Conservatism in the Political Currents of the 20th and 21st Centuries Essay

Introduction

Conservatism is a type of politics with an appropriate ideological basis and a specific party-organizational base. Among the vital ideological concepts that form its content core, one can single out the desire for natural and gradual changes, the conviction that the social order is based on laws beyond human influence, and the hierarchical structure of society. In the US, conservatives retain their political identity, while conservatives have largely liberalized and lost their distinct profile in other countries.

Therefore, the social policy of American conservatives is the most authentic type of conservative social policy. This, above all, refers to the socio-political course of the American conservatives in the 90s 20 centuries, which had a severe impact on the entire domestic political life of the country. Its consequences persist, despite the liberal wave and the priorities in the activities of the Obama administration. American conservatism, throughout its history, has been a coalition of different currents and groups that, in most cases, agree on a shared desired outcome in politics, although often for very different reasons.

Concept of Conservatism

The answer to the question of the existence of conservatism in America today depends on understanding its general nature as an ideology: its distinctive characteristics, content, and the conditions under which it arises. Ideology should be understood as a system of ideas related to the distribution of political and social values shared by a large social group¹. Interpretations of the role and importance of contemporary conservative thought vary considerably.

Several critical theories can be identified from the origins of the history of conservatism. One of them is aristocratic, which defines conservatism as the ideology of one specific and unique historical movement. It is the reaction of the feudal rural class of the aristocracy to the French Revolution, liberalism, and the rise of the bourgeoisie at the end of the eighteenth century and during the first half of the nineteenth century.

Modern conservatism is a function of one specific historical and sociological situation. Thus, it is inextricably linked with feudalism, status, the old regime, landowning interests, the Middle Ages, and the nobility; this ideology is irreconcilably opposed to the middle class, labor, mercantile spirit, industrialism, democracy, liberalism, and individualism. This concept of conservatism is popular among critics of the New Conservatism because there is no feudal tradition in the United States and the efforts of intellectuals and publicists aimed at promoting conservative ideas among the American middle class.

The second autonomous definition of conservatism says that conservatism is not necessarily associated with the interests of any particular group. Its emergence does not depend on any particular historical configuration of social forces. This system is defined in terms of universal values ​​such as justice, order, balance, and moderation². Whether a particular individual shares these values ​​largely depends not on his social status but on his ability to see the truth and desirability contained in them. This theory implies that conservatism is relevant and desirable in contemporary America and that it is the most preferred political philosophy under any historical circumstances.

Another definition of conservatism is situational, which sees it as an ideology that emerges in specific but recurring historical situations where there is a fundamental threat to established institutions and in which the proponents of those institutions use the conservative ideology as a defense. Thus, conservatism is a system of ideas aimed at justifying any established social order, no matter where and when it exists.

The essence of conservatism is to affirm the value of existing institutions. This does not mean that conservatism opposes any change. Indeed, to preserve the essential elements of society, it is sometimes necessary to agree to changes in secondary issues. No man can support a conservative ideology unless he is delighted with the established order and is determined to defend it in the face of any serious threat. Conservatism, in this sense, is possible in the United States only if there is a severe challenge to existing American institutions that would induce the defenders of these institutions to proclaim conservative values.

Conservatism in the 20th Century

Speaking during the pre-election campaign on relatively moderate positions in international affairs, J. Bush Jr., after the September 11 terrorist attacks, was forced to adjust his agenda and listen to the neo-conservative hawks who demanded the most brutal possible response to the terrorists. Primarily based on the fact that the presidential administration perceived the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as an act of war, the pre-emptive foreign policy “Bush Doctrine” was formulated³. A little more than a year later, in another message to Congress, George W. Bush Jr. included Iraq, Iran, and North Korea among the countries that supported the terrorists.

Pursuing an active international course firmly entered the toolkit of US foreign policy during the reign of George W. Bush Jr. The critical point in the practical implementation of this foreign policy doctrine was the military intervention in Iraq, which received active support not only from neo-conservative leaders but also from Congress, the general public, and the media. American conservatives generally consider individual freedom – within the framework of American values ​​- to be fundamental to democracy; this view contrasts with contemporary liberals, generally placing greater emphasis on equality and social justice and emphasizing the need for government intervention to achieve these goals. American political conservatives believe in limiting government size and balancing national government with state rights.

