger or [[leftism|leftist]]) is someone who advocates an increase in [[government]] spending, power, and control, such as [[ObamaCare]]. Liberals often support the [[censorship]] and [[denial]] of biblical [[Christianity]].<ref>http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=2062</ref> Liberals who are a part of the [[secular left]] prefer [[atheism]]/[[agnosticism]] over the Christian faith, as atheism has no objective morality to hinder their big government plans.<ref>http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/232212/fox-contributor-claims-rolling-stone-uva-story-part-of-liberal-plot-to-romanticize-being-a-victim-of-rape/</ref>

Increasingly, liberals side with the [[homosexual agenda]], including [[same-sex marriage|homosexual "marriage"]]. Liberals favor a [[welfare state]] where people receive endless entitlements without working.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/05/23/reform-conservatives-tackle-the-failed-liberal-welfare-state/ Reform conservatives tackle the failed liberal welfare state], [[Washington Post]]</ref> The liberal ideology has degenerated into economically unsound views and intolerant ideology. All liberals support, in knee-jerk fashion, the opposite of [[conservative]] principles, while lacking an actual ideology or values of their own.<ref>http://eaglerising.com/22901/liberal-crybabies-get-offended-by-caitlyn-jenner-costume/</ref> [[Secular left|Many of them]] cannot understand Christian language.<ref>Williams, Thomas D., Ph.D. (December 26, 2016). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/12/26/religiously-ignorant-liberals-mistake-new-king-at-christmas-for-donald-trump/ Religiously-Ignorant Liberals Mistake ‘New King’ at Christmas for Donald Trump]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved December 26, 2016.</ref>

Polling data has consistently shown that a larger percentage of Americans identify as conservative, rather than as liberal, currently by a margin of 35% to 26%; while the gap between self-identified conservatives and self-identified liberals has been narrowing in recent years,<ref>[http://news.gallup.com/poll/225074/conservative-lead-ideology-down-single-digits.aspx Conservative Lead in U.S. Ideology is Down to Single Digits]</ref> liberals and "progressives" oftentimes falsely claim that liberals outnumber conservatives.

==Political positions and practices==
'''Liberals support the following political positions and practices''':<ref>http://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2014/02/21/liberal-students-have-a-funny-definition-of-diversity-n1798157</ref>

* Wasting money on ineffective government programs (the significant economic problems in the [[Eurozone]] due to government debt will no doubt increasingly discredit this aspect of liberal ideology and make things more difficult for advocates of liberal economic ideologies)
*Many liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech">[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/20/suzanne-fields-how-the-liberal-left-is-killing-fre/ The slow death of free speech] by Suzanne Fields, ''Washington Times'', 2015</ref><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com">[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/why-does-the-left-want-to-suppress-free-speech/article/2532270 Why does the left want to suppress free speech?] by Michael Barone, Washington Examiner, 2013</ref>

*In the [[United States]], the [[Democrat Party]] and liberals have moved so far left that there are now political figures involved in Democrat politics who are sympathetic to [[Communism]]. For example, [[Anita Dunn]], an American political strategist who served as [[White House]] Communications Director from April through November 2009 in [[Obama Administration]], said that [[Mao Zedong]] was her favorite political philosopher.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher] by Ben Shapiro, Bretbart News, 2012</ref> [[Bernie Sanders]], a leading candidate in the Democrat Party's 2016 presidential nomination, although he is an adherent of [[social democracy]], he also has a history of involvement with [[Marxism|Marxist]] organizations.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post,January 16, 2016</ref><ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST">[http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/is-bernie-sanders-a-communist/ IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST?] by Joseph Farah, WND, 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kenneth-d-ackerman/history-lesson-bernie-san_b_9355082.html History Lesson: Bernie Sanders is no 'Communist,' and 'Democratic Socialists' are as American as Apple Pie], Huffington Post, 2012</ref> Sanders shocked his fellow liberals by putting up a [[Soviet Union]] flag in his Senate office.<ref>[http://nypost.com/2016/01/16/dont-be-fooled-by-bernie-sanders-hes-a-diehard-communist/ Don’t be fooled by Bernie Sanders — he’s a diehard communist], New York Post by Paul Sperry, New York Post, January 16, 2016</ref> In 1998, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which was founded by Sanders, had the song ''Red Revolution'' (a song advocating communist revolution) featured on a website that they shared with the Democratic Socialists of America.<ref name="IS BERNIE SANDERS A COMMUNIST"/>
[[File:Hillary Clinton.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Hillary Clinton]] ]]
* In 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of [[Hillary Clinton]], made the statement about the Democrat Party, which is a party strongly supported by liberals, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”<ref name="constitution.com">[http://constitution.com/democrat-party-overrun-communist/ Before his death in 1993, Hugh E. Rodham, father of Hillary Clinton, made the statement, “Democrats are one step short of Communism.”], Constitution.com</ref> In 1988, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), after decades of running their own presidential candidates, stopped running presidential candidates because the gap between Democrats and American communists had grown smaller.<ref name="youtube.com">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjFfE1MNFk Communists, the Democrat Party and Snopes]</ref> In 2016, the CPUSA urged people not to vote for Donald Trump even if they disliked Hillary Clinton (an indirect endorsement of Clinton).<ref name="youtube.com"/> Although there are still some very substantial differences between Communists and Democrats/liberals, the line between Communists/Democrats/liberals continues to blur in the United States.<ref name="constitution.com"/> Ironically, the leading Communist country in the world, [[Communist Party of China|Communist China]], has moved farther away from Communism and now has a mixed economy of [[capitalism]] and state owned enterprises.<ref>[China's The Most Viciously Free Market Economy On The Planet Right Now], Forbes, 2015</ref>
* Denial of science<ref>[http://www.postlibertarian.com/2012/09/why-do-liberals-hate-science/ Why Do Liberals Hate Science?]</ref> (especially [[creation science]])
* Government's ability to solve economic problems<ref name=studentNews>[http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs]</ref>
* [[Liberal Hypocrisy|Hypocrisy]]<ref>http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002849963/3038298682_real_verse_liberal_hypocrisy_xlarge.png</ref>
* The belief that Islamic terrorism is not a huge threat, and that the main reason for Islamic extremists' hostility towards America is because of bad foreign policy <ref name=studentNews />
* Brainwashing voters with propaganda
* [[Liberal hedonism|Hedonism]]
* Taxpayer-funded and state-encouraged [[abortion]]
* Rejection of Biblical standards
* Naive acceptance of the [[Idea of Progress]]
* [[Hate|Hatred]]<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/Liberal_hate_speech]</ref>
* [[Murder]] (through abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia)
* Censorship<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/07/watch-what-you-say-the-new-liberal-power-elite-won-t-tolerate-dissent.html Watch What You Say, The New Liberal Power Elite Won’t Tolerate Dissent], [[The Daily Beast]]</ref>
* Socialism<ref>[http://famguardian.org/subjects/Politics/Articles/Liberals.htm 60 Hard Truths about "Liberals"]</ref>
* Unsuccessful Keynesian economics as opposed to sound free-market economics
* Crying instead of accepting reality<ref>http://liberaltears.net/</ref>
* Cessation of teacher-led [[prayer]] in classrooms and school/state-sponsored religious events.
* Ending Western morality<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/07/13/5_ways_liberalism_destroys_virtue]</ref>
* [[Gun control]]
* Pseudo-intellectualism<ref>[http://eljam.blogspot.com/2005/09/i-hate-pseudo-intellectuals.html I hate pseudo-intellectuals]</ref>
* Affirmative action<ref name=studentNews />
* Opposition to government regulation or restriction of obscenity, pornography and violence in video games as a [[First Amendment]] right<ref>The [[Warren Court]], led by '''liberal''' Justices [[William O. Douglas]], [[Hugo Black]], [[Abe Fortas]], [[William Brennan]] and Chief Justice [[Earl Warren]] issued 36 decisions granting [[First Amendment]] rights to obscenity and pornography. These decisions remain fully supported by liberals today.</ref>
* Authoritarian government<ref>[http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2014/07/liberal_authori.html Liberal Authoritarianism]</ref>
* Government-funded medical care, such as [[Obamacare]]
* [[Liberal Fascism|Fascist tendencies]] (see also: [[Homo-fascism]])
* [[evolution and liberalism|Belief in evolution]]
* Destroying the Christian foundations on which America was built.
* Destroying conservative family values and replacing them with immoral [[Hollywood values]], such as abortion
* Brainwashing through government-censored [[public education]]
* Limiting personal freedom.<ref>[http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Democratic_Party Democratic Party]</ref> Liberal support for gun control is an example of this.
* High progressive taxes<ref>[http://www.ijreview.com/2014/07/157256-course-lower-state-taxes-helps-growth-studys-results-prove/ This Nationwide Study Challenges Everything Liberals Have Told You About Raising Taxes]</ref> as a form of class warfare against wealthy business owners.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/Progressive_taxation Progressive taxation]</ref>
* Placement of men and women in the same jobs in the [[military]]
* Slowly eroding the U.S. through [[Progressivism]].<ref>[http://americanprogressivism.wordpress.com/ What Is Progressivism?]</ref>
* Legalized [[same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]] and homosexual adoption
* Failed [[tax and spend]] economics
* Smearing<ref>http://www.truthnation.com/trumps-slogan-is-a-throwback-to-reagan-and-liberals-are-furious-make-america-great-again/</ref>
* Libertine sexual morality. See: [[Evolutionary belief and sexual immorality]] and [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]
* Economic sector regulations<ref name=studentNews />
* Denial of conservative roles in history. For example, liberals frequently claim<ref>[http://www.deism.com/washington.htm George Washington and Deism]</ref> that George Washington was a deist when he was actually a devout Episcopalian.
* Spreading of [[political correctness]]
* Government mass-surveillance
* Non-syndicalist [[labor union]]s
* Many liberals engage in [[racism]]<ref>[https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/03/26/25-examples-of-liberal-racism-in-quotes-n1549044 25 Examples of Liberal Racism in Quotes]</ref>
* [[Bigotry]]
* [[Trump Derangement Syndrome]]
* Advocating incorrect policies<ref>[http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/04/liberals-smug-condescending]</ref>
* Encouraging promiscuity and immorality through sexual education rather than teaching [[abstinence]] from premarital sex<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286671,00.html Democrats Aim To Kill Abstinence-Only Program Funding], [[Fox News]], Monday, June 25, 2007</ref>
* A "[[living Constitution]]" that is reinterpreted as liberals prefer, rather than how it is thought to have been intended.
* Government programs to [[rehabilitate criminals]]
* Slander<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Slander-Liberal-About-American-Right/dp/1400049520</ref>
* Gender "Equality"
* [[Anti-Americanism]]
* Abolition of the [[death penalty]]
* [[Environmentalism]]<ref>and environmental organizations, for example [[Greenpeace]]</ref>
* [[Globalism]], [[one-world government]], and opposition to national [[sovereignty]]
* Support for open borders with no border controls or [[border wall]]s
* Unconstitutionally mandated separation of church and state.
* Opposition to full private property rights.<ref>For example, the liberal wing of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] issued the 5-4 [[Kelo v. City of New London]] decision authorizing the taking of private property by government in order to give the property to another private entity rather than convert it to a public use.</ref>
* Reinstatement of the [[Fairness Doctrine]]
* Welfare
* Opposition to domestic wire-tapping as authorized in the [[Patriot Act]]
* Oppression of business rather than a laissez-faire capitalist economy
* American liberals often have opposition to the U.S. Constitution and/or are often ignorant of what the U.S. Constitution states. Liberals seek to expand federal power at the expense of local government and silence the conservatives who hold them back, violating the 10th and 1st Amendments respectively.
* [[Liberal Denial|Denial]] of traditional [[gender roles]]
* Support of financially irresponsible policies
* Encouragement of [[Global Warming|"global warming" alarmism]]
* Rejection of logical<ref>[http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140711/OPINION/140719804/2011/OPINION Liberals are illogical, and good at it]</ref> standards

