In general, liberalism
refers to the recognition of philosophies that differ from one's own. From a theoretical standpoint, two forms of liberalism are widely recognized: classical liberalism and reform liberalism. The former specifically relates to the idea of a focus on human rights in terms of expression, faith, press assembly, and markets, as well as a restricted government. The philosophy behind classical liberalism is to reduce the power of the government in favor of greater individual rights. Reform liberalism is the ideology that combines the liberty of the people with the influence of a more pronounced government. In essence, the general idea is that the government will help in alleviating obstacles against achieving total freedom. The following paper will attempt to review the influence of these two common types of liberalism toward public utilities such as health and the economy.
Comparison
The comparison of the different variations of liberalism will take place by government provided and private healthcare. In general terms, a country which recognizes classical liberalism as well as reform will likely have a well fleshed out and developed private health care system. This is because both variations of liberalism equally recognize the importance of individual freedom although reform acknowledges the influence of the government toward achieving that freedom. In general terms, the freedom will prompt individuals to go and look for healthcare standards which match their suits and needs. This is the basis of privately provided health care. In conclusion, the two different types of liberalism are similar in the fact that they foster human freedom hence an emphasis on private health. It is worthwhile to note that in a nation where the reform ideology is more pronounced than the classical, public health care will be more noticeable in light of the increased political influence. This will be further discussed in the contrast section. In conclusion, both classical and reform liberalism influence freedom of individuals hence a net increase in the demand for private healthcare. This is a marked similarity between the two forms.
The Canadian health care system
which is often dubbed 'Medicaid' is characterized by some beneficial services. It is worthwhile to note that while the system only provides a wide selection of essential services, a variety of actions are not covered. These include dental services, optometrists, and prescription medication. Private healthcare plans, however, provide the above mentioned in addition to more services. A state which there is an equal influence of both classical and reform liberalism will likely see an increased number of private medical institutions. A state which is characterized by only reform liberalism will have a large number of governmental bodies as opposed to the private ones. Individuals, in this case, will be forced to attend the national public institutions since the small number of private ones raises the price of medical care. That which is characterized by classical liberalism will have a larger number private institution due to less governmental influence. As a result, individuals will have the freedom of attending the private health institutions.
In light of the above
a country such as Canada is better off with a classical liberalism ideology since the governmentally provided services have less benefits as opposed to a private one. It is worthwhile to note that while governmental-oriented services lack a substantial amount of benefits and advantages, reform liberalism can push for the overall improvements of the services provided such that it meets the needs of a wide variety of individuals. The national healthcare is cheaply available but lacks quality. In terms of contrast, an overall classical liberalism is likely to influence the existence of more private healthcare institutions due to the reduced influence of the government toward the citizen's freedom. The government, in essence, will not commit toward establishing a large number of institutions due to its limited impact.
The above leads to another contrast
between the two forms of liberalism in the sector of healthcare. It is conventionally known that private health care is more expensive due to the provision of specialized healthcare. Classical liberalism, as already explained above, will likely lead to the increase in private healthcare institutions due to limited government influence and freedom of the masses. The result will be an overall decrease in the value of healthcare due to the increase in the number of private institutions. The theoretical result will be a highly affordable and quality healthcare system due to the rise in the number of private healthcare services. Theoretically, a classical liberalism might lead to affordable and quality healthcare.
Reform liberalism
which hinges on the influence of the government, will likely lead to the establishment of more governmental health institutions. These institutions are often characterized by a reduced service description as attested by Canada's service description. The result will be a wide array of cheap but fewer quality services. The private institutions will be reduced mainly in favor of the governmental ones hence the prices for private healthcare will be exceedingly high. In essence, a classical liberalism view is highly beneficial regarding healthcare since it brings a large collection of services at a lower price. It is important to note that while classical liberalism may be best in terms of healthcare services, it may be extremely wanting in some of the other sectors of the country such as the economy. For instance, a lack of governmental influence may lead to the unfair pricing of commodities by manufacturers and sellers. The result will be exploitation and an eventual demise of the economy. The currency will lose its monetary value, and the overall effect will be inflation. In such a scenario, a governmental regulated (reform) liberalism is necessary. In general terms, each form of liberalism is beneficial in some sectors while it wants in some others. Discussing them should be in full view of this fact.
Conclusion
In essence, liberalism in a political point of view attempts to decide who, between the government and the people have an overall marked influence on the affairs of the state. Although both classical and reform liberalism recognize the importance of human freedom, reform liberalism further notes the importance of the government in overcoming some of the obstacles toward human freedom. These different ideologies on liberalism have various influences in matters about the society such as the quality of healthcare and the state of the economy. It is worthwhile to note this fact while discussing on the subject of political liberalism.
Bibliography
Freeden, Michael. Liberalism:a very short introduction. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Grant, Ruth W. John Locke’s liberalism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Rawls, John. Political liberalism. New York: Columbia University Press, 2015.
Mintz et al. Politics Power and the Common Good: Pearson.2015
