# Liberal Policy Successes **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242 "2013-08-26T20:39:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/1 "2013-08-26T20:39:26Z")
I wanted to create an opposing thread to “Conservative Policy Successes.” So, what clear liberal policy successes are there? Please feel free to dispute any “clear” successes; this is GD. Note than an acceptable answer is “none.” ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/2 "2013-08-26T20:41:48Z")
Assuming we can use examples from countries other than the US, I’ll throw out Universal/Single-Payer Healthcare. Despite what a lot of conservative/libertarian/GOPers would want you to believe, the vast majority of citizens in UHC countries LOVE their healthcare system, feel they get good, fast treatment, and think the US system is archaic, broken, and absurd. ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/3 "2013-08-26T20:45:36Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Assuming we can use examples from countries other than the US, I’ll throw out Universal/Single-Payer Healthcare. > > Despite what a lot of conservative/libertarian/GOPers would want you to believe, the vast majority of citizens in UHC countries LOVE their healthcare system, feel they get good, fast treatment, and think the US system is archaic, broken, and absurd. I thought the French system was going bankrupt:confused:. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/4 "2013-08-26T21:04:08Z")
Freeing the slaves was a pretty spot-on decision. As was repealing Jim Crows laws and ending segregationist policies. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/5 "2013-08-26T21:04:58Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > I thought the French system was going bankrupt:confused:. And our system is going bankrupt faster while not covering a large portion of the population… As for your question: -Civil rights legislation -Social Security -Medicare/Medicaid -Environmental legislation (ie anti-pollution legislation) and establishment of the EPA -Keynesian economic policies (ie stimulus/spending during times of recession and fiscal restraint in times of prosperity) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/6 "2013-08-26T21:07:43Z")
Gay rights. We finally got out of Viet Nam. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/7 "2013-08-26T21:13:09Z")
Trade Unions. OSHA. FDA-certified foods and medicines. Liberal policies are the reason most people have weekends, receive overtime pay, can take sick and maternity leave, and are unlikely to starve because they were injured at work and fired as a result. They’re also the reason you can drink the water that comes out of your faucet and eat the food at your supermarket without getting sick. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/8 "2013-08-26T21:17:06Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Freeing the slaves was a pretty spot-on decision. As was repealing Jim Crows laws and ending segregationist policies. Historical footnote: freeing the slaves was a Republican party initiative. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/9 "2013-08-26T21:21:30Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Historical footnote: freeing the slaves was a Republican party initiative. Yes, but it was still a liberal idea. (The parties have changed a lot since then) ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/10 "2013-08-26T21:23:25Z")
Public education, while not perfect, has been very successful in the centuries since Jefferson invented it. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/11 "2013-08-26T21:26:21Z")
The National Electrification (NRECA?). The Interstate System (Eisenhower, yes. I still say it was a liberal idea). The Monroe Doctrine. Manifest Destiny. The National Park System. Civil Rights. ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/12 "2013-08-26T21:31:43Z")
Anti-trust legislation. Pretty much everything the SEC does - combatting fraud, insider trading, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/13 "2013-08-26T21:34:33Z")
> [@bup](#): > > The Monroe Doctrine. > > Manifest Destiny. These were great ideas (even if the justification for the Mexican-American War was a bit iffy) but they aren’t really ideologically uniquely liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/14 "2013-08-26T21:36:06Z")
This thread could do with a dose of definition… 😉 How do we know, from looking at it, whether a policy is liberal or conservative? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/15 "2013-08-26T21:38:19Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > These were great ideas (even if the justification for the Mexican-American War was a bit iffy) but they aren’t really ideologically uniquely liberal. They sure aren’t conservative. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/16 "2013-08-26T21:39:56Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > This thread could do with a dose of definition… 😉 > > How do we know, from looking at it, whether a policy is liberal or conservative? If it’s awesome the Libs did it, if it sucks, give it to the Cons. On that note, I’m giving Manifest Destiny to the conservatives. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/17 "2013-08-26T21:40:14Z")
The problem with any list of liberal policy successes is that it’s rare to have something that is either a clear “win” or clear terrible policy. Liberals will point to Social Security as a policy success. Conservatives as a failure. It’s probably better to have the current SS system we have now to nothing. Maybe. But it’s certainly true that the way the current system is set up is so badly designed that it’s laughable. If the system were set up from the beginning to make sense it would have: Private accounts from the get go, or at least was self funded and only paid out what it took in from people. Invested the money and grew it over time with compounding interest. Locked so it couldn’t be raided by lawmakers to pay for other budget items. Even defenders of SS lament the fact that it has serious flaws. Just about any other policy would be said the same. It’s good to have workplace safety laws. But does OSHA go to far sometimes? Does it cost jobs because we compete in a global economy with others who don’t have such regulations? Or course. It’s all in finding the balance. But of course, since Liberals are the party of larger government you can make a longer list of policies they suggest. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/18 "2013-08-26T21:44:45Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > We finally got out of Viet Nam. Dunno if that counts. It did not happen until the U.S. Government was damned good and ready to pull out for its own reasons, and years after the antiwar movement had peaked. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/19 "2013-08-26T21:50:01Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Dunno if that counts. It did not happen until the U.S. Government was damned good and ready to pull out for its own reasons, and years after the antiwar movement had peaked. Indeed. If you are talking about the success of the anti-war movement, I would argue it was largely a failure. The lawlessness at the Democratic Convention basically caused Nixon to be elected. The war may have ended much sooner if the long haired kids stayed home and off the television where they motivated people in the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242/20 "2013-08-26T21:53:17Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > On that note, I’m giving Manifest Destiny to the conservatives. 😛 Manifest Destiny required that land be given away liberally and without regard to the wealth or social standing of the participants. So… is that ‘conservative’? Lots of those folks weren’t even citizens; but their children were citizens by birth. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-policy-successes/667242.md?page=2)