Liberals believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all. It is the responsibility of the government to lessen social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Liberals believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally give priority to the need for the government to solve problems. Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Conservatives believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally give priority to the empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

There are many ideological differences between liberals and conservatives. Liberals believe a fetus is not a human life, and that the decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the government should stay out of it. W omen should be guaranteed the right to a safe and legal abortion. Conservatives believe human life begins at conception. Abortion is the murder of a human being. Liberals believe the Second Amendment gives no individual the right to own a gun but allows the state to keep a militia. Conservatives believe the Second Amendment gives the individual the right to keep and bear arms. Gun control laws does not prevent criminals. They believe you have a right to defend against criminals.

Liberals believe the death penalty should be abolished. The death penalty is inhumane, cruel, and unusual punishment. It does not discourage crime. Every execution risks killing an innocent person. Conservatives believe the death penalty is a punishment that fits the crime. Its ia neither cruel nor unusual. They believe a murder is the appropriate punishment for taking an innocent life.