ABSTRACT
Liberty is the central value in democracy. Therefore, democratic government is bound and constrained: it cannot take action which trespasses on liberty. The libertarian answer to the double imperative is that there is very little government can do without overstepping on liberty. Between the libertarian and the revolutionary answers, there are two reformist positions, a weak and a strong version. The weak reformist position is philosophically different, it has no vision of an ultimate goal, it is open, it is the theory of the open society. In practical affairs, the strong reformist theory will encourage strong policy interventions because it has a strong goal to justify strong means. The weak reformist theory will encourage action, but within restraint because the imperative of liberty will weigh more heavily. The effectiveness of reform strategies is therefore a matter of experience. For research, the question is whether links can be established between the broadening of opportunity and the equalization of well-being.