'''Some liberals support:'''

* High tolerance of government corruption as long as it is done by other liberals <ref>http://www.infowars.com/correction-liberals-not-conservatives-are-psychotic</ref>
* [[Tyranny]] to varying degrees. In lesser forms, a [[Nanny State]] is preferred<ref>http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii</ref>
* [[Elitism]]<ref>https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130604122602AANvhvF</ref> See: [[Liberal elite]]
* [[Treason]]<ref>http://crooksandliars.com/2016/07/mikes-blog-round-25</ref>
* [[Anti-Semitism]] (strong support for "[[Palestine]]" and opposition to the state of [[Israel]])
* [[Genocide]] and [[eugenics]] in the form of [[abortion]] (see [[Abortion and eugenics]] and [[Margaret Sanger]])
* Enforced celebration of homosexuality<ref>http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/weve-gone-from-tolerance-of-homosexuality-to-forced-celebration-of-it.html/</ref>
* Pedophilia<ref>[http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/liberals-hard-pressed-make-pedophilia-legal-get-ready-sharia-law/]</ref>
* Bestiality as a human right<ref>[http://www.peterheck.com/libtree/liberty_tree/view/1677/liberals_repeal_ban_on_bestiality_in_the_military Liberals Repeal Ban on Bestiality in the Military]</ref> See: [[Liberalism and bestiality]]
* [[Sadism]]<ref>http://catholiccitizens.org/views/66534/uses-disgust-%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/</ref>
* [[Obesity]] via the [[Fat acceptance movement]] <ref>http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/rosie-odonnell-said-she-will-leave-america-youll-love-the-reason/</ref>
* Robbery and other forms of crime (see [[Gun control]])
__TOC__ 

== Liberal intolerance ==

''See also:'' [[Liberal intolerance]] and [[Liberal bigotry]]

Many modern liberals have a tendency of to be intolerant of ideas that contradict [[liberalism|liberal ideology]] which increasingly includes many strange notions (see: [[Liberal intolerance]]). For example, radical [[feminism|feminists]] commonly claim that one is not born a man or woman, but one becomes a man or woman through [[gender]] socialization.<ref>[https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-gender/#GenSocCon - Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender - Gender socialization], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy</ref>
[[Image:Coulter2006.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[Anne Coulter]] on the ''Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. Leftists prevented Anne Coulter from speaking at [[University of California, Berkeley]] through threats of violence.<ref name="foxnews.com">[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/26/ann-coulter-cancels-berkeley-event-amid-protests.html Ann Coulter cancels Berkeley event amid protests, says decision 'a dark day for free speech in America'], Fox News, 2017</ref> ]]
A Pew Research study found that “consistent liberals” were most likely to block others on [[social media]] for disagreeing with them politically.<ref>[http://hotair.com/archives/2014/10/21/pew-survey-consistent-liberals-most-likely-to-block-others-on-social-media-for-disagreeing-with-them-politically/ Pew survey: “Consistent liberals” most likely to block others on social media for disagreeing with them politically]</ref>

=== Liberal intolerance and violence ===

As noted above, may liberals are increasingly attempting to limit free speech.<ref name="The slow death of free speech"/><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com"/> For example, there have been several intolerant, liberal mobs which have shut down conservative speakers at college campuses (in 2017 there was two cases in the United States where violence or threats of violence were used to shut down free speech at college campuses).<ref name="foxnews.com"/><ref>[http://www.mediaite.com/online/left-wing-hooliganism-wins-again-over-free-speech/ Intolerant Far-Left Mob Wins Again Over Free Speech, This Time at Berkeley], Medialite, 2017</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/24/opinions/ann-coulter-berkeley-free-speech-randazza-opinion/ Dear Berkeley: Even Ann Coulter deserves free speech], CNN, 2017</ref>

[[Democrats]] used paid leftists agitators to disrupt [[Donald Trump]] rallies.<ref name="washingtontimes.com">[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/18/undercover-video-shows-democrats-saying-they-hire-/ Democratic heads roll after video shows agitators planted at Trump rallies], ''Washington Times'', 2016</ref><ref name="frontpagemag.com">[http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/264543/undercover-video-democrats-caused-violence-trump-matthew-vadum UNDERCOVER VIDEO: DEMOCRATS CAUSED VIOLENCE AT TRUMP RALLIES], Frontpage Magazine, 2016</ref> As far as the paid agitators, veteran left-wing strategist Robert Creamer confirmed on hidden camera that [[Hillary Clinton]] “is fully in it” and “Hillary knows through the chain of command what’s going on.”<ref name="frontpagemag.com"/> The agitators were sent to Trump rallies to anger Trump supporters and incite violence.<ref name="washingtontimes.com"/>

There have been a number of attacks against President Donald Trump supporters after his election which the [[mainstream media]] underreported.<ref>[http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/17/heres-a-list-of-completely-substantiated-and-underreported-attacks-on-trump-supporters/ Here’s A List Of Completely Substantiated (And Underreported) Attacks On Trump Supporters], Daily Caller, 11/17/2016</ref> In addition, there have been a number of instances of leftists and Trump supporters clashing at Trump rallies after his election.<ref>[https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3014061/violence-donald-trump-supporters-clash-rallies/ 'CIVIL WAR' Violence erupts as hundreds of Donald Trump supporters clash with rivals at US rallies], The Sun, March 2017</ref>

== Liberals and politics/law ==
[[File:ObamaCareSymbol.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[ObamaCare]] graphic courtesy [[Newsbusters]].]]
In the United States, liberals currently use two Clauses of the U.S. Constitution to try to expand their power: the Commerce Clause and the General Welfare Clause. The General Welfare Clause mentions "promoting the general welfare". This to a liberal means taxing the rich at increased rates and redistributing that money. The Commerce Clause, on the other hand, says that Congress has the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, between the states and with the Indian tribes. Since the days of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] this clause has been interpreted very loosely and has resulted in the federal government expanding its power. The latest example is The Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as [[Obamacare]]. In the ACA, the liberals justify the individual mandate by saying it regulates commerce between the states.

The decline in liberal principles can be illustrated by how Franklin Delano Roosevelt opposed and condemned public sector unions, stating that the idea of collective bargaining can't be transferred from the private to the public sector, as that would result in the government being unable to carry out its duties. Yet today, decades later, [[Democrats]] and liberals are in lock-step with public sector unions, as they "donate" money to the reelection campaign in exchange for more taxpayer money in their wallets and fluffed up pensions.

Current dictionaries describe the liberal ideology by pretending that a liberal is "a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties" or "a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets,"<ref>[http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=liberal&sub=Search+WordNet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h=00 Noun S: (n) liberal]</ref> or "open-minded or tolerant, especially free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc." or "favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties."<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal liberal]</ref> In practical usage, the term "liberal" is more closely synonymous with "radical," "immoral," "anti-freedom," "elitist," or "bad."

==Liberals and uncharitableness==
''See also'': [[Liberals and uncharitableness]] and [[Atheism and charity]]
[[File:Krdo13.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|An [[Obamaville]] was a tent city or shanty town in the [[United States]] created by homeless people during [[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]]'s presidency.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=174965</ref><ref>http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100627_Huge_tent_city_takes_root.html</ref><ref>http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/12/welcome-obamaville-sign-colorado-tent-city-media-mum</ref>
 
 
[[United States|American]] liberals have been observed to give less to charity than American conservatives.<ref name=georgeWill>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html Conservatives More Liberal Givers], [[RealClearPolitics]]</ref> ]]

In March 2008, [[George Will]] wrote at [[RealClearPolitics]] concerning the [[United States]]:
{{cquote|Sixteen months ago, [[Arthur C. Brooks]], a professor at [[Syracuse University]], published "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism." The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than [[conservative]]s....

If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:

-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.<ref name=georgeWill />}}
[[Atheism|Atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] often reject [[Bible|Biblical]] [[morality]] (and therefore [[conservative Christianity]] ) and hold to [[moral relativism]]. Therefore, it is not surprising that [[per capita]] atheists and agnostics in [[United States|America]] [[Atheism and charity|give significantly less to charity than theists even when church giving is not counted for theists]].<ref>[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians]</ref>

=== Liberal politicians and uncharitableness ===
The political magazine the [[American Spectator]] featured an article which focused on [[liberal politicians and uncharitableness]] exposing the hypocrisy of the liberal politicians it featured.<ref>[http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c5_1238044128&c=1 Charity Donations and Liberal Hypocrisy]</ref>

In addition, [[Barack Obama]] has been criticized concerning [[Barack Obama and uncharitableness|his lack of charitable giving]].

==Liberals and superstition==

''See also:'' [[Irreligion and superstition]]
[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|thumb|left|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to [[superstition]], tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians."<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]
The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]].<ref name=irrational>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html Look Who's Irrational Now]</ref>

Also, in September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:
{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith — it's what the empirical data tell us.

"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience, such as evolution than evangelical Christians....

This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in [[pseudoscience]], cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.<ref name=irrational />}}

== Secular left ==
''See also:'' [[Secular left]]

The [[secular left]] consists of [[leftist|left]]-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries. They support "strict government [[secularism]]".<ref>http://www.secularleft.us/about</ref>

=== Decline of the secular left ===
''See also:'' [[Decline of the secular left]] and [[Religious conservatism and politics]]

In some regions where the secular left has considerable influence, they [[Decline of the secular left|are losing]] an increasing amount of their power.

Religious conservatism is a big driver of [[social conservatism]]. Religious conservatism is growing in the world and it is affecting politics (see: [[Religious conservatism and politics]]).<ref>
[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vCDeKPRSo Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century]</ref>

== Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity ==
''See also:'' [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]] and [[Liberal Christianity]]

According to a 2007 study reported in the ''Journal of Family Issues'', adherents of [[liberal Christianity]] are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]].<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/hillhsstudy/articles/Chapter10_Article%2001.pdf Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?]</ref>

As noted above, liberals are [[Evolution and liberalism|more likely]] to adhere to evolutionary belief than conservatives. A study conducted by the Australian National University, revealed that belief in evolution is associated with moral permissiveness.<ref>[http://creation.com/morals-decline-linked-to-belief-in-evolution Morals decline linked to evolution]</ref>

== American liberalism ==

''See also:'' [[American liberalism]] and [[Liberal elite|Liberal elitism]]

[[File:FDRoosevelt by Perskie.png|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] ]]

As noted above, [[American liberalism]] is a political ideology that dominates the [[Democratic Party]]. Its heroes include [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Eleanor Roosevelt]], and [[Martin Luther King]].

