The American Conservative Spectrum
An academic exploration of the principles, history, and diverse movements within American conservatism.
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Core Tenets
Defining American Conservatism
American conservatism is a major political ideology characterized by a commitment to individualism, tradition, capitalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in favor of states' rights. While historically rooted in these principles, 21st-century developments have seen a significant shift towards right-wing populist themes.
Values and Social Stance
Conservatives often draw support from the Christian right, emphasizing Christian values and moral absolutism. This typically translates into opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and certain LGBT rights. They generally favor economic liberalism, are pro-business and pro-capitalism, and maintain a strong stance against communism and labor unions.
National Identity and Security
A strong emphasis is placed on robust national defense and the right to bear arms, often citing the Second Amendment. Conservatives typically advocate for capital punishment and the defense of Western culture against perceived threats from ideologies like Islamism and moral relativism. Some may express skepticism towards established epidemiological findings, anthropogenic climate change, and evolutionary science.
Historical Evolution
Post-Revolutionary Roots
Following the American Revolution, conservatism in the U.S. diverged from European models, rejecting monarchy, established churches, and hereditary aristocracy. The emphasis was placed on individual liberty within the framework of republicanism and a balance between federal and state powers. This era laid the groundwork for core conservative principles.
Foundational Principles
American conservatism draws heavily from the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Figures like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams are seen as foundational. The movement's philosophy is also influenced by classical liberalism, emphasizing economic freedom, limited government, and free markets, a perspective articulated by thinkers like Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman.
Emergence of Modern Conservatism
While conservative principles have long been present, an organized movement with a distinct ideology began to coalesce in the mid-20th century. Figures like Russell Kirk, through works like "The Conservative Mind," traced American conservatism's lineage to Edmund Burke. The opposition to communism served as a unifying force for various factions during the Cold War.
21st Century Shifts
The conservative movement has experienced significant evolution and fragmentation. Contemporary conservatism encompasses diverse schools of thought, with recent trends showing a move towards national conservatism, protectionism, cultural conservatism, and a more realist foreign policy, often associated with the rise of right-wing populism.
Diverse Ideological Streams
Constitutional Conservatism
This branch emphasizes adherence to the U.S. Constitution, advocating for enumerated powers and the preservation of constitutional principles, particularly liberty. It often aligns with judicial originalism and has influenced movements like the Tea Party. It stands in opposition to progressive interpretations of governance.
Fiscal Conservatism
Focused on economic principles, fiscal conservatism champions low taxes, reduced government spending, free markets, and deregulation. Proponents advocate for privatization and minimizing government debt, believing that free enterprise drives economic growth and individual prosperity.
Libertarian Conservatism
A fusion of fiscal conservatism and libertarianism, this ideology stresses strict constitutional interpretation and limited government intervention. It prioritizes personal freedom, often leading to social positions that diverge from traditional social conservatism, particularly on issues like marijuana legalization and LGBT rights.
Foreign Policy Conservatism
This encompasses several strands: National Conservatism focuses on national identity, protectionism, and law and order. Neoconservatism advocates for an assertive, interventionist foreign policy to promote democracy abroad. Paleoconservatism emphasizes immigration restrictions, non-interventionism, and opposition to multiculturalism.
Social Conservatism
Rooted in traditional moral values, often derived from religious beliefs, social conservatism prioritizes the nuclear family and religious principles. Key positions include advocating for restrictions on abortion, supporting school choice, and opposing secularism and perceived moral relativism.
Traditionalist Conservatism
This perspective emphasizes gradual change and adherence to established institutions and customs. It values inherited wisdom and tradition, prioritizing the rule of law over revolutionary or utopian schemes, and viewing change cautiously.
Ideological Foundations
Buckley's Vision
William F. Buckley Jr., founder of *National Review*, articulated a core conservative philosophy: government's primary role is to protect citizens' lives, liberty, and property. He advocated for relentless opposition to the growth of government and championed the defense of an organic moral order against scientific utopianism, positioning conservatives on the libertarian side of freedom and the conservative side of truth.
Distinct American Identity
American conservatism is distinct from its European counterparts, lacking ties to monarchy or aristocracy. It is deeply rooted in American republicanism and classical liberal ideals, emphasizing liberty, the rule of law, and the consent of the governed, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. This distinctiveness is often seen as a strength, reflecting a unique national identity.
Influences and Alliances
The movement draws significant influence from classical liberalism and libertarianism, particularly the Chicago school of economics, and thinkers like Hayek and Friedman. Historically, opposition to communism served as a unifying element, bringing together diverse factions under a common ideological banner during the Cold War.
Economic Principles
Free Markets and Limited Government
Fiscal conservatism champions capitalism, limited government, free enterprise, and laissez-faire economics. Key policy preferences include tax cuts, reduced government spending, deregulation, privatization, and minimizing national debt. The argument is that these policies foster job creation and economic growth.
Opposition to Intervention
Fiscal conservatives often view market competition as superior to government regulation for promoting economic efficiency. There is a historical debate within conservatism regarding protectionism versus free trade. Some libertarian-leaning conservatives advocate for minimal to no government intervention in the economy, viewing it as inherently wasteful and immoral.
Debt and Taxation
A recurring theme is the critique of government debt and progressive taxation. Conservatives argue that excessive spending corrupts politics and that high taxes are unjust. Strategies like "starve the beast" aim to reduce government size by limiting its financial resources, reflecting a desire for fiscal restraint.
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References
References
- M. O. Dickerson et al., An Introduction to Government and Politics: A Conceptual Approach (2009) p. 129.
