American conservatism

Conservatism is a political ideology grounded in tradition and history that tends to favor established institutions and gradual change rather than radical new ideas. People who believe in conservatism are called conservatives. The foundation of conservative thought in the United States is built upon four basic cornerstones: liberty; tradition and order; rule by law rather than rule by government; and a belief in God. In general, conservatives tend to favor limited government, traditional social values, a strong national defense, and a free market economy. Many of these ideas are central to the core of the political agenda of the Republican Party, and as a result, many conservatives identify with Republican candidates for office. It is important to note, however, that not all conservatives are Republicans and not all Republicans are conservatives, and the two terms should not be confused as synonyms.

Rise of the Conservative Movement

Conservatism in the United States can trace its history back to the Founding Fathers. Some central tenets of conservatism are evident in the words they chose when writing foundational documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence, for example, highlights conservative ideals such as

• a belief in God (“endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”);
• liberty (“that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”);
• limited government (“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”); and
• an adherence to tradition (“Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes”).

Conservatism as US citizens know it in the twenty-first century emerged following the end of World War II, in large part as a reaction to the expansive growth of the federal government under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs in the 1930s. Roosevelt belonged to the Democratic Party, which generally supports liberal policies that stand in contrast to the ideals of conservatism. As a result of the New Deal, which aimed to provide relief and recovery in response to the Great Depression, the federal government had come to occupy a significant role in regulating the country’s economy. Moreover, the New Deal had increased Americans’ dependence on the federal government. Conservatives believed government involvement in economic affairs had to be reined in and reversed. They pushed for a return to limited government, self-reliance, and a free market.

Two additional concerns shared by many conservatives in the aftermath of the war and into the 1950s were the spread of communism and the decline of traditional values. Conservatives believed that communism directly opposed the ideals of American democracy and threatened tradition and order worldwide. Consequently, anti-Communists came to represent a growing segment of the conservative movement. Meanwhile, traditionalists argued that liberal policies had led to the erosion of many institutions in American society, including schools, churches, and families, and they sought to return these institutions to their former glory.

As the 1950s progressed, books such as Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind (1953) and magazines such as National Review (established 1955) freely expressed and gained support for conservative viewpoints. Across the United States, a fully fledged conservative movement had taken shape.

Advancing Conservative Politics

By the 1960s, leaders in the conservative movement were ready to turn thought into action, which meant pushing the conservative agenda into the political arena. At the time, a number of moderate, “middle of the road” politicians controlled the Republican Party. Then in 1964, conservative voters across the nation succeeded in nominating Arizona senator Barry Goldwater for president and, in doing so, altered the core of the Republican Party for decades to come. From that point, the Republican Party has remained a party composed mostly of conservatives.

Goldwater, author of the 1960 book The Conscience of a Conservative, despised communism and advocated its elimination by any means necessary. He supported a limited federal government and advocated reliance on a free market. His views resonated with conservative voters. Despite losing the 1964 presidential election to Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, who had served as vice president to assassinated president John F. Kennedy, Goldwater essentially had paved the way for the future of conservative politics.

One of the most prominent figures in the modern conservative movement was Republican president Ronald Reagan, who served two terms beginning in 1980. Like conservatives who came before him, Reagan supported a free market economy and a limited federal government and opposed communism. In addition, Reagan emphasized a fourth quality that has remained a hallmark of conservative beliefs into the present: social conservatism. Social conservatism emphasizes moral conduct and the preservation of so-called "traditional" values, which usually are rooted in Christian religious beliefs.

Conservatism Today

Conservative ideology has continued to influence politics in the United States during the twenty-first century, most notably with the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016 and again in 2024. Many experts have contended that the first Trump administration redefined the conservative movement in the US, shifting the public's perceptions of politicians deemed more conservative to those who were more outspoken supporters of Trump. Moreover, his presidency revealed a split in the Republican Party—between those who opposed Trump and his policies, sometimes called "Never Trumpers," and those who fully supported him. During his third campaign and upon taking office in 2025, Trump's agenda remained largely conservative, with a focus on stricter immigration policies and government reduction.

However, conservatism does not necessarily represent the collective views of one political party over another. Although the Republican Party generally produces politicians with more conservative beliefs, some moderate Republicans may adopt more liberal standpoints. Likewise, while Democrats generally abide by more liberal policies, some Democrats may share certain conservative viewpoints. That being said, the following are some very broad classifications of conservative points of view with regard to a number of controversial political topics.

Conservatives tend to oppose the following:

• Abortion
• Affirmative action
• Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide
• Climate change policies
• Government-run health care
• Government-regulated economy
• Same-sex marriage
• Higher taxes for the wealthy
• Large government
• Long-term welfare

Conservatives tend to support the following:

• Death penalty
• Free market economy and private enterprise
• Increased drilling and mining for fossil fuels
• School vouchers
• Reduced gun control laws
• Competitive, market-based health care
• Border security and enforcement of immigration laws
• Lower taxes
• Limited government
• Strong national defense
• Personal responsibility and self-reliance

Bibliography

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