Except for the libertarian right, they tend to advocate intense action in some areas that they believe are within the government’s legal jurisdiction, notably national defense and law enforcement. Social conservatives, and many religious conservatives, often oppose abortion, same-sex marriage, and civil unions. They often prioritize Christian prayer in public schools and public funding for private Christian schools.

Another current of American conservatism – traditionalism – supported the idea of ​​the unilateral use of force by the United States to solve national security problems. This attitude towards interference in the politics of other countries was primarily based on the fact that the UN could not cope with global challenges⁴. Combating the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, responsible for the September 11 attacks, was unequivocally decided by traditionalist conservatives in favor of a forceful solution.

However, for some adherents of traditionalism, the poorly substantiated rhetoric about Saddam Hussein’s possession of weapons of mass destruction turned out to be insufficient for open intervention since the unleashing of hostilities for no apparent reason conflicted with the principle of a just war. In addition, some traditionalists were critical of the intention of the George W. Bush administration. By force to establish democracy in the Arab countries. The successful formation of democratic values ​​depends on the historical prerequisites in the country in previous periods of social and cultural institutions. Nevertheless, most traditionalists supported military intervention, given that the threat from Iraq was real. Despite the interventionist rhetoric of the presidential administration, the failure to resolve the problem could harm US security in the long run.

Conservatism in the 21st Century

Modern American democracy is based on human rights and the idea of ​​equality. Recently, the dominant political movement in the United States has become conservatism. Representatives of Republicans and Democrats may show similar tendencies towards conservative values, which ultimately blurs their differences. The modern provisions of this political philosophy have changed somewhat compared to their past sources⁵. In modern America, it rests on several important principles to consider to understand in which direction the modern political establishment is moving.

An essential aspect of conservatism today is that it relies on freedom as a critical value and gives it a central place in its rhetoric. This means that one of the main postulates of the modern American citizen should be the ability to do and say what they want. This also includes political freedom and the right to defend one’s opinion and be independent and free from the government’s oppression. Moreover, this broad concept also includes the freedom of the economy and the absence of strict market regulation.

Another essential idea of ​​21st-century conservatism is the concept of virtue. This, in turn, contains freedom as a means of achieving virtue at the national level. However, freedom may not always be given to all social groups equally, which means some people may infringe on their rights⁶. Here the question of the security of society already arises since it is not always possible to stop one person’s freedom in favor of another. In such cases, modern conservatives seek more freedom, which in some cases can lead to undesirable consequences.

The most authentic manifestation of conservatism is its longing for the old, centuries-old order and reluctance to accept change. The values ​​that led to the ordering of society are considered conservative above all else. Accordingly, this system does not always have a place for new or experimental orders. This point also includes the principle of the rule of law, which is the norm for any civilized society. Here the principle of equality should be embodied since the law should be the same for all sectors of society.

Works Cited

Buckley W. Our Mission Statement. National Review. 1955. Web.

The Rise of the New Right. Republican Party Platform, Adopted by the Republican National Convention, 1980. pp. 465-475.

Lynn, Joshua A. Preserving the White Man’s Republic: Jacksonian Democracy, Race, and the Transformation of American Conservatism. University of Virginia Press, 2019.

Sexton, Patricia Cayo. The war on labor and the left: Understanding America’s unique conservatism. Routledge, 2018.

Harniess, Warrick. Red, White and Radical: What Organisations Can Learn about Change from the Rise of American Conservatism. Routledge, 2020.

Kelly, Anthony Patrick. Voices of outrage: online partisan media, user-generated news commentary, and the contested boundaries of American conservatism during the 2016 US presidential election. Diss. London School of Economics and Political Science, 2020. Web.

Footnotes

1. Buckley W. Our Mission Statement. National Review. 1955. Web.
2. Kelly, Anthony Patrick. Voices of outrage: online partisan media, user-generated news commentary, and the contested boundaries of American conservatism during the 2016 US presidential election. Diss. London School of Economics and Political Science, 2020. Web.
3. Harniess, Warrick. Red, White and Radical: What Organisations Can Learn about Change from the Rise of American Conservatism. Routledge, 2020.
4. The Rise of the New Right. Republican Party Platform, Adopted by the Republican National Convention, 1980. pp. 465-475.
5. Lynn, Joshua A. Preserving the White Man’s Republic: Jacksonian Democracy, Race, and the Transformation of American Conservatism. University of Virginia Press, 2019.
6. Sexton, Patricia Cayo. The war on labor and the left: Understanding America’s unique conservatism. Routledge, 2018.