Conservatism is an economically center-right and culturally-right ideology. He inhabits the Authoritarian Right quadrant (blue) of the Political Compass somewhat towards the right horizontally, and slightly to moderately towards the top vertically. He seeks to maintain the social order and his country's traditional values and seeks a strong military and (usually) strong borders. He is capitalistic but is fond of protectionism and heavy military spending. He seeks to preserve a range of institutions including religion, parliamentary government, and property rights, with the aim of ephasizing social stability and continuity.
Some Context
The first established use of the term in a political context originated in 1818 with François-René de Chateaubriand during the period of Bourbon Restoration that sought to roll back the policies of the French Revolution. Historically associated with right-wing politics, the term has since been used to describe a wide range of views. There is no single set of policies regarded as conservative because the meaning of conservatism depends on what is considered traditional in a given place and time. Thus conservatives from different parts of the world—each upholding their respective traditions—may disagree on a wide range of issues. Edmund Burke, an 18th-century politician who opposed the French Revolution, but supported the American Revolution, is credited as one of the main theorists of conservatism in Great Britain in the 1790s.
Conservatism In Major Countries
United States
The meaning of "conservatism" in the United States has little in common with the way the word is used elsewhere. As Ribuffo (2011) notes, "what Americans now call conservatism much of the world calls Liberalism or Neoliberalism. Since the 1950s, conservatism in the United States has been chiefly associated with the Republican Party. However, during the era of segregation, many Southern Democrats were conservatives and they played a key role in the conservative coalition that largely controlled domestic policy in Congress from 1937 to 1963. The conservative Democrats continued to have influence in the US politics until 1994's Republican Revolution, when the American South shifted from solid Democrat to solid Republican, while maintaining its conservative values.
Major priorities within American conservatism include support for the traditional family, law and order, the right to bear arms, Christian values, anti-communism and a defense of "Western civilization from the challenges of modernist culture and totalitarian governments". Economic conservative and Libertarianism favor small government, low taxes, limited regulation and free enterprise. Some social conservatives see traditional social values threatened by secularism, so they support school prayer and oppose abortion and homosexuality. Neoconservatism wants to expand American ideals throughout the world and show a strong support for Israeli Paleoconservatives, in opposition to multiculturalism, press for restrictions on immigration. Nearly all US conservatives prefer Republicans over Democrats and most factions favor a strong foreign policy and a strong military. The conservative movement of the 1950s attempted to bring together these divergent strands, stressing the need for unity to prevent the spread of "godless Marxism–Leninism", which Reagan later labeled an "evil empire". During the Reagan administration, conservatives also supported the so-called "Reagan Doctrine" under which the US as part of a Cold War strategy provided military and other support to guerrilla insurgencies that were fighting governments identified as socialist or communist. The Reagan administration also adopted Neoliberalism and trickle-down economics, as well as Reaganomics, which made for economic growth in the 1980s, fueled by trillion-dollar deficits.
Other modern conservative positions include opposition to big government and opposition to environmentalism. On average, American conservatives desire tougher foreign policies than liberals do. Economic Liberalism, deregulation and social conservatism are major principles of the Republican Party.
The Tea Party movement, founded in 2009, has proven a large outlet for populist American conservative ideas. Their stated goals include rigorous adherence to the US constitution, lower taxes, and opposition to a growing role for the federal government in health care. Electorally, it was considered a key force in Republicans reclaiming control of the US House of Representatives in 2010.
Germany
Conservatism developed alongside Nationalism in Germany, culminating in Germany's victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War, the creation of the unified German Empire in 1871 and the simultaneous rise of Otto von Bismarck on the European political stage. Bismarck's "balance of power" model maintained peace in Europe for decades at the end of the 19th century. His "revolutionary conservatism" was a conservative state-building strategy designed to make ordinary Germans—not just the Junker elite—more loyal to state and emperor, he created the modern welfare state in Germany in the 1880s.
With the rise of National Socialism in 1933, agrarian movements faded and was supplanted by a more command-based economy and forced social integration. Though Adolf Hitler succeeded in garnering the support of many German industrialists, prominent traditionalists openly and secretly opposed his policies of euthanasia, genocide and attacks on organized religion, including Claus von Stauffenberg, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Henning von Tresckow, Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen and the monarchist Carl Friedrich Goerdeler. More recently, the work of conservative Christian Democratic Union leader and Chancellor Helmut Kohl helped bring about German reunification, along with the closer European integration in the form of the Maastricht Treaty. Today, German conservatism is often associated with politicians such as Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose tenure has been marked by attempts to save the common European currency (Euro) from demise. The German conservatives are divided under Merkel due to the refugee crisis in Germany and many conservatives in the CDU/CSU oppose the refugee and migrant policies developed under Merkel.
France
Another form of conservatism developed in France in parallel to conservatism in Britain. It was influenced by Counter-Enlightenment works by men such as Joseph de Maistre and Louis de Bonald. Many continental or traditionalist conservatives do not support separation of church and state, with most supporting state recognition of and cooperation with the Catholic Church, such as had existed in France before the Revolution. Eventually, conservatives added Gaullism, patriotism, and Nationalism to the list of traditional values they support. Conservatives were the first to embrace Nationalism, which was previously associated with Liberalism and the Revolution in France.