- Kirk, Russell. The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot (1953) traced a continuous tradition since the 1790s.
- Vesla M. Weaver, "Frontlash: Race and the development of punitive crime policy." Studies in American political development 21.2 (2007): 230â265.
- Michael Kazin et al. eds. The Concise Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History (2011) pp. 117â128.
- Russell Kirk, "Adams, John" in John Frohnen, ed., American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia (2006) p. 11
- A. Owen Aldridge, "John Adams: Pioneer American Conservative." Modern Age (2002) 44#3 pp. 217â225.
- Patrick Allitt, The Conservatives: Ideas and Personalities Throughout American History (Yale U.P. 2009), p. 278
- see Steven Brint and Jean Reith Schroedel, eds., Evangelicals and Democracy in America, Volume II: Religion and Politics (Russell Sage Foundation, 2009) for scholarly studies
- Prudence Flowers, "'A Prolife Disaster': The Reagan Administration and the Nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor." Journal of Contemporary History 53.2 (2018): 391â414.
- Glenn Utter and Robert J. Spitzer, Encyclopedia of Gun Control & Gun Rights (2nd ed. 2011)
- Adam J. Schiffer, "I'm not that liberal: Explaining conservative democratic identification." Political Behavior 22 (2000): 293-310.
- Peter Viereck, Conservative Thinkers: From John Adams to Winston Churchill (1956), pp. 1â22.
- George H. Nash, The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945 (2008) pp. 446â455.
- Johan Van Overtveldt, The Chicago School: how the University of Chicago assembled the thinkers who revolutionized economics and business (2007).
- Stephen R. Ortiz, "The New Deal for Veterans: The Economy Act, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Origins of New Deal Dissent." Journal of Military History 70.2 (2006): 415-438.
- George McJimsey, "Glorious Contentment: the Grand Army of the Republic, 1865-1900." Annals of Iowa 52.4 (1993) pp 474-476.
- Gregory S. Hopely, Against the classes and the masses: The American Legion, the American Federation of Labor, and Square Deal Americanism in the 1920s (Rowan University, 2020).
- Ronald Lora and William Henry Longton, The Conservative Press in Twentieth-Century America (1999) pp. 479â88.
- Timothy J Lynch, ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History (2013) 1: 38â40.
- Adam Laats, "Our schools, our country: American evangelicals, public schools, and the Supreme Court decisions of 1962 and 1963." Journal of religious history 36.3 (2012): 319â334.
- William M. Beaney, and Edward N. Beiser, "Prayer and politics: the impact of Engel and Schempp on the political process." Journal of Public Law 13 (1964): 475.
- Steven F. Hayward, The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution 1980â1989 (2009), p. 477.
- Sean Wilentz, The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974â2008 (2009); John Ehrman, The Eighties: America in the Age of Reagan (2008).
- Peter J. Jacques; Riley E. Dunlap; Mark Freeman, The organisation of denial: Conservative think tanks and environmental skepticism, Environmental Politics. v12 m3 (2008), pp. 349â385.
- George H. Nash, Reappraising the Right: The Past and Future of American Conservatism (2009) p. 325.
- Michael W. Flamm, Law and Order: Street Crime, Civil Unrest, and the Crisis of Liberalism in the 1960s (2005).
- Olivier Zunz, John Bodnar, and Stephan Thernstrom, "American History and the Changing Meaning of Assimilation" Journal of American Ethnic History 4#2 (1985): 53â84.
- Bruce Pilbeam, "Eurabian nightmares: American conservative discourses and the Islamisation of Europe," Journal of Transatlantic Studies (2011) 9#2 pp. 151â171.
- Mark A. Graber and Michael Perhac, Marbury versus Madison: documents and commentary (2002) p. 111.
- Mark V. Tushnet, A Court Divided: The Rehnquist Court and the Future of Constitutional Law (2005) p. 338.
- Johnathan O'Neill, Originalism in American law and politics: a constitutional history (2005) pp. 7â11, 208.
- Tom Schaller, "Gingrich Slams Paulson, Obama, Sarbanes-Oxley and Even W (a little)" FiveThirtyEight May 24, 2010
- Jeffrey M. Berry and Sarah Sobieraj, "Understanding the rise of talk radio." PS: Political Science & Politics 44#4 (2011): 762â767.
- Everett Carll Ladd and Seymour Martin Lipset, Academics, politics, and the 1972 election (1973)
- Jack H. Schuster and Martin J. Finkelstein, The American Faculty: The Restructuring of Academic Work and Careers (2008) p. 145
- Louis Menand, The Marketplace of Ideas: Reform and Resistance in the American University (2010) pp. 137â139
- Jefferson Cowie, and Nick Salvatore, "The Long Exception: Rethinking the Place of the New Deal in American History," International Labor & Working-Class History, (2008) 74: 3â32.
- Julian E. Zelizer, "Rethinking the History of American Conservatism," Reviews in American History (2010) 38#2 pp. 367â392, quoting pp. 372, 379.
- Harold Koh, "America's Jekyll-and-Hyde Exceptionalism", in Michael Ignatieff, ed.American Exceptionalism and Human Rights (2005) p. 112.
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Important Notice
This content has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence, drawing upon publicly available data. It is intended for academic and informational purposes only, providing an overview of American conservatism.
This is not political advice. The information presented here is not a substitute for professional political analysis, historical research, or consultation with experts in political science or history. Always consult primary sources and academic scholarship for a comprehensive understanding.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any inaccuracies, omissions, or interpretations of the information provided herein.