Conservatism in the United States

A political tradition in the United States that generally favors limited government, free markets, social continuity, and preservation of established institutions. Its coalitions and priorities have shifted across different eras.

Edmund Burke: An Anglo-Irish statesman whose writings defended inherited institutions and gradual political change. His arguments against the French Revolution became a lasting intellectual reference for American conservatives.
Limited government: The principle that government powers and responsibilities should be restricted. It anchors conservative arguments against expansive federal programs and regulation.
Russell Kirk: An American political thinker whose 1953 book The Conservative Mind helped define postwar traditionalist conservatism. He articulated a tradition-centered alternative to both liberal planning and ideological radicalism.
American liberalism: A U.S. political tradition that generally supports using government to address social and economic problems. Its confidence in public action contrasts with conservative emphasis on limited government.
Tax Reform Act of 1986: A U.S. law that lowered individual tax rates, broadened the tax base, and revised corporate taxation. It captures the Reagan-era drive to reshape taxation through lower rates and a broader base.
New Deal: The domestic programs and regulations introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration during the Great Depression. Opposition to its expanded federal authority helped organize modern American conservatism.
Free-market economics: An economic approach that relies primarily on voluntary exchange and private ownership rather than government direction. It supplies the economic rationale for lower taxes, deregulation, and private enterprise.
Ronald Reagan: The 40th U.S. president, whose administration pursued tax cuts, deregulation, and a forceful anti-communist foreign policy. His political style and governing record became a model for later conservative leaders.
Progressivism: A political reform tradition that seeks to use public power to address inequality and social problems. Its reforming aims often conflict with conservative defenses of established institutions and limits on state power.
Welfare reform: Changes to public assistance programs intended to alter eligibility, funding, or recipients’ work requirements. Conservative arguments about dependency and state responsibility shaped the 1996 federal overhaul.

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