Johnson a liberal represents what Whitney (1993) describes as an assessment of JohnsonÆs Great Society and War on poverty program initiatives û and not necessarily JohnsonÆs fundamental political beliefs. Similarly, examining the conservatism of a Ronald Reagan and comparing it to that of both of the Bushes suggests some important differences may be at work, with the two bushes less definitively ôconservativeö than Reagan on some issues such as foreign policy and multilateralism (Bush & Snowcroft, 1998).
Differentiating between liberalism and conservatism can be difficult. Generally, the terms refer to positions held on major issues or social processes (Foner, 1998). For the most part, liberals are perceived as being against tax cuts, for government spending on social welfare, in favor of government regulation and oversight of business and industry, and generally supportive of programs that advance an agenda that reflects the interests of groups characterizing themselves as disadvantaged. Conservatives, in contrast, are seen by Foner (1998) as interested in tax cuts, reduced government spen
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