The Conservative Movement Essay - 1540 Words

The conservative movement has played a crucial role in American politics in the post war era. Ronald Story and Bruce Laurie indentify various elements of the American conservatism. These elements include challenging authoritarian governments and modernist culture, upholding tradition, Christian religion and the rule of law, defending western civilization, and supporting republicanism. American conservatism has been characterized by competing ideologies and tension throughout history. The Americans who are politically liberal and economically conservative favor free trade, minimal state intervention, low taxes, and a small government. On the other hand, conservatives hold the view that American traditional values are normally undermined by†¦show more content†¦Some historians and political scientists have maintained that the post-war conservatism merged three significant yet contradictory elements, which at first existed independently. These elements include anticommunism, tr aditionalism, and libertarianism. President Eisenhower who succeeded Truman won the election by promising to rectify Truman’s failures, which included communism, Korea and corruption. And when Eisenhower came to power, he promptly ended the war in Korea. The war in Korea was largely opposed by conservatives. Eisenhower’s administration advocated for modern republicanism that favored minimal government expenditure, a small government, and balanced budget. President Eisenhower continued to adhere to the welfare policies as stipulated in the Roosevelt’s new deal. Eisenhower also made endeavors to eliminate conflict among racial and economic groups, and promoted prosperity, peace, and social harmony (Story and Laurie 4). Conservatism in the 1950s was also promoted by writers. One of the writers who strongly opposed liberalism was Russell Kirk. Russell’s conservatism was influenced by the fact that he viewed both traditional and modern liberalism as acts that are of great significance as regards economic matters. According to him, liberalism did not take care of spiritual aspects of man. Hence,Show MoreRelatedThe American Revolution as a conservative movement.807 Words   |  5 Pageskind of movement is that it depends on whose side you were on and what year you are talking about. Those things determine what the definition of conservative and radical is at the time. The Articles of Confederation were very conservative because, at this time, anything that proposed anything other than a weak central goverenment was considered radical, such as the constitution which we presently live under. In our current time, even the constitution is seen as pretty conservative though, mostlyRead MoreA Conservative Revolution1523 Words   |  7 PagesA Conservative Revolution Whether the American Revolution should be viewed as a conservative or radical movement is a hotly debated topic among historians, and each side provides a convincing case. Historians who view the movement as radical praise the colonists’ effort to send the British crown’s rule and effective implementation of a democratic government to the extent the world had never seen before. On the other hand, historians who view the American Revolution as a conservative movement noteRead MoreThe New Right Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesStarting during the 1970s, factions of American conservatives slowly came together to form a new and more radical dissenting conservative movement, the New Right. The New Right was just as radical as its liberal opposite, with agendas to increase government involvement beyond the established conservative view of government’s role. Although New Right politicians made admirable advances to dissemble New Deal economic policies, the movement as a whole counters conservativism and the ideologies thatRead MoreThe Rebirth Of American Conservatism1123 Words   |  5 Pagesof American Conservatism From the Late 1950’s through the 1960’s a movement started to reclaim the idea of freedom. Until the 1960’s, American Politics was dominated by liberalism. Many presidents defined themselves as being liberal, and the presidents who didn’t during their presidency may be called centrist or left leaning in today’s political climate. The idea to reclaim the idea of freedom gave birth to the Conservative movement. Conservatism was not extinct prior to the 1964 presidential electionRead MoreWhat is homosexuality? Homosexuality is the romantic or sexual attraction or sexual behavior900 Words   |  4 Pagesmonotheistic religion. It is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenantal relationship God established with the children of Israel. Traditional Judaism views homosexual acts as wrong, but more liberal branches of Judaism (Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist) are more supportive of homosexuality. Many Traditional, or Orthodox, Judaism reject civil and Jewish same sex marriage. They believe that marriage â€Å"is reserved for the sacred union of a man and a woman in a lovingRead MoreThe Partys Domestic And Foreign Policy1232 Words   |  5 Pagesas a political movement born in the United States during the 1960’s among Democrats who became disenchanted with the party s domestic and especially foreign policy. That is a fine definition if one grew up in that era and understood what was going on, or if everyone knew what the parties domestic and foreign policies were. However, not everyone can lay claim to either of those options as true to them. So one must take the time to understand the rise of this conservative movement. Once the understandingRead MoreParadigms Of The Jewish Culture967 Words   |  4 PagesJewish Culture Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jewish religious movements, sometimes referred to as denominations, can be looked at in terms of paradigm shifts in the Jewish Culture. Jewish denominations include different groups of Jews that have developed since the ancient times. In the United States, these denominations took the form of three large groups known as Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. While each denomination keeps to certain core beliefs, there is diversityRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Reagan Revolution1592 Words   |  7 Pagesand would continue to run on Kennedy’s platform, thus continuing the liberal movements for equal rights. Johnson easily wins the 64’ election with this momentum, and his promise of the â€Å"Great Society† to help all those in need, not to mention his government mandate to garner support. This creates a relatively liberal population in the country, with the majority of Americans supporting some form of a Civil Righ ts Movement, as the horrors of racism are brought to light via television. It is this strongRead MoreComparison Of Modern Liberalism And Conservatism1345 Words   |  6 Pagesbetween, and just as importantly, the opposite direction that the two groups are traveling in. I think that due to extremes in modern day conservative and liberal views, that this nation in on a self-destruct path. And, I will also try to show how both the extreme liberal and conservative ideologies are flawed and harmful to our society. I feel that conservative and liberal ideals have become a chasm so wide that someday soon we can’t coexist peacefully. This day has not come yet, but it will soonRead MoreThe New Left And Radical Counterculture1195 Words   |  5 Pages When one looks back on the frenetic 1960s, conservative sentiments aren’t usually the first thing to come to mind. Yet, while the New Left and the radical counterculture were reshaping cultural ideals, it was the New Right who emerged from the 1960s as a viable political force. The New Left can be categorized as a broad, largely youthful, movement with the goal to challenge various social norms and to institute a â€Å"participatory democracy†. Moreover, the New Left was â€Å"New† in a sense that they