Here is a research assignment that will take just a few minutes:

 

1- Go to the Google Books Ngram Viewer here.

2- Check the “case insensitive” box.

3- Set the starting year to 1750 and the ending year to 1820.

4- Clear the phrases box and paste in instead the following: liberal principles, liberal policy, liberal system, liberal plan, liberal ideas, liberal government , and click “Search lots of books”.

Ponder the result.

 

5- Set the starting year to 1870 and the ending year to 1940, and in the phrases box paste in instead the following: old liberalism, new liberalism , and click “Search lots of books”.

Ponder the result.

 

6- Keep the starting date at 1870 and set the ending year to 1980, and in the phrases box paste in instead the following: social justice, (economic justice*10), equal opportunity, (economic equality*5), equality of opportunity, (bundle of rights*40) , and click “Search lots of books”.

Ponder the results.

 


Dan Klein is professor of economics and JIN Chair at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.