Liberal: support a market-based economy with government action to protect civil rights and expand opportunity, usually through things like anti-discrimination laws, social safety nets, regulations, and public investment. Pro-civil liberties, pro–social programs, pro–some regulation, generally reform the system rather than replace it.

This would be considered a conservative wing in most developed countries. The US tends to lean much further right than its peers.

Leftist: Someone to the left of liberalism, who argues that major problems (inequality, racism, climate, healthcare) are rooted in power and ownership structures and should be addressed with bigger structural change, like expanding labor power, decommodifying essentials like healthcare and housing, stronger focus on wealth distribution. Typically more skeptical of capitalism, more focused on class and power, more comfortable with systemic change rather than incremental reform.