What is the difference between a classic liberal and a libertarian?

[relievedpassenger787]

I understand that it really depends on what you mean by libertarian or classical liberal, its all perspective after all, but is there some general distinction that is agreed upon?

[Rocky Mtn High]

Not a thing, one and the same.

The term liberal was hijacked by the left, so we are now Libertarians.

[melodicbed333]

Liberals want Total Govt Control. LIbertarians wants TINY Govt! Big difference!

[The Mad Baron]

No difference.

[Boldini rocks!]

Libertarians are wishy-washy fence-sitters. And liberals are the guys who founded this nation, and who continue to remind us of what our roots are.

[Chupate esa!]

Classic liberals become liberals with experience Libertarians have no experience just theory...

[Tank]

Liberals want to spend other peoples money, Libertarians want to keep their money, and spend it how they choose.

[honeybeejim]

Limousine Liberals believe in total socialism and Libertarians believe in the U.S.Constitution.

[Entropy]

In general, a Classical Liberal (a liberal of the Enlightenment) would, by positions, be most closely related to the modern Libertarian.

The difference is mostly context. A Liberal of those days was arguing against an aristocracy and monarchy. Therefore one cannot say with complete confidence that a classical liberal would embrace modern libertarianism because he had no cause to express his positions on abortion or other modern issues. But the Classical Liberal favored limited government, diffuse power, individual liberty, and free markets.

One usually excludes Republicans for two reasons: Republicans are more hawkish on defense issues (classical liberals feared standing armies), and tend to favor government power to enforce social norms which classical liberals would have balked at, not because they disliked social norms, but the idea of giving the govt the power to enforce them would have terrified a classical liberal..

Update: Wow, looking at some of the answers on this question, I am APALLED at how many people don't understand the difference between a Classical Liberal and a Modern Liberal.

[George Clinton]

Liberals and libertarians aren't that far removed in my opinion. I bet that if you put a libertarian, a liberal, and a conservative in a room together, the liberals and libertarians would probably get along more often then conservatives with either.

The biggest difference between liberals and libertarians is probably when it comes to economics. Other then that, socially, liberals and libertarians would probably agree on most issues.