Both the terms "liberal" and "progressive" have been changed away from their original meanings that varied by historical eras and western nations. In my estimation, when I hear these terms in today's U.S. society, these terms have been shifted toward another meaning that promotes micromanaging control by government into the individual citizen's freedom and rights to livelihood and rights to private property/money ownership. In other words, bigger, more meddling government that begs for more Big Brother in our lives.


"Classical liberals, who broadly emphasized the importance of free markets and civil liberties, dominated liberal history for a century after the French Revolution.

The onset of World War I and the Great Depression, however, accelerated the trends begun in late 19th century Britain towards a "new liberalism" (social liberalism) that emphasized a greater role for the state in ameliorating societal ills.

By the beginning of the 21st century, liberal democracies and their fundamental characteristics—support for constitutions, civil rights and individual liberties, pluralistic society, and the welfare state—were widespread in most regions around the world."
Liberalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


"While the ultimate significance of the progressive movement on today's politics is still up for debate, Alonzo L. Hamby asks:

What were the central themes that emerged from the cacophony [of progressivism]? Democracy or elitism? Social justice or social control? Small entrepreneurship or concentrated capitalism?

And what was the impact of American foreign policy? Were the progressives isolationists or interventionists? Imperialists or advocates of national self-determination? And whatever they were, what was their motivation? Moralistic utopianism? Muddled relativistic pragmatism? Hegemonic capitalism?

Not surprisingly many battered scholars began to shout 'no mas!' In 1970, Peter Filene declared that the term 'progressivism' had become meaningless."
Progressivism in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia