Kristen Said:

What exactly does being called a liberal mean?

We Answered:

With the caveat that no liberals truly fit the mold perfectly, in the U.S., liberals generally favor large government intervention in the economy, while wanting government barred from regulating private affairs.

The interventions are designed to redistribute wealth, via welfare programs and health care. They usually support minimum wage laws and "universals" -- universal health care, universal education, universal opportunity, etc. They tend to believe that the government has a duty to "level the playing field" in terms of "social justice;" i.e., that the government needs to collect money, usually from the wealthy, to create opportunities for the poor, thus balancing out inequities of class and birth.

The limitations on the government are designed to preserve individual freedoms. As such, liberals tend to be pro-choice and against religious involvement in schools and the government. They aren't necessarily anti-religion--many of them are quite religious themselves. Rather, they tend to think it should be kept as a private affair, and that actions that don't hurt anybody else should not be restricted.

But all of these have individual catches. For example, they want to preserve people's freedoms to make personal decisions, they're generally against private school vouchers on the grounds that such vouchers reduce funding that would be given to public schools. Furthermore, no two liberals are identical. Some would support some liberal stances, while opposing others on an individual basis.

Again, I would point out that individual liberals are just that: individuals. Some would support some of the above stances, while not agreeing with others. These merely represent the general ideas that tend to be supported by liberals in modern America.

Maxine Said:

What does liberal mean to you?

We Answered:

Liberal means you're a dirty hippie

Christopher Said:

What does a liberal mean when they call someone a "racist"?

We Answered:

It's a word they use to defend the indefensible.

Due to it's overuse, it has lost any real meaning it once had.

Irene Said:

What does the technical term "classical liberal" mean?

We Answered:

A classical liberal is one who believes in individual liberty, ie against the monarchies. It actually has evolved into the modern conservative ideology. Modern liberals believe in individual liberty and that a lack of economic or educational opportunities oppresses liberty and it is the duty of the state to provide the equal opportunities

edit: Yes I would. Classic libralism was very laissez faire. They believed that this gave the individual the most freedom, as libertarians do today. Action by the state would be an encroachment upon freedom.

Miguel Said:

What does liberal mean when it is about education?

We Answered:

It means "well-rounded", or that you get a little bit of everything. A "liberal arts" education means that whatever you decide to major in, say biology, you still have to take 2 semester of english, math, chemistry, philosophy/religion and/or political science/economics. They want you to graduate knowing a little something about everything. A liberal arts education is the exact opposite of a trade school because at a trade school you learn only your major or craft, (your "trade"), and nothing else in any other subject area. If this appeals more to you, then this is the route you should take. Otherwise welcome to 5 years of nonsense you may never need to know haha. :)