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| | Liberal parties |
 | | At the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century liberals started to organise themselves in loose organisations and/or political parties in opposition to conservative, clerical and absolutist forces, striving after the emancipation of citizens and the middle class. |
 | | As late as 1848 in Europe, liberalism was generally seen as a revolutionary force, and in those parts of the world where feudalism or other highly traditionalist (or merely socially rigid) societies remain, it still has revolutionary aspects. |
 | | The mainstream of liberalism continues on the path of gradual reforms, embraces electoral democracy as a basic liberal position and organizes itself in the form of the traditional liberal parties. |
| www.sciencedaily.com /encyclopedia/liberal_parties (1746 words) |
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