Liberal democracy

Liberal democracy is a political ideology and a form of government in which representative democracy operates under the principles of liberalism. It is characterised by fair, free, and competitive elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into different branches of government, the rule of law in everyday life as part of an open society, and the equal protection of human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, and political freedoms for all people. To define the system in practice, liberal democracies often draw upon a constitution, either formally written or uncodified, to delineate the powers of government and enshrine the social contract. After a period of sustained expansion throughout the 20th century, liberal democracy became the predominant political system in the world.

A liberal democracy may take various constitutional forms: it may be a constitutional republic (France, India, the United States) or a constitutional monarchy (Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom). It may have a presidential system (Indonesia, the United States), a semi-presidential system (France, Taiwan), or a parliamentary system (India, Italy, the United Kingdom).

Lou Dobbs

Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs (born September 24, 1945) is an American television personality, author, and radio host on the Fox Business Network. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009, when he announced on the air that he would leave the network.

Dobbs was born in Texas and lived there and in Idaho during his childhood. After graduating from Harvard University, he worked in government and banking before becoming a news reporter for several local media outlets. He had worked with CNN since its founding in 1980, serving as a reporter and vice president. He was the host and managing editor for CNN's Moneyline, which premiered in 1980 and was renamed Lou Dobbs Tonight in 2003. Dobbs resigned from CNN in 1999, rejoined in 2000, and resigned again in November 2009, when he joined Fox News. He also hosts a syndicated radio show, Lou Dobbs Radio and has written several books since 2001.

Dobbs describes himself as an "independent populist" and is known for his opposition to NAFTA and support for immigration enforcement. For his reporting, he has won Emmy, Peabody, and Cable ACE awards.