In political terms, "liberal" typically refers to a political and moral philosophy based on ideas of liberty, consent of the governed, and equality before the law. However, the meaning of "liberal" varies somewhat depending on context and location.
In the United States, liberalism generally refers to:
- Support for civil liberties and individual rights
- Advocacy for social equality and justice
- Belief in government intervention to address social and economic inequalities
- Support for progressive taxation and social welfare programs
- Emphasis on regulatory oversight of business and industry
In the broader international and historical context, liberalism is associated with:
- Support for democratic systems of government
- Protection of civil liberties and human rights
- Free markets with some government regulation
- Separation of church and state
- Rule of law and legal equality
"self-identifying liberals as they exist in the world today"
The world is a big place. Not sure if you mean "liberal" in the US context, "Liberal" as in the Canadian political party. "Neo-liberal" as in Economic position of Friedman economics, etc...
Leftist is also a relative term and isn't very useful. You likely believe in important structural reforms surrounding minimum wage (perhaps UBI), environmental protection, universal affordable/accessible healthcare, strict banking regulation, drastic progressive taxation, harsh penalties for white collar crime, etc... But "left" of what, I doubt youre pushing for authoritarianism or communism?
My point is there are literally Nazis we are fighting right now. Maybe stop with the infighting as a result of ambiguous labels.