There are two major political ideologies in the world: liberals and moderates. Liberals are on the extreme side of advocating for people’s liberty, while moderates try to find the middle ground between factions. In this article, we will discuss the differences between these two groups. We will look at how liberals and moderates handle their political and ideological activities.

What is being Liberal?

As the name suggests, being liberal denotes the freedom and liberty of people. It can be defined as being open to political or social changes and reforms inclined to either classical or modern liberalism. In simple terms, liberals advocate for people’s freedom, and that is their primary ideology of ensuring the liberty of humans. 

Liberals support individual rights, including civil and human rights, liberal democracy, secularism, the rule of law, economic and political freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, private property, and a market economy [Source]. Liberalism is a political doctrine that takes “protecting and enhancing the freedom of the individual to be the central problem of politics” [Source]. Liberals argue that governments are needed to protect individuals from being harmed by others. They also believe that the government can also be a threat to liberty. 

The idea of modern liberalism is that “the major duty of government is to remove any barrier that prevents people from living freely or reaching their full potential. Obstacles such as poverty, disease, discrimination, and illiteracy.

What is Moderate?

The term moderate suggests having a mild reaction to things without being too radical and subtle. Moderate is an ideological category that signifies a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially concerning politics and religion. A moderate is someone who occupies any middle ground, avoiding extreme viewpoints and significant social change.” [Source].

It can also be defined as a political belief that sits between two extremes of liberal and conservative, usually combining aspects of both” [Source]. A moderate is “a person with political views that are quiet and mild and therefore frequently ignored by the media, which seeks out individuals from the loud Left and Right because they make for better features. Being moderate means avoiding extremes while still being more flexible in compromising and finding a middle ground for a resolution.

Moderates believe that radicalism is dangerous, so they bring in the polarization of political views. They also note that other parties are overly ideological and wish politicians would compromise more.  

Difference between Liberal and Moderate

The difference between the liberal and moderates is that liberals are an extreme side in politics as they push forward their ideas and are overly ideological, while the moderates are not extreme and are characterized as mild by the media. Also, liberals tend to have a clear ideology of pursuing the freedom and liberty of people. On the other hand, moderates do not necessarily have a standing ideology, but they derive their stance from finding a middle ground between two extreme parties, such as the liberals and conservatives. 

Moderates are known to compromise a lot, and this is part of their resolution, while liberals do not compromise, especially when it comes to the freedom of the people and exercising their rights. Liberal tend to lean politically left while moderates can lean left or right [Source].

Liberals are associated with progressivism, “a political philosophy that advocates for social reform and supports major changes to government policy and laws.” On the other hand, moderates are not necessarily associated with any particular political philosophy. Moderates want to preserve Social Security and Medicare but would be fine if the programs were reformed every couple of years to ensure solvency. In contrast, Liberals want to expand Social Security and Medicare, and they advocate for higher taxes on the wealthy to do so.

A liberal is “someone who believes people should be allowed to do what they want as long as they do not cause objective harm to other people.” And a moderate is “someone in the middle of the political spectrum.” 

The difference between liberals and moderates ultimately comes down to how much freedom each side is willing to allow. Liberals want more government intervention to protect people’s rights, while moderates are more concerned with the government infringing on people’s liberties.

Liberals and moderates will continue to play important roles in the political arena. As long as there are people on both extremes of the spectrum, moderates will be needed to find a middle ground and keep the peace. Liberals will always be pushing for more freedom and liberty, even at the expense of safety. It is up to each individual to decide which side they identify with more.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Do you identify more as a liberal or moderate?

Do you think that liberals and moderates can ever find common ground? Or do you believe that their differences are too great? We would love to hear from you!