Classical liberalism is a branch of liberalism that advocates civil liberties and political freedom under a representative democracy in addition to free market capitalism. Classical liberalism was championed by men such as Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, John Locke, Thomas Malthus, Jean-Baptiste Say, and David Ricardo, and it favored liberty as the most valued social end, as opposed to traditionalist conservatism, which favored order to liberty. Classical liberals sought to open up their countries to trade, capitalism, and responsible government, as well as to champion abolitionism, the reduction of government power, and the expansion of liberty. The ideology unfailingly supported political reform, with representative and transparent government being the lynchpins of 19th century liberalism. Today, classical liberalism is considered as a conservative or libertarian political ideology, as modern social liberalism advocates governmental control over the economy; classical liberalism is a center-right ideology, while social liberalism is a center-left ideology.
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