According to the Gallup Organization, in the United States, 25% of the population were liberals and 36% were conservatives in 2016.<ref>[US Conservatives Outnumber Liberals by Narrowing Margin], Gallup, January of 2017</ref>

In 2017, the ''Financial Times'' declared about [[American liberalism]]:
{{Cquote|...as Democrats struggle to reinvent themselves in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, their party remains captured by a toxic mix of [[identity politics]] and corporate interests. The establishment wing is still convinced that racism and [[misogyny]], not economic populism, sank Mrs Clinton, and that wooing big corporate donors is still the way to victory in the next election.

While money matters, and there may have been some voters who turned away from Mrs Clinton because of gender, the key reason that the Democrats lost in 2016 and are struggling to rebrand themselves is that they have failed to grasp two things.

Firstly, most Americans today care more about jobs than identity, and secondly, the same downward mobility that pushed the white working class towards Mr Trump is moving up the socio-economic food chain, and fast. As research by groups from the International Monetary Fund to the OECD to McKinsey has shown, the technology-related job disruption that resulted in rust belt job losses and wage stagnation since 2000 is beginning to affect white-collar workers across nearly every sector....

But Democrats over-estimated the power and relevance of identity politics (there are still more whites without a college degree than minorities), and underestimated the breadth and depth of labour disruption. In any case, says Robert Johnson, president of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, “it was always a mistake to separate out issues of race and class, because they go hand in hand. In economically insecure times, fear of the ‘other’ increases.” It is a phenomenon exploited by Mr Trump.<ref>[https://www.ft.com/content/b34f5536-2c02-11e7-bc4b-5528796fe35c Economics, not identity, is key to reviving American liberalism], Financial Times, 2017</ref>}}

In recent years, American liberals have experienced a number of political losses and many liberals in the United States have become embittered (see: [[American liberalism and 21st century political losses]]),

[[Democrats]] and most media outlets in the [[U.S.]] are blatantly liberal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrc.org/biasbasics/biasbasics1.asp|title=Media Bias basics|publisher=[[Media Research Center]]}}</ref> Liberalism in North America today practices three primary tactics to attack the Republican Party, and sometimes to attack American values in general. These three liberal tactics can be pronounced using the following [[acronym]]: SIN. Liberals (1) '''s'''hift the subject, they (2) '''i'''gnore the facts, and they (3) '''n'''ame call.<ref>Scott Baker. [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/did-herman-cain-give-the-dont-miss-speech-at-cpac/ Did Herman Cain Give the ‘Don’t Miss’ Speech at CPAC?], ''[[The Blaze]], February 12, 2011.</ref><ref>[[YouTube]]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N3-j3HM7-A& Herman Cain: "Stupid People Are Ruining America"], February 11, 2011.</ref>

* Liberals typically support a "mixed" economy, a policy similar to that of [[fascism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fora.tv/2008/01/30/Liberal_Traits_of_Fascism|title=Video discussion about how modern liberalism is actually fascist by author Jonah Goldberg.}}</ref>

* Liberals claimed a monopoly on [[compassion]], [[decency]], and [[social justice]] (as defined by themselves), posing as the sole defenders of [[civic virtue]] against a horde of backwoodsmen, racists, and religious fanatics. [http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/the_disgrace_of_liberalism.html]
{{cquote|There's another goal, from my point of view, which is to try to lay the groundwork for a radical political force which would conceive of itself as distinctly to the left of moderate, reformist American liberals. And that has two aspects. One is to try to change that liberalism, to transform it by analysis, critique, and activism; the second is to build a radical movement which would be an autonomous force in its own right, which would be distinct from the traditional American liberal consensus. This radical part of the program involves not simply supporting the liberal students against conservative students and conservative professors, but trying to act on them, to push them to the left. It also involves trying to find and support, even trying to help create, networks of radical students in law school and of radical professors around the country — students and teachers who see themselves as wanting to go a lot further than most people want to go.<ref>[http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=liberal+teachers&fr=yfp-t-501&fp_ip=MX&u=duncankennedy.net/documents/Liberal%2520Values%2520in%2520Legal%2520Education.pdf&w=liberal+liberals+teachers+teacher&d=BNZFhPReRjC1&icp=1&.intl=us Liberal Values in Legal Education] Duncan Kennedy (professor at Harvard Law School)</ref>}}

===Liberal Rankings of Congress Members===
The National Journal compiles the votes of each congress member each year and uses the information to create rankings<ref>[http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/index.htm How the House voted]</ref> of how liberal each member of the United States [[Congress]] is. In addition to showing the voting records of each member and given an overall all ranking of liberalness, the National Journal also ranks congress members by liberalness in the areas of social, economic, and foreign policy.

=== American liberalism, demographics and expected tipping point in the decline of American liberalism ===
''See also:'' [[American atheism]] and [[Decline of atheism]] and [[Global atheism]]

Due to the explosive growth of [[global Christianity]] in traditional cultures and their influence on Western [[Christianity]] and the higher birth rate of [[Conservative Christianity|conservative Christians]] and religious conservatives, social conservatism is expected to rise.

The Birkbeck College, University of London professor Eric Kaufman wrote in his 2010 book ''Shall the Righteous Inherit the Earth?'' concerning America:
{{cquote|High evangelical fertility rates more than compensated for losses to liberal Protestant sects during the twentieth century. In recent decades, white secularism has surged, but Latino and Asian religious immigration has taken up the slack, keeping secularism at bay. Across denominations, the fertility advantage of religious fundamentalists of all colours is significant and growing. After 2020, their demographic weight will to tip the balance in the [[Culture War|culture wars]] towards the conservative side, ramping up pressure on hot-button issues such as abortion. By the end of the century, three quarters of America may be pro-life. Their activism will leap over the borders of the 'Redeemer Nation' to evangelize the world. Already, the rise of the World Congress of Families has launched a global religious right, its arms stretching across the bloody lines of the War on Terror to embrace the entire Abrahamic family.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/why-are-years-2012-and-2020-key-years.html Why are 2012 and 2020 key years for Christian creationists and pro-lifers?]</ref>}}

==Liberalism in Europe today==
[[File:Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin, Moscow 6 dec 2014 - 05-cropped.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[France|French]] liberal politician [[François Hollande]] was the President of the French Republic from 2012 until 2017. ]]
In Europe, on the other hand, parties that call themselves ''liberal'' are moderate in outlook, ranging from centre-left to centre-right, promote typically economic and business freedom. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe<ref>[http://www.alde.eu Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament]</ref> is a party of the European Parliament that represents most ''liberal'' parties from European countries. Similar policies are promoted by many ''liberal'' parties throughout the world,<ref>[http://www.liberal-international.org/ World Federation of Liberalism]</ref> such as the Liberal Party of Australia.<ref>[http://www.liberal.org.au/ Liberal Party of Australia]</ref>

Trade unions and socialist parties often criticize politicians for promoting lower taxes on business, or more flexible hiring and firing laws, by calling them "liberals" or [[neoliberal]]s. Thus, just as in the US, "liberal" may occasionally be used as a term of abuse. But when someone is called "liberal" in Europe, it has an entirely different meaning than in the US. In fact, the US meaning of liberal is more similar to the politics of both European [[socialist]]/[[social democracy|social democratic]] or Social/progressive liberal parties, in contrast to conservative or fiscal liberal parties which again falls into the right-wing part of the political spectrum.<ref>[http://www.pes.org Party of European Socialism]</ref>

==Historical Liberalism ==
[[File:JohnStuartMill.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px||[[John Stuart Mill]] was a [[classical liberal]]. ]]

In history, the word "liberal" has meant different things at different times, and was associated with individual liberty in prior centuries. In the postwar period, liberals supported government intervention in the economy and welfare state policies, as well as peaceful coexistence with the communist block, which are not liberal policies in the sense of classical liberalism. After the end of the cold war, with the demise of socialism and communism, many liberals embraced some ideas from economic neo-liberalism, and coined it the "Third Way". In the area of [[national security]] and foreign policy liberals in the [[U.S.]] failed to define a consistent stance, even after the events of 9/11 and the beginning of the war in Iraq. Liberals generally support affirmative action, gay marriage, and abortion.<ref>[http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/Bailey/Greenberg-Bailey/Homosexual%20Eugenics.pdf Parental Selection of Children’s Sexual Orientation], '''PDF''', "Political liberals tend, for whatever reason, to be ardent supporters of both gay rights and pro-choice programs." Greenberg and Bailey</ref>

=== Original meaning: Classical Liberalism ===
Liberalism is a political philosophy with freedom as its core value. The term was originally applied to supporters of individual liberties and equal rights, but, in America, the term has come to represent a movement of social change that often conflicts with [[conservative]] values such as moral values and traditions derived from Northern European Protestantism.

See [[Classical Liberal]]ism. Compare [[Libertarianism]].

== Influential/famous liberals ==
''See also:'' [[Infamous liberals]]

* [[Margaret Sanger]]
[[Image:President Barack Obama.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]] ]]
* [[Barack Hussein Obama]]<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/cheney-obama-is-the-worst-president-of-my-lifetime-2014-7 CHENEY: Obama Is 'The Worst President Of My Lifetime']</ref>

* [[Elizabeth Warren]]

* [[Bernie Sanders]]

* [[George Soros]]

* [[Emmanuel Macron]]

* [[Saul Alinsky]]

* [[Noam Chomsky]]

* [[John Maynard Keynes]]

* [[David Thorstad]],<ref>http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm</ref> a founding member of NAMBLA.

