Adrian Wooldridge on Reviving Liberalism’s Revolutionary Center
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from September 16, 2026 | Can America Make Government Work Again? The Crisis of Competence, Populism and Trust. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg Opinion global business columnist, former political editor at The Economist and author of The Revolutionary Center: The Lost Genius of Liberalism, explored the origins of liberalism, the forces that have weakened the political center and why he believes liberalism must reinvent itself for a new era.
What Does Liberalism Really Mean?
The word “liberal” has accumulated different meanings in modern politics, particularly in the United States. Wooldridge argues that liberalism is better understood through several foundational principles rather than through contemporary left-right divisions.
First is individualism: liberalism begins with the rights, abilities and autonomy of the individual rather than the interests of a collective. Second is skepticism—the belief that people should question authority and be free to reach their own conclusions rather than have beliefs dictated by the state. Third is a suspicion of concentrated power and the need to constrain it through constitutions and individual rights.
This framework, Wooldridge argues, is broad enough to include both free-market thinkers such as Milton Friedman and advocates of a more active government such as John Maynard Keynes. Liberals can disagree about the appropriate size of government while sharing a commitment to individual freedom and limits on power.
When the Center Became the Establishment
Wooldridge traces many of today’s political tensions to the evolution of liberalism during the 1980s and 1990s. Leaders such as Bill Clinton and Tony Blair combined market-oriented economic policies with social liberalism, creating what Wooldridge describes as a powerful political synthesis.
But that model eventually developed weaknesses. Globalization contributed to the loss of manufacturing jobs in many communities, while economic power and wealth became increasingly concentrated. At the same time, Wooldridge argues, governments struggled with social problems involving addiction, homelessness and public disorder.
Perhaps most importantly, the once-revolutionary center became the establishment.
Populist movements on both the left and right have gained strength partly by presenting themselves as alternatives to institutions and leaders that many voters view as unresponsive to contemporary problems.
Reinvention, Not Retreat
Wooldridge’s answer is not to abandon liberalism, but to rediscover one of its defining characteristics: adaptability.
Throughout history, liberalism has changed to meet new challenges—from dismantling remnants of feudalism to responding to industrialization, communism and economic stagnation.
The same process, he argues, is necessary today.
Rather than relying on the ideas, policies and personalities of previous decades, Wooldridge calls for new leaders and new solutions capable of addressing the problems people experience now. Revitalizing the center, in his view, means preserving liberalism’s commitment to individual freedom, skepticism and constrained power while once again making it a force for meaningful change.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.