liberal state (or liberal state of law) is a model of government based on liberalism developed during the Enlightenment, between the 17th and 18th centuries.
Liberalism opposed the controlling and centralizing government of the absolutist state, whose main features the accumulation of wealth, control of the economy and an authoritarian relationship between the government and the people.
The liberal state, also called liberal rule of law, is aimed at valuing autonomy and protecting the rights of individuals, guaranteeing them the freedom to do what they want as long as it does not violate the rights of others.
Economically, the liberal state is a direct result of the interests of the bourgeoisie. Its main scholar was Adam Smith, who believed that the market is free when it regulates itself without any state interference. It is the opposite model to the interventionist state, marked by an exhaustive regulation of all areas of the economy, including the private sector.
How did the liberal state come about?
The liberal state emerged after the French Revolution, which was driven by liberalist ideals inspired by the works of John Locke. The English philosopher, considered the father of liberalism, understood that individuals were born with the natural right to life, liberty and private property. This thought resulted in the idea that the State could no longer intervene in these matters.
For Locke, the people's relationship with the government happens through a Social contract by which society gives up some rights in order for the State to take charge of maintaining the social order. Thus, liberalism inspired this state model aimed at guaranteeing individual freedoms while regulating the interests of society.
When the absolutist monarchy lost power and the bourgeoisie took control of the revolution, the birth privileges of royal families were replaced by the strength of capital. Consequently, there was a natural favoring of the bourgeois class, which began to benefit from the lack of state intervention and to explore the new possibilities of the free market.
Characteristics of the liberal state
The main characteristics of the liberal state are:
Individual freedom
In a liberal state, individuals have freedoms that cannot be interfered with by the government. Thus, individuals can engage in any economic, political or social activity at any level, as long as it does not violate the rights of others.
Equality
In a liberal state, equality is achieved through respect for each person's individualism. This means that everyone should be treated the same, regardless of gender, age, religion or race, always observing their differences in order to provide everyone with the same opportunities.
Tolerance
Tolerance is a consequence of the equality with which the government treats individuals in the liberal state, in which everyone has the opportunity to be heard and respected, even during strikes and demonstrations.
media freedom
The media operate impartially and are not tied to the government in liberal states. In this way, the media can publish information in a free and unbiased way, especially on political matters.
free market
In liberal states, the so-called “invisible hand of the market” prevails, consisting in the absence of government intervention in the economy. Thus, any individual can carry out economic activities and, in this way, the market is self-regulating.
liberal state, social state of law and welfare state
The liberal state is the guarantor state of the so-called first generation rights, which are of an individual and negative character, since they require the abstention of the State. These rights are considered fundamental and are related to freedom, civil and political rights.
The social state of law is the one that deals with the second generation rights, which demand effective attitudes from the State. These are cultural, economic and social rights.
The welfare state (welfare state) is the social and economic posture adopted by the government with the aim of reducing social inequalities through income distribution policies, welfare measures and service provision basic.
neoliberal state
The neoliberal state is marked by the figure of State as a mere regulator of the economy.
The model was established in several countries in the 70s, after the so-called "crisis of liberalism" when the absence of state intervention resulted in an imbalance in the law of supply and demand and culminated in the economic crisis of 1929.
The Great Depression, as the crisis of 1929 is also known, demonstrated that the total lack of market regulation led to the unrestrained growth of industry and the consequent crash of the economy. In this context, neoliberalism attributed to the State the minimum role of economic regulator, always respecting the free market and competition.
See too:
- state
- Liberalism
- economic liberalism
- neoliberalism