* [[Al Gore]]

* [[Pope Francis]]

* [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]

* [[Howard Zinn]]

* [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]]

* [[Albert Einstein]]

* [[Bill Nye]]

* [[John Wayne Gacy]] - In an interview where he denied killing any of his victims, [[serial killer]] John Wayne Gacy said he was [[bisexuality|bisexual]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT129 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> and "very liberal".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=YDyGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster], Transcript</ref> Gacy was also a [[Democrat Party]] activist who had his picture taken with [[Rosalynn Carter]].<ref>[http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/45527 Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg]</ref>

* [[Gene Roddenberry]]

==Liberal Organizations of thought==
*[[AARP|AARP - American Association of Retired People]]
*[[ACLU|ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union]]
*[[ACORN|ACORN - Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now]]
*[[AFL-CIO|AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations]]
*[[Amnesty International|AI - Amnesty International]]
*[[A.N.S.W.E.R.|ANSWER - Act Now to Stop War and End Racism]]
*[[CAIR|CAIR - Council on American-Islamic Relations]]
*[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]
*[[Democratic National Committee]]
*[[Greenpeace]]
*[[MoveOn.org]]
[[File:Margaret Sanger and Charles V. Drysdale cph.3b18067.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Margaret Sanger]] was the founder of [[Planned Parenthood]] ]]
*[[NARAL|NARAL - National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League]]
*[[NAACP|NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]]
*[[National Committee for an Effective Congress]]
*[[National Education Association]]
*[[National Organization of Women|NOW - National Organization of Women]]
*[[PETA|PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]]
*[[Planned Parenthood|Planned Parenthood Federation of America]]
*[[Progressives for Obama]]
*[[Rainbow/PUSH Coalition]]
*[[SEIU|SEIU - Service Employees International Union]]
*[[U.S. Peace Council]]
Source: [http://web.archive.org/web/20060509044946/http://www.politixgroup.com/lo.htm The Politix Group]

==Quotes on Liberals==
"I never use the words [[Democrats]] and [[Republicans]]. It's [[liberals]] and [[Americans]]." -James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under [[Ronald Reagan]]

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." -[[Ronald Reagan]]

“Liberals see racism where it doesn't exist, fabricate it when they can't find it and ignore it within their own ranks.” ―[[Michelle Malkin]]

"Words mean nothing to liberals. They say whatever will help advance their cause at the moment, switch talking points in a heartbeat, and then act indignant if anyone uses the exact same argument they were using five minutes ago." -[[Ann Coulter]]<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2010/11/23/the_25_best_quotes_about_liberals The 25 Best Quotes About Liberals]</ref>

"The reason any conservative's failing is always major news is that it allows liberals to engage in their very favorite taunt: Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy is the only sin that really inflames them. Inasmuch as liberals have no morals, they can sit back and criticize other people for failing to meet the standards that liberals simply renounce. It's an intriguing strategy. By openly admitting to being philanderers, draft dodgers, liars, weasels and cowards, liberals avoid ever being hypocrites." -Ann Coulter

"If you can somehow force a liberal into a point-counterpoint argument, his retorts will bear no relation to what you've said -- unless you were in fact talking about your looks, your age, your weight, your personal obsessions, or whether you are a fascist. In the famous liberal two-step, they leap from one idiotic point to the next, so you can never nail them. It's like arguing with someone with Attention Deficit Disorder." -[[Ann Coulter]]

"Inside many liberals is a totalitarian screaming to get out. They don't like to have another point of view in the room that they don't squash and the way they try to squash it is by character assassination and name calling." -David Horowitz

"End results that work that don't involve government threaten liberals." -[[Rush Limbaugh]]

"I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living. I'd like to know why they make excuses for cowards who spit in the faces of the police and then run behind the judicial sob sisters. I can't understand these people who carry placards to save the life of some criminal, yet have no thought for the innocent victim." -John Wayne

==Quotes by Liberals==
[[File:JoeBiden.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Joe Biden]] ]]

"The number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S." -[[Joe Biden]]

"There is no reason the nation of Africa cannot, and should not, join the ranks of the worlds most prosperous nations." -Joe Biden<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/StupidStuffDemocratsSay Stupid Stuff Democrats Say]</ref>

"Romney wants to give EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION BILLION in tax breaks to the rich." -Joe Biden

"Will the Mars Rover be able to show the flag the astronauts planted there before?" -Sheila Jackson Lee

"Isn't it a little racist to call it Black Friday?" -Joy Behar

"Is there such a thing as a man-made stroke? …I know what this [Republican] party is capable of." -Joy Behar

"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." -[[Al Gore]]

"The center of the earth is about a million degrees." -Al Gore

"A zebra does not change its spots." -Al Gore

"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied." -[[Jeremiah Wright]]

"Every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs." -[[Nancy Pelosi]]

"My favorite word, that is really easy, my favorite word is 'the word'." -Nancy Pelosi

"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” -Nancy Pelosi

"Why can't I just eat my waffle?" -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go." -[[Barack Hussein Obama]]

"Welcome to Cinco de Quattro!" -Barack Obama

"The time has changed for come." -Barack Obama

"They support democratic institutions in Kyrzakhstan" -John Kerry

"My fear is that the whole island (of Guam) will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." -Democrat Congressman Hank Johnson<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2013/08/17/the-25-stupidest-liberal-quotes-of-the-last-decade-n1666619 The 25 Stupidest Liberal Quotes Of The Last Decade]</ref>

"Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security." -Obama foreign policy adviser Richard Danzig

"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate." -Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry<ref>http://conservative.wikia.com/wiki/Hilarious_Liberal_Quotes</ref>

"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?" -Marion Barry

"My appetite is so good that I can eat the table cloth right off the chair." -Democrat Congressman Joe Moakley

"Those who died in the earthquake, their lives will never be the same again." -Barbara Boxer

"I have to march because my mother couldn't have an abortion." -Maxine Water<ref>http://www.azquotes.com/quote/687234</ref>

"I dare you, you little fruitcake!" -Democrat Congressman Pete Stark

"I root for hurricanes" -James Wolcott

"I've got a secret for you: Kiss my a**." -George McGovern

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." -[[Norman Thomas]], six-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America<ref>http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Norman.Thomas.Quote.FFB1</ref>

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -Hillary Rodham Clinton<ref>Hawkins, John (June 16, 2015). [https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2015/06/16/draft-n2012995 20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved May 16, 2017.</ref>

"Reagan will raise taxes, and so will I. He won't tell you. I just did." -Walter Mondale

== Modern liberalism and the use of mockery rather than reasonable argumentation ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and mockery]]

In a ''BloombergView'' article, Stephen L. Carter wrote about modern liberalism:
{{Cquote|But the left has work to do, not only on policy and organization but also on attitude. Too many of my [[progressivism|progressive]] friends seem to have forgotten how to make actual arguments, and have become expert instead at condemnation, derision and mockery. On issue after issue, they’re very good at explaining why no one could oppose their policy positions except for the basest of motives. As to those positions themselves, they are too often announced with a zealous solemnity suggesting that their views are Holy Writ -- and those who disagree are cast into the outer political darkness. In short, the left has lately been dripping with hubris, which in classic literature always portends a fall.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-11-11/trump-and-the-fall-of-liberalism Trump and the Fall of Liberalism] by Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView</ref>}}

== Liberal influence in extreme ideologies (and vice-versa) ==
{{See also|Similarities between Communism, Nazism and liberalism|Communism and Nazism}}

Although the following individuals were not liberals, they shared several left-wing/liberal views in their ideologies, which overlapped with American/European liberalism.

=== Marxist/communist figures ===
*[[Karl Marx]]—opposed religion and supported taking it completely out of public life; supported the disestablishment of the family; strong support for labor, socialism, and an expansive government.<ref>''The Communist Manifesto''</ref> Admired by many liberals,<ref>Multiple references:
*Dedaj, Paulina (May 5, 2018). [http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/05/05/moviemaker-michael-moore-wishes-karl-marx-happy-200th-birthday.html Moviemaker Michael Moore wishes Karl Marx a happy 200th birthday]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
*Duke, Selwyn (May 2, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/28951-ny-times-hails-marx-on-his-birthday-you-were-right New York Times Hails Marx on His Birthday: “You Were Right!”] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
*Sunkara, Bhaskar (January 25, 2013). [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/25/karl-marx-relevant-21st-century Why the ideas of Karl Marx are more relevant than ever in the 21st century]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
*Cooper, Ryan (May 4, 2018). [http://theweek.com/articles/770718/time-normalize-karl-marx It's time to normalize Karl Marx]. ''The Week''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref> including [[European Commission]] president [[Jean-Claude Juncker]].<ref>Multiple references:
*Hale, Virginia (May 5, 2018). [http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/05/05/eu-president-heartfelt-defence-karl-marx/ EU Chief Jean-Claude Juncker Defies Protests to Deliver Heartfelt Defence of Karl Marx]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (May 5, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28979-european-commission-president-praises-karl-marx-s-contributions-to-european-union European Commission President Praises Karl Marx’s Contributions to European Union]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (April 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/28934-eu-commission-president-juncker-set-to-honor-karl-marx European Commission President Juncker Set to Honor Karl Marx]. ''The New American''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref>
*[[Vladimir Lenin]]—socialist, supported an expansive government, supported [[one-world government]]
*[[Che Guevara]]—socialist, admired by many liberals<ref>[http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/05/illegal-immigrants-rally-in-support-of.html Illegal Immigrants Rally For Dead Marxist Che Guevara]</ref><ref>[http://www.che-mart.com/WhoisChe.php Che-Mart]</ref><ref>Jones, Nigel (January 2, 2009). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4077397/It-is-a-sad-reflection-of-our-time-that-Che-Guevara-is-seen-as-a-hero.html It is a sad reflection of our time that Che Guevara is seen as a hero] ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref><ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Che_Guevara_in_popular_culture&oldid=833775290</ref>
*[[Mao Zedong]]—socialist. Introduced [[Maoism]], some American liberals admire him<ref>Shapiro, Ben (October 17, 2012). [http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2012/10/17/obama-debate-advisor-anita-dunn-mao/ Obama Debate Coach Named Mao as Favorite Political Philosopher]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 20, 2018.</ref>
*[[Fidel Castro]]—socialist, opposition to religion, government-run healthcare. In addition, Castro is admired by numerous American/European liberals.<ref>Wootson, Cleve R., Jr. (November 26, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/26/trudeau-called-castro-a-remarkable-leader-twitter-imagined-what-he-would-say-about-stalin/?tid=pm_world_pop Trudeau called Castro a ‘remarkable leader.’ Twitter imagined what he would say about Stalin.] ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Lott, Jeremy (November 26, 2016). [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jill-stein-praises-fidel-castro-a-symbol-of-the-struggle-for-justice/article/2608223 Jill Stein praises Fidel Castro: 'A symbol of the struggle for justice']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref>Richardson, Valerie (November 28, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/28/aaron-mair-sierra-club-president-fidel-castro-had-/ Sierra Club president: Fidel Castro had ‘more honor’ than Donald Trump]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved November 28, 2016.</ref><ref name="O'ReillyNov.29.2016">[http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=4323#3 The O'Reilly Factor - Monday, November 28, 2016]. ''billoreilly.com''. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref>
*[[Hugo Chavez]]—socialist. Admired by many American/European liberals.<ref>Kew, Ben (May 4, 2017). [http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/05/04/ten-influential-public-figures-praised-venezuelas-descent-socialist-hell/ 10 Famous People Who Praised Venezuela’s Descent Into Socialist Hell]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 5, 2017.</ref>
*[[Joseph Stalin]]—socialist. Introduced [[Stalinism]], admired by many (European-) socialists/liberals.<ref>https://www.tni.org/es/node/7617</ref>

=== Fascists ===
:''See also:'' [[Liberalism#Nazism and socialism|Nazism and socialism]]

*[[Adolf Hitler]]—supported animal "rights,"<ref>[ https://books.google.com/books?id=e7FME0btkH0C&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=hitler+animal+rights&source=bl&ots=PIxjDRDBj1&sig=tbJisPm39hMcxj1g6xL0Kh0sn7g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3qZP7xOPTAhVr4oMKHeTMA_c4FBDoAQhKMAc#v=onepage&q=hitler%20animal%20rights&f=false Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions], pg. 62.</ref><ref>Harrison, David; Paterson, Tony (September 22, 2002). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1407954/Thanks-to-Hitler-hunting-with-hounds-is-still-verboten.html Thanks to Hitler, hunting with hounds is still verboten]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref name="EllisWash."/> environmentalism,<ref name="EllisWash.">Washington, Ellis (March 26, 2011). [http://www.wnd.com/2011/03/279449/ The Nazi Cult of the Organic']. ''WND''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/ecology/nazi_ecology.htm Nazi "Ecology"], Frank Furedi, ''columbia.edu''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Musser, Mark (February 6, 2016). [http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/02/yale_professor_on_nazi_environmentalism_so_close_yet_so_far.html Yale Professor on Nazi Environmentalism: So Close, yet So Far]. ''American Thinker''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> gun control (see [[Gun Control in Nazi Germany]]),<ref>Halbrook, Stephen (December 2, 2013). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2013/12/how-nazis-used-gun-control-stephen-p-halbrook/ How the Nazis Used Gun Control]. ''National Review''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Kline, Audrey D. (May 9, 2014). [https://mises.org/library/gun-control-nazi-germany Gun Control in Nazi Germany]. ''Mises Institute''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref><ref>Wolverton, II, J.D., Joe (January 30, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/14367-nazi-gun-control-laws-a-familiar-road-to-citizen-disarmament Nazi Gun Control Laws: a Familiar Road to Citizen Disarmament?] ''The New American''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Stupp, Herbert W. (July 13, 2015). [https://spectator.org/63424_hitler-and-gun-control/ Hitler and Gun Control]. ''The American Spectator''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Hoft, Joe (March 24, 2018). [https://thegatewaypundit.com/2018/03/reminder-hitler-also-used-children-to-promote-gun-control/ FLASHBACK: Hitler Also Used Children to Promote Gun Control]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved March 26, 2018.</ref> socialism,<ref>http://louderwithcrowder.com/myth-busted-actually-yes-hitler-was-a-socialist-liberal/</ref> single-payer healthcare (see [[Health care in Nazi Germany]]), and a large expansionist government, and had an intolerance for opposing views.
*[[Benito Mussolini]]—a socialist from a socialist family who only split from mainstream socialism due to his support for Italy during [[World War I]] rather than supporting a [[one-world government|globalist workers' revolution]].<ref>[http://www.biography.com/people/benito-mussolini-9419443 Benito Mussolini]. ''Biography.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/italian-history-biographies/benito-mussolini Benito Mussolini]. ''Encyclopedia.com'' (from the Encyclopedia of World Biography''). 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> Prior to [[World War I]], Mussolini wrote for socialist publications and spoke highly of Marx.<ref>Greenspan, Jesse (October 25, 2012). [http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-mussolini 9 Things You May Not Know About Mussolini]. ''History.com''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> He used gun control to help gain power.<ref>Quammen, E. David (August 12, 2013). [http://www.teapartytribune.com/2013/08/12/italian-gun-control-right-before-mussolini-seized-total-control/ Italian ‘gun control’ right before Mussolini seized total control….]. ''Tea Party Tribune''. Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Conservative vs. liberal]]
*[[Liberal corporate tyranny]]
*[[Left-wing war on women]]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==See also==
{|background="none" width="100%" border="0"
|valign="top"|
* [[Conservative resources]]
* [[Conservapedia:Articles about liberals|Articles about liberals]]
* [[Classical liberal]]
* [[Drinking Liberally]]
* [[Godless liberal]]
* [[Last wordism]]
* [[Essay:Liberal celebrity obsession|Liberal celebrity obsession]]
* [[Essay:Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia|Liberal Behavior on Conservapedia]]
* [[Liberal Christianity]]
* [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]
* [[Liberal Democrats]]
* [[Liberal Elite]]
* [[Essay: Liberal Falsehoods|Liberal Falsehoods]]
* [[Liberal Fascism]] tendencies.
|valign="top"|
* [[Liberal friendship]]
* [[Liberal Gloss]]
* [[Liberal grading]]
* [[Liberal hypocrisy]]
* [[Essay:Liberal hysteria|Liberal hysteria]]
* [[Essay:Liberal Intellectualism|Liberal Intellectualism]]
* [[Liberal labels]]
* [[Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right|Liberal Lies About the American Right]]
* [[Liberal logic]]
* [[The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness|Liberal Mind]]
* [[Liberal Party]]
* [[Liberal supremacist]]
* [[Massachusetts liberal]]
* [[Progressives]]
|valign="top"|
* [[Scientific Illiteracy and Liberals]]
* [[European Liberalism]]
* [[Liberal and conservative]]
* [[Liberal anger]]
* [[Liberal competitiveness]]
* [[Liberal concealment]]
* [[Liberal conscience]]
* [[Liberal dislikes]]
* [[Liberal excuses]]
* [[Liberal fear]]
* [[Liberal gossip]]
* [[Liberal guilt]]
* [[Liberal confusion]]
* [[Liberal hedonism]]
|valign="top"|
* [[Liberal hyperbole]]
* [[Liberal infiltration]]
* [[Liberal media hype]]
* [[Liberal opinion]]
* [[Liberal relativism]]
* [[Liberal revisionists]]
* [[Liberal self-righteousness]]
* [[Liberalism-ism]]
* [[Liberals and conservatives]]
* [[Essay:Liberal Intelligence]]
* [[Essay:Incoherence of liberal thought]]
* [[Essay:Liberal Predictions of the Decade]]
|}

==Further Information==
* [[Best New Conservative Words#New Liberal Terms|New Liberal Terms]]
* [[Conservative Links]]
* http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/

{{liberalism}}

[[Category:Political Ideologies]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Liberals]]

Holy Roman Empire

2017-05-02T03:10:49Z

Hisfort9: /* Origins */

{{Middle Ages}}[[Image:Western_Empire_887.gif|thumbnail|right|300px|The Empire in 887]]

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' (sometimes called the First Reich), from 900 to 1806 AD was the territory in Europe, loosely under the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor. In practice the constituent states ruled themselves.

==Origins==

The origins of the Holy Roman Empire lie with the [[Carolingian]] empire founded by the Frankish Emperor [[Charlemagne]]. The [[Catholic]] Charlemagne, after conquering much of the area which would become the Holy Roman Empire, ushered in a sort of subtle Renaissance in the Frankish kingdom; he introduced standardized measurement and educational systems, introduced a common currency and written language, and patronized architecture meant to be reminiscent of [[Ancient Rome]]. These and other policies managed to introduce a level of prosperity to Charlemagne's kingdom little scene in Europe since the heyday of the Roman Empire. [[Pope]] Leo III, pleased that Charlemagne had done this in a [[Christian]] context, declared the Frankish kingdom to be the Catholic reincarnation of Rome. On [[Christmas]] day in the year 800, Leo formally crowned Charlemagne "Holy Roman Empire", and thus dubbed his territories the "Holy Roman Empire". Unfortunately, this prosperity was not to last. After the death in 840 of Charlemagne's son and successor, [[Louis the Pious]], the Frankish Empire fell into civil war among the three sons of Louis, [[Lothair]], [[Charles the Bald]] and [[Louis the German]]. At the [[Treaty of Verdun]] in 843, the three sons agreed to split the Empire in three parts and divide them among themselves.

Louis the German gained the eastern part of the Empire, and was made King of East Francia. In 962, his descendant [[Otto I]] inherited the Imperial crown as the last surviving heir of the Carolingian dynasty. At this point, the Kingdom of East Francia became the Holy Roman Empire, although this name was not common until later centuries.

==Nomenclature==

The name "Holy Roman Empire", which became common in the 12th century, reflects the self-perception of its emperors as descendants of the [[Roman Empire]]. Through a process called [[translatio imperii]], the old Roman Empire continued in the shape of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 16th century, the full description ''The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation'' was usually used in formal references.

In 1756, [[Voltaire]] famously described the Empire as "neither [[Holy]], nor [[Rome|Roman]], nor an [[Empire]]", in his ''Essay on the Manner and Spirit of Nations and on the Principal Occurrences in History''.

==Political==

Throughout its history, the Holy Roman Empire was an unstable political structure. Power in the Empire was very decentralized, and mostly held by strong noble families and ecclesiastical princes. The power of the Emperor was often dependent on both his personal lands and resources, and on his ability to negotiate or coerce the other powerful nobles of the realm.

The Emperor was chosen through election by the so-called Prince-Electors, or ''Kurfürsten''. For the greater part of the Empire's history, there were seven Electors: The three Archbishops of Mainz, Trier and Cologne, the King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Duke of Saxony, and the Margrave of Brandenburg.

==Religion==

During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire, like the rest of Europe, followed the Catholic faith. Throughout its history, however, the Empire was plagued by religious conflicts, especially between the Emperor and the Pope. The most important of these conflicts was the so-called [[Investiture Conflict]] between c. 1076 and 1122 AD and the Thirty Years' War between c. 1618 and c. 1648.

These conflicts were mostly political in nature, however, and as a rule, the position of the Catholic Church was unchallenged in the Empire until the end of the Middle Ages. The emergence of first the [[Hussite movement]] in [[Bohemia]] the beginning of the 15th century and especially the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] reformers a century later, however, challenged the religious unity of the Empire and gave rise to serious conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War.

==See also==
*[[Holy Roman Emperor]]

==External links==
*[https://www.britannica.com/place/Holy-Roman-Empire Holy Roman Empire] at the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''
*[http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=emk History of the Holy Roman Empire] (up to AD 1138) at ''historyworld.net''
*[http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/german-history/holy-roman-empire Holy Roman Empire] at ''Encyclopedia.com''

[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Medieval History]]
[[Category:German History]]

Holy Roman Empire

2017-04-12T01:11:13Z

Hisfort9: Added some more context about the history of the Empire

{{Middle Ages}}[[Image:Western_Empire_887.gif|thumbnail|right|300px|The Empire in 887]]

The '''Holy Roman Empire''' (sometimes called the First Reich), from 900 to 1806 AD was the territory in Europe, loosely under the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor. In practice the constituent states ruled themselves.

==Origins==

The origins of the Holy Roman Empire lie with the [[Carolingian]] empire founded by the Frankish Emperor [[Charlemagne]]. The [[Catholic]] Charlemagne, after conquering much of the area which would become the Holy Roman Empire, ushered in a sort of subtle Renaissance in the Frankish kingdom; he introduced standardized measurement and educational systems, introduced a common currency and written language, and patronized architecture meant to be reminiscent of [[Ancient Rome]]. [[Pope]] Leo III, seeing that Charlemagne had managed to introduce a level of prosperity to his kingdom little scene in Europe since the heyday of the Roman Empire, and pleased that he had done so in a [[Christian]] context, declared the Frankish kingdom to be the Catholic reincarnation of Rome. On [[Christmas]] day in the year 800, Leo formally crowned Charlemagne "Holy Roman Empire", and thus dubbed his territories the "Holy Roman Empire". Unfortunately, this prosperity was not to last. After the death in 840 of Charlemagne's son and successor, [[Louis the Pious]], the Frankish Empire fell into civil war among the three sons of Louis, [[Lothair]], [[Charles the Bald]] and [[Louis the German]]. At the [[Treaty of Verdun]] in 843, the three sons agreed to split the Empire in three parts and divide them among themselves.

Louis the German gained the eastern part of the Empire, and was made King of East Francia. In 962, his descendant [[Otto I]] inherited the Imperial crown as the last surviving heir of the Carolingian dynasty. At this point, the Kingdom of East Francia became the Holy Roman Empire, although this name was not common until later centuries.

