The erosion of liberalism.

• Author: Kristol, William

THE GREAT paradox of the 1990s is that, while liberalism is on its deathbed in this country, it still controls many of the major institutions. On the one hand, its claims have been disproved so often by history and by empirical evidence that it has exhausted its strength. On the other hand, liberalism still dominates the presidency, education, the media, and even certain segments of the private sector today.

What is most striking is how thoroughly liberalism has lost popular support. Despite the Democratic presidential victory in 1992 (with, after all, only 43% of the vote), polls indicated that most Americans believe the Federal government creates more problems than it solves and that they tend to favor lower taxes and less government. They also believe that government should support traditional family values as opposed to promoting "alternative lifestyles." In short, the majority of Americans distrust contemporary liberalism. The 1994 elections provided ample evidence, with the defeat of many liberal incumbents in Congress and the statehouses.

Even many liberals have lost faith in liberalism. In the 1960s and 1970s, they wholeheartedly believed that Keynesian economics would work to end the ups and downs of the business cycle; government would manage the economy and increase economic growth; liberal social programs would help end poverty and injustice; "progressive" education would improve the performance of students; and "liberation" from conventional morality would make people happier, better adjusted, and more fulfilled. Today, it is rare to find more than a handful of liberals who are willing to defend these beliefs publicly and categorically.

Look at how the rhetoric of liberalism has changed. Pres. John F. Kennedy and his disciples had faith in "progress." They preached that liberalism was the way of "progress" and of the future. They ridiculed conservatives as reactionaries yearning for the past.

Today's liberals do not talk about "progress." In his 1993 inaugural address, Pres. Clinton introduced a new liberal mantra: "change." He declared, "We must make change our friend."

The switch from progress to change is no minor matter. It illustrates a growing lack of confidence. Liberals no longer are sure that they are on the correct side of history or that history is moving in their direction. Since the collapse of socialism and communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, they have struggled desperately to cling to their...