In this essay I will discuss liberalism and socialism, what exactly they entail, and how they were and still are used in today's societies. Liberalism is defined as a political orientation that promotes social progress through reform and changing laws rather than revolution. Socialism is defined as a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Although the intentions of liberal and socialist governments are the same, what differentiates them is how they consider the best ways to achieve a prosperous and peaceful nation. Liberal government was founded on the ideas of freedom and equality. This involves free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, free trade and private property. During the Enlightenment, political movements among Western philosophers and economists advanced ideas of liberal government. They rejected what was common at the time, such as state religion and monarchy. John Locke was credited with discovering the traditions of liberalism. He argued that individuals have rights and that the government should not violate those rights. He opposed traditional conservatism. Ideas of liberal government have spread throughout the world. For the United States, this contributed to the abolition of slavery. For Latin America, it paved the way for independence from Spain and Portugal. In the 19th century, the Austrian Empire, German and Italian states presented the ideas of liberalism. They demanded written constitutions, the right to vote and freedom of the press. However, by the end of the 19th century, liberalism was being questioned...... middle of paper ...... decisions. They believe that state power should be limited and that the state should only intervene when truly necessary. They believe that everyone has the right to succeed as they choose. They support private enterprise and an individual's desire to better themselves. For liberals, economic freedom is more important than economic equality. Socialists believe that citizens are best served by policies focused on meeting the basic needs of society as a whole rather than those of an individual. All citizens should work equally hard and make equal contributions. The goal is equality. While liberals and socialists have the same intentions of creating the best, peaceful and prosperous nations, they have very different views and approaches on how to create said nations. These are the differences between liberal and social ways of governing a nation.