Russia
Under Vladimir Putin, the dominant leader since 1999, Russia has promoted explicitly conservative policies in social, cultural and political matters, both at home and abroad. Putin has attacked globalism and economic Liberalism. Russian conservatism is unique in some respects as it supports Economic intervention with a mixed economy, with a strong nationalist sentiment and social conservatism with its views being largely populist. Russian conservatism as a result opposes Libertarianism's ideals such as the aforementioned concept of economic Liberalism found in other conservative movements around the world. Putin has as a result promoted new think tanks that bring together like-minded intellectuals and writers. For example, the Izborsky Club, founded in 2012 by Aleksandr Prokhanov, stresses Russian Nationalism, the restoration of Russia's historical greatness and systematic opposition to Liberalism's ideas and policies.
United Kingdom
Conservatism in the United Kingdom is related to its counterparts in other Western nations, but has a distinct tradition and has encompassed a wide range of theories over the decades. The Conservative Party, which forms the mainstream center-right party in Britain, has developed many different internal factions and ideologies. Modern British Conservatism evolved into its current form following the Second World War.
During and after World War II, the Conservative Party made concessions to Democratic Socialism's policies of the left. This compromise was a pragmatic measure to regain power, but also the result of the early successes of central planning and state ownership forming a cross-party consensus. The conservatism version was known as Butskellism. The "post-war consensus" emerged as an all-party national government under Churchill promised Britons a better life after the war. Conservatives especially promoted educational reforms to reach a much larger population. The foundations of the post-war consensus were the Beveridge Report. In the period between 1945-1970 (consensus years) that unemployment averaged less than 3%. The post-war consensus included a belief in Keynesian economics, a mixed economy with the nationalization of major industries, the establishment of the National Health Service, and the creation of the modern welfare state in Britain. The policies were instituted by all governments (both Labour and Conservative) in the post-war period. The consensus has been held to characterize British politics until the economic crises of the 1970s (see Secondary banking crisis of 1973–1975) which led to the end of the post-war economic boom and the rise of monetarist economics. The roots of his economics, however, stem from the critique of the economics of the interwar period depression. Keynes' style of economics encouraged a more active role of the government in order to "manage overall demand so that there was a balance between demand and output". However, in the 1980s, under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, and the influence of Keith Joseph, there was a dramatic shift in the ideological direction of British conservatism, with a movement towards free-market economic policies and Neoliberalism. Following a third consecutive general election defeat in 2005, the Conservative Party selected David Cameron as party leader, followed by Theresa May in 2016, both of whom have served as Prime Minister and sought to modernize and change the ideological position of British conservatism.
In efforts to rebrand and increase the party's appeal, both leaders have adopted policies that align with Liberal Conservatism. This has included a "greener" environmental and energy stance, and adoption of some socially liberal views, such as acceptance of same-sex marriage. However, these policies have been accompanied by a fiscal conservatism, in which they have maintained a hard stance on bringing down the deficit, and embarked upon a program of economic austerity.
However, with the global rise of populism, the Conservative party has become more populist with many viewing it as undoing the previous modernizing work.
How to Draw
US-style
Drawing US Conservatism is very simple.
- Draw a ball.
- Fill the top half of the ball with blue (#1404bd) and the bottom half with red (#de0100).
- Draw three white stars on the top half of the ball. (In reference to the symbols of the Democratic and the Republican Party)
- Add the eyes and you're done!
UK style
Drawing UK Conservatism is simple
- Draw a ball
- Fill the ball with light blue (#00b0ef)
- Draw a white squiggly tree in the middle.
- Add the eyes and you're done!
Props
Some optional props:
- MAGA hat (US version)
- Sunglasses (US version) (used for US-centric balls like the USA in Polandball and Neoliberalism in Polcompball)
- Brexit hat (UK version)
- Burning EU flag (UK version)
Relationships
Friends
- Paleoconservatism - My more peaceful son.
- Neoconservatism - My son who shares my values but always drags me into wars.
- National Conservatism - My son who shares my values also but puts an emphasis on the importance of the nation.
- Nationalism - We both like strong borders.
- Agrarianism - Farming buddy
- Christian Democracy - Church buddy
- Liberal Conservatism - Good Libtard, used to run my UK counterpart but got really stressed out, so I took over.
Frenemies
- Conservative Feminism - Nagging wife
- Paleolibertarianism - Conservative values must be enforced.
- Libertarian Conservatism - He condones weed and porn. He also sometimes questions my military spending and the Thin Blue Line. No idea how he wants to maintain culture with a minimal state.
- Libertarian - We both like money and guns, but I don't like cocaine, hookers, and disrespect to law enforcement officers.
- Eco-Conservatism - My hippie son, questions my subsidies to big oil companies.
- Paternalistic Conservatism - My semi-commie son.
- Conservative Socialism - My commie son, right 50% of the time.
- Progressive Conservatism - 50% Libtard, 50% not.
Enemies
- Marxism-Leninism - Anti-American commie.
- Fascism - Libtards always accuse me of being him. I'm against all left-wing ideologies, himself included.
- National Socialism - Literally Hitler.
- Neoliberalism - Far left radical.
- Progressivism - Leftist degenerate SJW.
- Democratic Socialism - Freeloading leech who wants my money.
- Liberalism - Libtard.
- Democratism - Ah yes, the Far Left.
- Social Liberalism - other libtard.
- Satanic Theocracy - This is the future that liberals want.