I think we must agree to disagree on definitions. What you describe is how I define Liberalism. And have throughout my adult life, including the period when I was an active campaigning member of the English Liberal Party during its Alliance with the SDP and, after the merger, the Liberal Democrats. The main difference, as I see it, is that Liberals seek change by democratic means whilst Socialists condone the use of violence to achieve their goals. History tells us that never works.
Maybe it's different in the USA.