It is difficult to understand current developments partly because liberalism was never a single thing. Liberalism cherishes liberty, but liberty has different meanings in different contexts. Thus, for one person liberalism implies free elections and democratization. Another person thinks that liberalism means trade agreements and globalization. A third associates liberalism with gay marriage and abortion. Liberalism offers diverse recommendations for behavior in the economic, political, and personal fields, and on both the national and international level.