==Nomenclature==

The name "Holy Roman Empire", which became common in the 12th century, reflects the self-perception of its emperors as descendants of the [[Roman Empire]]. Through a process called [[translatio imperii]], the old Roman Empire continued in the shape of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the 16th century, the full description ''The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation'' was usually used in formal references.

In 1756, [[Voltaire]] famously described the Empire as "neither [[Holy]], nor [[Rome|Roman]], nor an [[Empire]]", in his ''Essay on the Manner and Spirit of Nations and on the Principal Occurrences in History''.

==Political==

Throughout its history, the Holy Roman Empire was an unstable political structure. Power in the Empire was very decentralized, and mostly held by strong noble families and ecclesiastical princes. The power of the Emperor was often dependent on both his personal lands and resources, and on his ability to negotiate or coerce the other powerful nobles of the realm.

The Emperor was chosen through election by the so-called Prince-Electors, or ''Kurfürsten''. For the greater part of the Empire's history, there were seven Electors: The three Archbishops of Mainz, Trier and Cologne, the King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Duke of Saxony, and the Margrave of Brandenburg.

==Religion==

During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire, like the rest of Europe, followed the Catholic faith. Throughout its history, however, the Empire was plagued by religious conflicts, especially between the Emperor and the Pope. The most important of these conflicts was the so-called [[Investiture Conflict]] between c. 1076 and 1122 AD and the Thirty Years' War between c. 1618 and c. 1648.

These conflicts were mostly political in nature, however, and as a rule, the position of the Catholic Church was unchallenged in the Empire until the end of the Middle Ages. The emergence of first the [[Hussite movement]] in [[Bohemia]] the beginning of the 15th century and especially the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] reformers a century later, however, challenged the religious unity of the Empire and gave rise to serious conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War.

==See also==
*[[Holy Roman Emperor]]

==External links==
*[https://www.britannica.com/place/Holy-Roman-Empire Holy Roman Empire] at the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''
*[http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=emk History of the Holy Roman Empire] (up to AD 1138) at ''historyworld.net''
*[http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/german-history/holy-roman-empire Holy Roman Empire] at ''Encyclopedia.com''

[[Category:European History]]
[[Category:Medieval History]]
[[Category:German History]]

France

2017-04-03T22:17:18Z

Hisfort9: Added a stipulation about France's history

{{Country
|map =France rel94.JPG
|name =French Republic ''République Française''
|map2 =France location.png
|flag =Flag of France.png
|arms =Armoirie France.png
|capital =Paris
|capital-raw =
|government =Republic
|government-raw =
|language =French
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =François Hollande
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Manuel Valls
|pm-raw =
|area =260,558 sq mi
|pop =62,814,233
|pop-basis =2016
|gdp =$2.42 trillion (2015)
|gdp-year =
|gdp-pc =$36,248
|currency =euro
}}
'''France''' is a major country in Western [[Europe]]. In ancient times, the area that is today France was included in the Roman province of Gaul. The French nation can be traced back to 481, when Clovis I ascended as the country's first king. France has played a significant role in world events since the era of Cardinal Richelieu in the mid-seventeenth century. The monarchy founded by Clovis lasted until the [[French Revolution]] of 1789-1799. Since 1870 (with the exception of a four-year period from 1940 to 1944 during which it was controlled by [[Nazi Germany]]), France has been a republic with the motto "liberty, equality, fraternity."

France is a leading member of the [[European Union]], an economic and political union founded in 1952 as the European Coal and Steel Community. France's current constitutional structure, called the Fifth Republic, was introduced in 1958. It features a strong president elected to a five-year term of office. The French national currency, or franc, was phased out in 1999-2002 and replaced by the euro. France is the world's most popular tourist destination with 80 million visitors in 2011.<ref>[http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/20-Most-Popular-Countries-As-Tourist-Destinations.htm 20 Most Popular Countries as Tourist Destinations]".</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Harbour of Marseille France.jpg|thumb|left|The Harbour of Marseille.]]
*Total area: 674,843 km2. (260,558 sq. mi.); largest Western European country, about the size of [[Texas]].
*Cities: Capital (and largest city)--[[Paris]]. Major cities--[[Marseille]], [[Lyon]], [[Toulouse]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Nice]], [[Rennes]], [[Lille]], [[Bordeaux]].
*Terrain: Varied.
*Climate: Temperate.
*Population : 63 136 180 (January 2011 INSEE est.) excluding overseas territories.

 

==History==
[[File:Palacio del Luxemburgo ELUE Romero.jpg|thumb|left|Luxembourg Palace.]]
See: [[History of France]]
{{Clear}}

==People==
Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, travel, and migration. Three basic European ethnic stocks—Celtic, Latin, and Teutonic (Frankish)--have blended over the centuries to make up its present population. France's birth rate was among the highest in Europe from 1945 until the late 1960s. Since then, its birth rate has fallen but remains higher than that of most other west European countries. Traditionally, France has had a high level of [[immigration]]. More than 1 million [[Muslims]] immigrated in the 1960s and early 1970s from [[North Africa]], especially [[Algeria]]; their numbers are now above 5 million (2004 figure).

===Education===
[[File:Pascal by Augustin Pajou Louvre PD WC.jpg|thumb|Sculpture of [[Blaise Pascal]] by Augustin Pajou, Le Louvre.]]
Education is free, beginning at age 3 (sometimes 2), and mandatory between ages 6 and 16. The [[public education]] system is highly centralized. Private schools are primarily Roman Catholic, with some of them still run by religious orders historically involved in the French educational system. Almost all schools welcome students from all denominations.

In France, teachers abide by the state-chosen educational program, with the science curriculum based on [[Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin’s]] [[Theory of Evolution]]. [[Creationism]] can be referenced for cultural and philosophical values.
[[Image:Gtr7564.jpg|left|150px|thumb|[[René Descartes]], French philosopher & scientist]]
====Higher education====
Higher education in France began with the founding of the [[University of Paris]] in 1150. It now consists of 91 public universities and 175 professional schools, including the post-graduate Grandes Ecoles. Private, college-level institutions focusing on business and management with curricula structured on the American system of credits and semesters have been growing in recent years.

France has an elaborately stratified system of higher education; nearly all schools are controlled and funded by the government. There are few private foundations or endowments, but some research money comes from American foundations. Most scholars and scientists at all levels are civil servants with lifetime tenure. Rigid hierarchies ensure that young researchers pay their dues before moving up the ladder to supervisory roles. Paris decides what areas of research are high priorities, which laboratories will be “centers of excellence,” and how many people will be hired in what fields. It also classifies France’s top educational and research institutions as ''grands organismes'', ''grands établissements'', and ''grandes écoles'', with bureaucratic strictures ensuring that there will be little contact between the different groups.<ref>Fred Schwarz, "The Uncertainty Principle: America dominates science with a classic American formula: freedom," ''National Review'', Dec. 21, 2009</ref>

The University of Vincennes (currently known as Paris VIII) was formed as a result of the Student Protests during May 1968. It later became particularly infamous for its radical [[philosophy]] department, which had been organized by and led at the time by [[Michel Foucault]], with his also participating in a 500-man student protest at the school and hurling projectiles at the police to resist. This radicalization also led to the firing of Judith Miller due to both her giving credit to a student she just met on the bus, and her tacit admission in a radio interview that she was deliberately causing the college to function as badly as possible due to it being a "capitalist" institution.

===Language===
The French language derives from the vernacular Latin spoken by the Romans in [[Gaul]], although it includes some Celtic and Germanic words. Historically, French has been used as the international language of diplomacy and commerce. Today it remains one of six official languages at the [[United Nations]] and has been a unifying factor in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean.
[[Image:Sacre Coeur.jpg|thumb|Le Sacre Coeur.]]
The French language is controlled by the French Academy (''L'Académie française''). Members of the Academy are appointed for life so there is a very conservative approach to the changing demands on the language even going as far as banning words with an English origin. The French people (and other French speakers) often ignore the "correct" French and adopt modern English words. This can cause an even wider gap opening up between the cultural elite, who prefer to follow the official French even if it is many years and even decades out of date, and ordinary French speakers who prefer to have a more useful language. There have even been arguments between the government and the Academy over the introduction of "foreign" French words from countries like Belgium and Canada which the government is keen to use. Some even say that this painfully slow and traditional organization is strangling the French language.

===Religion===

Partially as a result of the French Revolution, the French state is non-religious - it has no sanctioned religion and is forbidden to do so by law, a practice which commonly referred to as ''laicité''. Since the beginning of the 20th century, state banning of religion in education and other state-funded activities created a large proportion of people who are atheists. It was common for teachers to preach atheism at schools and classroom prayer was forbidden.
[[File:Notre-dame.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Notre Dame.]][[File:La Mosquée de Paris.jpg|thumb|left|125px|La Mosquée de Paris.]]
[[File:Muslims in Europe map.jpg|thumb|290px|Muslims in Europe by country.]]
In a January 2012 poll, 31% percent of respondents indicated they were Roman Catholic, including those who never attend religious services. Of Catholics, only 4% went to Church regularly—mainly to Sunday Mass or christenings. There is a cultural particularism in France : a large percentage (30%) of people, calling themselves Catholics, don't believe in God, nor in any kind of spiritual lifeforce. They endorse Catholicism's moral teachings, and view Catholic dogma as a tradition. There are an estimated 4 million to 5 million Muslims (6 to 8% of the population), although estimates of how many of these are practicing vary widely. According to a January 17, 2008 survey in the Catholic daily ''La Croix,'' 29% of Muslims surveyed said they observed Islam's five prayers daily, an decrease from 31% in 1994. Mosque attendance for Friday prayers rose to 19%, up from 16 percent in 1994, while Ramadan observance reached 45% compared to 42% in 1994. Drinking alcohol, which [[Islam]] forbids, also declined to 34% from 39% in 1994.<ref>Data reported by [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108446.htm U.S. State Department, 2008]</ref>
Protestants make up 3% of the population, Jewish and Buddhist religious groups 1% each, and Sikhs less than 1 percent.

In April 2008 a practicing Buddhist claimed the current estimate of 600,000 Buddhists strongly underrepresents the actual number of adherents; however, he acknowledged the difficulty in distinguishing between practicing Buddhists and the much larger number of persons who characterize themselves as sympathetic to certain Buddhist principles. Scholars distinguish between "sympathizers" (approximately 5 million), "associates" (defined as having a certain degree of proximity to Buddhism and estimated to number between 100,000 and 150,000), and "practitioners" (approximately 12,000). The biggest Buddhist meditation center in the West is in the region of Touraine, and two Tibetan monasteries in the Auvergne region have trained the largest number of Buddhist monks outside Asia, according to 2002 statistical data.

The Jewish community numbers approximately 600,000. According to press reports, at least 60% of Jews are not highly observant, celebrating at most only the High Holy Days. The large majority of observant Jews are Orthodox. There are small Conservative and Reform congregations as well.

Jehovah's Witnesses reported that 148,263 persons attend their services either regularly or periodically.

Orthodox Christians number between 80,000 and 100,000; the vast majority are associated with the Greek or Russian Orthodox Churches.

