What kind of person are you, politically.

[Princess Shiko]

Socially ridiculously liberal. Fiscally conservative, save when those funds go into social programs such as public education, the arts, or healthcare. Fairly fond of a strong foreign policy, and in favour of the Kyoto accord.

[Sophia Anieri]

One of my professors called me a libertarian socialist, which doesn't actually fit that well but is closer than anything else I can think of.

[Sensei Kimiko]

Socially ridiculously liberal. Fiscally conservative, save when those funds go into social programs such as public education, the arts, or healthcare. Fairly fond of a strong foreign policy, and in favour of the Kyoto accord.

Well put. I might add, that I am odd for most people in that I understand the need for taxes if you want government services. I just would like more transparency to reduce graft.

[Christina Anikari]

I have to say that a libertarian socialist is a rather nonsensical term given how both ideologies are primarily economical in their focus and are complete opposites. A liberal socialist is a term that makes sense, that is basically wanting to oppose private accumulation of capital while otherwise supporting people in being free to do what they want. Libertarian socialism would be something along the lines of wanting the market to be free while wanting to restrict it.

As for recognizing that taxes are necessary for government services then i think it is only in the US the anti-government tradition is strong enough that the majority or at least a substantial minority doesn't understand that. I know that people here in Denmark and the other European welfare states do understand it as countless polls to see whether people want tax breaks always reveals that most people say they don't because it would harm government services and they don't want that. So i think that it is a unique american thing that it is a rarity that people see the connection between government revenue and the ability of the government to provide services.

[Sophia Anieri]

Libertarianism isn't about economics, though. It's about government regulation.

And the reason he described me as a libertarian socialist is that I want the government to spend a lot more money on education, social programs, et cetera, but not enforce nearly as many restrictive rules.

[Christina Anikari]

No that is classical liberalism you are describing or at least the practical side of it. Libertarianism is an american variant of classical liberalism whereas what is called liberalism in the US today isn't even a real ideology but merely a movement tied together by ideological bits.

Ideology is much more than just specific ideas of where the money need to go. It is also the justifications for why, indeed the justifications theoretically come before the concrete decissions, though in practical politics it's often the other way around. At least that is the way i have always had it presented in both philosophy classes, world history, specific historical presentation, communist indoctrination meetings and political science. So from what i know about how americans use ideological terms and from what i know about how the philosophical tradition defines ideologies you would either be a social democrat or a social liberal, though since i doubt you are in favour of economic democracy you would most likely be a social liberal.