Conservatism is a political ideology that emphasizes on the need for the natural law principles. It transcends beyond tradition, moral order, organic unity, and hierarchy. The conservatives believed that some changes are needed in society; however, these changes must be gradual. The rationale behind this system is because factors, like war would bring change. But drastic change would only result to imbalance. Throughout history, conservatives changed their stance on change. By the 19th century, they had accepted that some changes were inevitable but the past must remain respected and change has to happen in slow progress. But for 20th century conservatism, the parties involved were defined by liberal individualism with a hint of social conscience. Although conservatism is not a new political ideology in the United States, the modern movement started to be put in place mid-1930s. During this time, the intellects and politicians collaborated with the business sector to revolt against the liberalism of the New Deal proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt.
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According to Dan, the rise of the 20th century post war conservatives traces its roots in the past three decades before the Barry Goldwater campaign (11). The first root was the unambiguous defense of [the] laissez faire capitalism. “Such conservative, ideas ran deep in American history, but they had been badly discredited during the 1930s by the reality that majority of Americans attributed the [Great] Depression to the excess of the capitalist system” (Dan 11). During this time period, most Americans embraced the idea that the federal government had the obligation to protect the people. In former President Franklin Roosevelt’s words the government has to protect the people form the “malefactors of great wealth” (Dan 11). They believed that there was a need to control and monitor financial interests.
Richard Nixon is another prominent conservative personality in American history. During the presidential election period he depicted himself as the centrist candidate to take advantage of the conservative movement momentum. According to Dan, Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” was a crucial factor in the electoral shift away from Democratic (and Liberal) dominance (15). However, Nixon’s role was interrupted by the Watergate scandal. It resulted to the Jimmy Carter winning the 1976 Presidential election. But Carter’s victory proved to be the final building block for the conservative movement. During the 1970s the conservative evangelicals created a powerful group of educational, publishing, and broadcasting institutions (Dan 15). From term-to-term the political and social climate of American continued to change.
During the term of Nixon, United States went to war against Vietnam (the Vietnam War). In a televised national address, he appealed to his constituents and called on the “great silent majority” for their support as he worked for “peace with honor” in Vietnam (“President Nixon calls on the “silent majority”). The term “silent majority” was widely used in 20th century American politics as Nixon perceived the group as unrepresented despite the large number. He wanted to harness the power of the silent majority. As mentioned, he used it to appeal to the public during the Vietnam War. The conservatives lost and regained power countless times. But they regain victory after Ronald Reagan swept the election and defeated Carter. Reagan promised a dramatic rebuilding of the American military. But according to Dan, the eight years of Reagan’s presidency left many of the staunchest conservatives dissatisfied (15). Some conservatives were disappointed because Reagan was not able to slow down growth and preserve traditional American values.
Conservatism is a powerful political ideology in American politics. The ideology helped the Republicans dominate American politics in the past. The ideology was anchored on core principles, like individual freedom, limited government, fiscal responsibility, etc. These principles appealed to a lot of people who were warry of the fast pace changes brought by the 20th century. In the United States, the primary reason why the ideology maintained its strength is because of the threats posed by communism. Communism went against the ideals of conservatism. For example, American conservatism was anchored on Christian values, traditional family values, moral absolutism, individualism, and exceptionalism. They opposed “liberal” changes, like same-sex marriage and the legalization of abortion. They saw communism as a threat because conservatives are pro-capitalism and pro-business, while communists are pro-laborers. Some people still have high regards towards these values; hence, they continue to support the conservative ideology.
American society experienced great changes after World War II. As America tried to rebuild itself following the war, the conservatives took advantage of people’s fear of the unknown. The ideology still has a strong hold on American society and is often manifested by the Republican party. American society remains divided. Even today, the Republican party remains anchored on the conservative approach, which is why they repel ideas, such as same-sex marriage, gun control, and abortion. Some people may have accepted that change is needed in society but there are still others who believe that change must be gradual. They believe in the ideology because they are afraid that too much change will completely erase American values and identity. Therefore, they continue to support the Republican party.
Works Cited
Carter, Dan. “The Rise of Conservatism since World War II.” OAH Magazine of History, vol. 17,
- 2, (January 2003), pp. 11-16.
“President Nixon calls on the “silent majority.” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-
history/nixon-calls-on-the-silent-majority. Retrieved June 5, 2022