Other religious groups include Evangelicals, Christian Scientists, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Membership in evangelical churches is growing (with as many as 400,000 adherents, according to February 2007 press reports), including African-style "prosperity" churches, especially in the suburbs of Paris, in large part because of increased participation by African and Antillean immigrants. According to the press, there are approximately 31,000 Mormons. The Church of Scientology has an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 members.

==Government==
[[File:Delacroix La liberte guidant le peuple.jpg|thumb|300px|Commemorating the July Revolution of 1830: [[Eugene Delacroix]], ''La liberte guidant le peuple''.]]
The [[constitution]] of the Fifth Republic was approved by public referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the powers of the president in relation to those of Parliament. Under this constitution, presidents have been elected directly for a 7-year term since 1958. Beginning in 2002, the presidential term of office was reduced to 5 years. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties. Traditionally, presidents under the Fifth Republic have tended to leave day-to-day policy-making to the Prime Minister and government; the five-year term of office is expected to make presidents more accountable for the results of domestic policies.

The president can submit questions to a national referendum and can dissolve the National Assembly. In certain emergency situations, with the approval of parliament, the president may assume [[dictator]]ial powers and rule by decree. The main components of France's executive branch are the president, the prime minister and government, and the permanent bureaucracies of the many ministries. Led by a prime minister, who is the head of government, the cabinet is composed of a varying number of ministers, ministers-delegate, and secretaries of state. Parliament meets for one 9-[[month]] session each year. Under special circumstances the president can call an additional session.

Under the Constitution, the legislative branch has few checks on executive power; nevertheless, the National Assembly can still cause a government to fall if an absolute majority of the total Assembly membership votes to censure. The Parliament is [[bicameral]] with a National Assembly and a Senate. The National Assembly is the principal legislative body. Its deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral college and, under new rules passed in 2003 to shorten the term, serve for six years, with one-half of the Senate being renewed every three years. (As a transitional measure in 2004, 62 Senators were elected to 9-year terms, while 61 were elected to 6-year terms; subsequently, all terms will be six years.) The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. The government also can declare a bill to be a question of confidence, thereby linking its continued existence to the passage of the legislative text; unless a motion of censure is introduced and voted, the text is considered adopted without a vote.

A distinctive feature of the French judicial system is that the Constitutional Council protects basic rights when they might be potentially violated by new laws and the Council of State protects basic rights when they might be violated by actions of the state. The Constitutional Council examines legislation and decides whether it conforms to the constitution. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, it considers only legislation that is referred to it by Parliament, the prime minister, or the president. Moreover, it considers legislation before it is promulgated. The Council of State has a separate function from the Constitutional Council and provides recourse to individual citizens who have claims against the administration. The Ordinary Courts—including specialized bodies such as the police court, the criminal court, the correctional tribunal, the commercial court, and the industrial court—settle disputes that arise between citizens, as well as disputes that arise between citizens and corporations. The Court of Appeals reviews cases judged by the Ordinary Courts.

Traditionally, decision-making in France has been highly centralized, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. In 1982, the national government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization continues, albeit at a slow pace.
===Principal Government Officials===
See [[List of French Presidents]].
*President—François Hollande
*Prime Minister—Manuel Valls
*Foreign Minister—Laurent Fabius
*Ambassador to the United States—François Delattre
*Ambassador to the United Nations—Gérard Araud

===Political Conditions===
[[File:French Market.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Improving French Market.]]
Since his inauguration in May 2007 as France's sixth president under the Fifth Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy focused his first months in office on improving the performance of France's economy through liberalization of labor markets, higher education and taxes. In the April 22, 2007 first round of presidential elections, Sarkozy, the leader of the center-right, union for a popular Movement (UMP) party, placed first; Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal placed second; centrist François Bayrou placed third; and extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen placed fourth out of a field of 12 candidates. Sarkozy prevailed in the May 6, 2007 second round, defeating Royal by a 53.06% to 46.94% margin. Royal's loss marked the third straight defeat for the Socialist candidate in presidential elections.

President Sarkozy assumed office on May 16, 2007, the last day of Jacques Chirac's official term. Sarkozy named François Fillon Prime Minister. Jean-Louis Borloo, the second highest ranking figure in the government, presides over an expanded Ministry of Environment.. Legislative elections held on June 10 and 17, 2007 gave the UMP a large parliamentary majority. In 2007, key ministers included: Jean-Louis Borloo, Ecology and Sustainable Planning; Michèle Alliot-Marie, Interior; Bernard Kouchner, Foreign Affairs; Christine Lagarde, Economy; Brice Hortefeux, Immigration; Rachida Dati, Justice; and Hervé Morin, Defense.

In electing Nicolas Sarkozy, French voters endorsed the wide-ranging program of reforms—including market-oriented social and economic reforms—that were the focal point of Sarkozy's campaign, implicitly giving him the green light to try and implement these reforms quickly, and allowing a way forward for overcoming France's 2005 rejection of the EU constitutional treaty. By embracing a figure long tagged as "pro-American," French voters also expressed their desire to renew trust in the U.S.-France relationship. During the campaign Sarkozy often ended his stump speeches—evoking Martin Luther King—by calling for a "French dream" of social equality, social mobility, and equal opportunity; and his first speech as President-elect assured his "American friends" that they could rely on France's friendship.

Shortly after taking office, President Sarkozy went to work on a series of reforms to address mounting pressure for short- and long-term restructuring, including reduced government spending, flexibility in the implementation of the 35-hour work week, more labor-market flexibility, less taxation, and further privatization and liberalization of the business sector. French and EU analysts stress that longer-term measures must focus on reducing the future burden of ballooning public pension and health care budgets, as well as reducing labor-related taxes. Government action to initiate such reforms may have contributed to the center-right's poor showing in 2004 regional and European Parliamentary elections, and continues to spark periodic strikes and work stoppages throughout France.

It should be noted that France is, in many ways, much more left-wing and socialist than the U.S.A. Even with what the French would call a right-wing president, there are differences fundamental between the right-wing in France and America. France has a very large state and employs a near majority of the workforce directly and indirectly (like state-owned private companies). France also has a very strong welfare state and comprehensive cover for health, unemployment, pensions, etc. This is expensive and so taxes are relatively high. So while President Chirac and his successor President Sarkozy are right-wing, they are not looking to dismantle these policies even if the latter wants to make them more efficient. Compared to America, Sarkozy would be roughly equivalent to a Democrat. The Socialist Party, the opposition political party at the moment, is very strong. There is no comparison to a main American political party.

<blockquote>
During his first year and a half in office, Sarkozy eliminated income taxes on overtime hours, lengthened the contribution period for retirees to receive full pensions, and established a "minimum service" requirement on strike days, among other reforms. He also completed a major revision of the French constitution, which made the president more accountable to Parliament and strengthened the power of the legislature. French and EU analysts stress that longer-term reform measures must focus on reducing the future burden of ballooning public pension and health care budgets, as well as reducing labor-related taxes.
<ref>[http://aadorjan.com/Moin/index.cgi/Political_Structure Political Structure]</ref>
</blockquote>

The coming presidential elections in 2012 highlights the current political situation. It should be noted, that in contrary to the two party system such as in the US, French elections saw a multitude of political movements face each other . The historical right movement (UMP) lead by President Sarkozy will face several opponents. The Parti Socialiste, the main left political party, whose candidate is François Hollande, as well as the Front National, a far right party, whose popularity is rising due to the economical stagnation, Nicolas Sarkozy's low rate of approval in recent surveys, and the focus of the government on immigration and interior security topics, which have been taken up by the far right.
Several others movements, like the ecologists, the centrists, the communists, the monarchists present candidates, but few are expected to get more than 10% of votes.

===Foreign Relations===
A charter member of the United Nations, France holds one of the permanent seats in the Security Council and is a member of most of its specialized and related agencies. France is also America's oldest ally; French military intervention was instrumental in helping Britain's American colonies establish independence. Because many battles in which the United States was involved during World War I and World War II took place in France, more American soldiers have been killed on French soil than on that of any other foreign country.
[[File:France Mexico relations.jpg|thumb|270px|A court decision has weakened Mexico-France diplomatic relations.]]
France is a leader in Western Europe because of its size, location, and large economy, membership in European organizations, strong military posture, and energetic diplomacy. France generally has worked to strengthen the global economic and political influence of the EU and its role in common European defense. It views Franco-German cooperation and the development of a European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) with other EU members, as the foundation of efforts to enhance European security.

France supports Quartet (U.S.-EU-Russia-UN) efforts to implement the Middle East roadmap, which envisions establishment of a Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive peace agreement, France supports the involvement of all Arab parties and Israel in a multilateral peace process.

Since 2003, France has supported four UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Iraq, including UNSCR 1546, which laid out a timetable for Iraq's political transition and reaffirmed UNSC authorization for a Multinational Force in Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to stabilize the country. France contributed to the 230 million euro EU contribution to Iraq reconstruction in 2003. After the Iraqi Interim Government took power, France agreed to substantial debt relief and offered police training to Iraqi security forces. In 2006, France and the U.S. collaborated closely to create a consensus in the UN to adopt UNSCR 1696 demanding action from Iran to end its enrichment-related and preprocessing activities.

France continues to play an important role in Africa, especially in its former colonies, through aid programs, commercial activities, military agreements, and cultural impact. In those former colonies where the French presence remains important, France has supported political, military, and social stability. France maintains permanent military bases in Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, and Senegal, and has maintained a long-term military presence in Chad. An attack on French forces in Côte d'Ivoire in 2004 led to the departure of thousands of French nationals from that country. France responded to the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire by dispatching Operation Unicorn, which has worked with UN forces to help stabilize Côte d'Ivoire. In 2011, during the conflict opposing Gbagbo and Ouattara following the presidential elections, France fully supported Ouattara. France has also deployed forces to Togo (in support of Operation Unicorn in Côte d'Ivoire) and to the Central African Republic, where French forces have assisted government forces in deterring rebel elements. France with EU partners, participated in an international military operation (EUFOR) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006, which played an important presence during in elections that year in the D.R.C. France was instrumental in organizing the June 2007 ministerial conference on Darfur and has shown leadership in increasing international interest and involvement in Chad and the Central African Republic, both of which are affected by the crisis in Darfur.

France has extensive political and commercial relations with Asian countries, including China, Japan, and Southeast Asia as well as an increasing presence in regional fora. France is seeking to broaden its commercial presence in China and will pose a competitive challenge to U.S. business, particularly in aerospace, high-tech, and luxury markets. In Southeast Asia, France was an architect of the 1991 Paris Accords, which ended the conflict in Cambodia.

===Relations with the United States===

Relations between the United States and France are active and cordial. Mutual visits by high-level officials are conducted frequently. Bilateral contact at the cabinet level has traditionally been active. France and the United States share common values and have parallel policies on most political, economic, and security issues. Differences are discussed frankly and have not generally been allowed to impair the pattern of close cooperation that characterizes relations between the two countries.
[[File:President Obama and President Sarkozy 2009.jpg|thumb|320px|President Obama and President Sarkozy, 2009.]]
France is one of NATO's top three troop contributors. The French support NATO modernization efforts and are leading contributors to the NATO Response Force (NRF). France is keen to build European defense capabilities, including through the development of EU battle-group sized force packages and joint European military production initiatives. Defense Minister Morin supports development of a European defense that must complement, not compete with, NATO, which remains at the core of transatlantic security. French resistance, however, to efforts to reinforce NATO's reach beyond the North Atlantic region remain a source of contention.

