Final answer:
Identifying someone as liberal or conservative based on their views on social equality involves examining their political ideologies, where liberals support government intervention to promote equality and conservatives emphasize individual rights and limited government intervention.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying someone as liberal or conservative based on their stance towards the promotion of social equality for historically oppressed or underprivileged groups requires understanding where they fall on the political spectrum. Individuals with liberal ideologies tend to advocate for policies that promote social equality, economic and environmental justice, and are willing to support collective social actions carried out by the government to achieve these goals. On the other hand, those with conservative ideologies are more likely to prioritize control, individual rights, and may view calls for equity as an affront to equal treatment under the law or as an attack against traditional social values.
For example, liberals would likely support the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, seeing it as a measure towards economic equality. Conservatives may defend the Patriot Act's government data collection as necessary for national security and favor limited government, except in areas like military and law enforcement. They may also advocate for the reduction of social services like unemployment and Medicaid, perceiving them as a threat to individual rights and the free market.