Sam Leith: Liberal is a word that means something very different in Tennessee than it does in Muswell Hill. What exactly are the parameters of what you call classical liberalism?
Francis Fukuyama: It does have a very different meaning in the United States than it does in Europe. My definition of it is closer to the European one. Liberalism, in my view, is a system that’s basically a limitation of power based on a rule of law and a constitutional framework that limits the power of executives. It’s based on a number of philosophical presumptions. There’s an element of universalism, because liberals believe that all human beings have an equal set of rights, and that these need to be protected by governments. In Europe, liberal parties have been associated with a kind of centre-right position that emphasises property rights and rule of law, and that’s an important part of classical liberalism.
But I would say that it doesn’t really dictate any set of economic policies. For example, Scandinavia over the last couple of generations has been governed by social democratic parties that do a lot of redistribution. But I would regard these all as liberal parties, essentially, because they all respect basic individual rights. They tax at a higher rate than other countries. But I don’t think that that’s part of my definition of liberalism. So it really does have to do with that foundation of respect for law and respect for limits to government power.
Sam Leith: We talk about liberalism and democracy in a single breath.
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