France is a close partner with the U.S. in the war on terror. It cooperates with the U.S. to monitor and disrupt terrorist groups and has processed numerous U.S. requests for information under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. French security and intelligence services have rounded up hundreds of extremists in the past year. The French judiciary has upheld the pre-trial detainment of the four French former Guantanamo detainees. France is a strong partner in multiple non-proliferation fora and is a key participant in the Proliferation Security Initiative. Through the "EU3" (France, the U.K., and Germany), France is working to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

France opposed the use of force in Iraq in March 2003 and did not join the U.S.-led coalition that liberated the country from the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein with whom they, like other countries had close economic ties, especially in the supply of nuclear technology.Donald Rumsfeld famously quipped that "going to war without the French is like going on a duck hunt without an accordion".

Americans generally took France's refusal to join in the war very badly. Many politicians, especially Republicans, were incensed and even started campaigns to ridicule France and its military. There was even a campaign to change the name of French fries to Freedom fries. Since no weapons of mass destruction were found after the Iraq war, some have speculated that France was right all along. But many Americans still take a very negative view of the French generally and old stereotypes of rude, unwashed, horse-eating and cowardly French remain a popular vision.

Despite differences over Iraq, the U.S. and France continue to cooperate closely on many issues, most notably the global war on terrorism, efforts to stem the [[proliferation]] of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and on regional problems, including in Africa, Lebanon, and Kosovo. On Iraq, the French agreed to generous debt relief for Iraq in Paris Club negotiations and have accepted the establishment of a NATO training mission there.

In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, France seeks robust U.S. engagement in the peace process. France is working to contain the Hamas-led challenge to the Palestinian Authority. President Sarkozy, like his predecessor, President Chirac, is committed to keeping France in supportive relations with Israel.

The U.S. and France have worked closely to support a sovereign and independent Lebanon, free of Syrian domination, having fought with uncharacteristic tenacity to keep the British out in World War II, but without success.
The U.S. and France co-sponsored in September 2004 UNSCR 1559, which called for full withdrawal of Syrian forces, a free and fair electoral process, and disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. In the wake of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005, the U.S. and France reiterated calls for a full, immediate withdrawal of all Syrian troops and security services from Lebanon. France also co-sponsored UNSCR 1701 and was one of the leading countries in Europe working to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 by committing 2,000 troops to UNIFIL-plus. Strong French backing led to adoption of UNSCR 1757 establishing a Special Tribunal for Lebanon to prosecute the perpetrators of the Hariri assassination and other killings of critics of Syria's interference in Lebanon. Foreign Minister Kouchner is working hard to help competing Lebanese political factions agree to a framework for governing the country in accordance with the country's constitution and free from external interference. France also participates in the U.S. Broader Middle East and North Africa initiative.

Trade and investment between the U.S. and France are strong. On average over $1 billion in commercial transactions take place between France the U.S. every day. In 2006 U.S. exports to France totaled over 24.2 billion euros and U.S. imports from France were valued at 37.1 billion euros. France is the eighth partner for total trade of goods (imports plus exports) and the tenth-ranked supplier worldwide to the U.S. and its 10th largest customer. The U.S. is France's third-ranked supplier and its fifth largest customer. There are approximately 2,300 French subsidiaries in the U.S., providing more than 481,100 jobs and generating an estimated $178 billion turnover. U.S. companies in France employ about 603,400 French citizens. The U.S. is the top destination for French investments worldwide.

Relations at a cultural and popular level are complex. While many Americans see the French as too quick surrender in the face of military conflict, many French people view suspiciously America's willingness to go to war. There are suspicions that America will only fight to secure wealth primarily oil or its ideology of the US version of liberty with disregard for other nation's views. Americans often view French culture as being very elitist and overly reliant on the high arts while some French take exception to American "cultural imperialism" even though the French are keen consumers of American-style fast food, cinema and modern music. The French are generally proud of the donation of the Statue of Liberty but can sometimes appear ungrateful for the help America and other Allies gave in World War 2.

==Security Issues==
[[File:French July 14.jpg|right|200px]]
French military doctrine is based on the concepts of national independence, [[nuclear weapon]]s deterrence, and military sufficiency. France is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]), and has worked actively with Allies to adapt NATO, internally and externally, to the post-Cold War environment. However, in 1966, the French withdrew from NATO's military bodies while remaining full participants in the alliance's political councils. In December 1995, France announced that it would increase its participation in NATO's military wing, including the Military Committee. France remains a firm supporter of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other efforts at cooperation.

Outside of NATO, France has actively and heavily participated in a variety of peacekeeping/coalition efforts in Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, often taking the lead in these operations. France has undertaken a major restructuring to develop a professional military that will be smaller, more rapidly deployable and better tailored for operations outside of mainland France. Key elements of the restructuring include reducing personnel, bases, and headquarters and rationalizing equipment and the armament industry. French active-duty military in June 2007 numbered about 350,000 (including Gendarmes), of which nearly 34,000 were deployed outside of French territory. France completed the move to all-professional armed forces when conscription ended on December 31, 2002.
[[File:Nato - airpower.jpg|thumb|left|300px|NATO-airpower.]]
France places a high priority on arms control<ref>[http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/10/151219.shtml French Arms Sales to China]</ref> and non-proliferation. After conducting a final series of six nuclear tests, the French signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996. France has implemented a moratorium on the production, export, and use of anti-personnel landmines and supports negotiations leading toward a universal ban. France is an active participant in the major supplier regimes designed to restrict transfer of technologies that could lead to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group (for chemical and biological weapons), the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Missile Technology Control Regime. France participates actively in the Proliferation Security Initiative, and is engaged with the U.S., both bilaterally and at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to curb nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) proliferation from the D.P.R.K., Iran, Libya, and elsewhere. France has joined with the U.S., Germany, and the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council to offer a package of incentives and disincentives to Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities. France has also signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. France maintains a color-coded security system, similar to that of the U.S., consisting of yellow, orange, red and scarlet threat levels.

At least 62 French soldiers have been killed in [[Afghanistan]] during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] since its inception in 2001.<ref>[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/afghanistan/in-memoriam/in-memoriam In Memoriam]</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Paris-13eme - panorama banlieues.jpg|center|Paris.]]
With a GDP of approximately $2.5 trillion, France is the sixth-largest economy. It has substantial agricultural resources, a large industrial base, and a highly skilled work force. A dynamic services sector accounts for an increasingly large share of economic activity and is responsible for nearly all job creation in recent years. GDP growth was 1.1% in 2003, after two years of steady decline from 3.9% in 2000. GDP growth was 1.7% in 2005, down from 2.5% in 2004 (2000 price basis).

Government economic policy aims to promote investment and domestic growth in a stable fiscal and monetary environment. Creating jobs and reducing the high unemployment rate through recovery-supportive policy has been a top priority. French unemployment dropped from a high of 12% to 8.7% in the late 1990s, and after hovering around 10% during the 2000s, unemployment slipped once again to 8.0% in July 2007. France joined 10 other European Union countries in adopting the euro as its currency in January 1999. Since then, monetary policy has been set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. On January 1, 2002, France, along with the other countries of the euro zone, dropped its national currency in favor of euro bills and coins.

Despite significant reform and privatization over the past 15 years, the government continues to control a large share of economic activity: Government spending, at 53.5% of GDP in 2006, is among the highest in the G-7. Regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive. The government continues to own shares in corporations in a range of sectors, including banking, energy production and distribution, automobiles, transportation, and telecommunications.
[[File:Chenonceaux France.jpg|thumb|260px|Chenonceaux.]]
Legislation passed in 1998 shortened the legal work week from 39 to 35 hours for most employees effective January 1, 2000. Recent assessments of the impact of work week reduction on growth and jobs have generally concluded that the goal of job creation was not met. The former administration introduced increasing flexibility into the law, returning the country to a de facto (if not de jure) 39-hour work week in the private sector. Under President Nicolas Sarkozy's impetus, overtime work will be exempt from income taxes on October 1, 2007, a move to encourage work and to increase work duration.

Membership in France's labor unions accounts for approximately 5% of the private sector work force and is concentrated in the manufacturing, transportation, and heavy industry sectors. Most unions are affiliated with one of the competing national federations, the largest and most powerful of which are the communist-dominated General Labor Confederation (CGT), the Workers' Force (FO), and the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT).

France has been very successful in developing dynamic telecommunications, aerospace, and weapons sectors. With virtually no domestic oil production, France has relied heavily on the development of nuclear power, which now accounts for about 80% of the country's electricity production.

===Trade===
[[Image:French-Perfume.jpg|right|280px]]
France is the second-largest trading nation in Western Europe (after Germany). France ran a $33.7 billion deficit in 2006. Total trade for 2006 amounted to $1,013.5 billion, over 45% of GDP 75.0% of which was with EU-24 countries. In 2003, U.S.-France trade in goods and services totaled $80.3 billion. U.S. industrial chemicals, aircraft and engines, electronic components, telecommunications, computer software, computers and peripherals, analytical and scientific instrumentation, medical instruments and supplies, broadcasting equipment, and programming and franchising are particularly attractive to French importers. Total French trade of goods and services was $1,001 billion in 2006.

Principal French exports to the United States are [[aircraft]] and [[engine]]s, beverages, electrical equipment, chemicals, cosmetics, and luxury products. France is the ninth-largest trading partner of the United States.
{{Clear}}
===Agriculture===
[[File:Basque Country France.jpg|left|200px]]
France is the world's second-largest agricultural producer, after the United States. However, the destination of 70% of its exports is other EU member states. Wheat, beef, pork, poultry, and dairy products are the principal exports. The United States, although the second-largest exporter to France, faces stiff competition from domestic production, other EU member states, and third countries. U.S. agricultural exports to France, totaling $464 million in 2003, consist primarily of soybeans and products, feeds and fodders, seafood, and consumer oriented products, especially snack foods and nuts. French agricultural exports to the United States are mainly cheese, processed products, and wine. They amount to about $3.327 billion (2006) annually.

France accounts for about one-third of all agricultural land within the EU. Northern France is characterized by large wheat farms. Dairy products, pork, poultry, and apple production are concentrated in the western region. Beef production is located in central France, while the production of fruits, vegetables, and wine ranges from central to southern France. France is a large producer of many agricultural products and is expanding its forestry and fishery industries. The implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Uruguay Round of the GATT Agreement resulted in reforms in the agricultural sector of the economy. Continued revision of the CAP and reforms agreed under the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) will further change French agriculture. France remains Europe's strongest opponent of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and often assumes an agricultural position at the EU Council to promote this policy.

== See also ==
*[[Gallery of French Masterpieces]]
*[[Famous French paintings]]
*[[French Still Life Painting]]
*[[French terms]]
* [[Nuclear target structures]]
*[[Libyan uprising 2011]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

 
{{Copyright Details (US Government)|http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3842.htm}}

{{European Union}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO Members]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]