History+and+Basic+Tenets+of+Conservatism

=History and Basic Tenets of Conservatism=

__//**Traditional Conservatism:**//__
Traditional Conservatism was made as a reaction to the "dangerous" liberal movement that sprung up during the French Revolution. They had the goal of maintaining and conserving traditional values and institutions. Conservatives stood for an **authoritative** government and custom and believed altering such traditions could be potentially harmful for society.


 * //__Major Figures of Conservatism:__//**




 * Edmund Burke** (1729-1797) was one of the first leaders of the conservative movement. Being shocked by the turmoil of the French Revolution, he attempted to make the logic used by the revolutionaries to guide reform seem implausible. He also believed that rights were **conventional**, or created through society, rather than natural.

**//__Major Principles of Traditional Conservatism:__//**
One principle of conservatism is that people are bound by their common history, faith, and experiences. These institutions are built up overtime and are not a result of reason. Thus, no rationale can replace what as been the foothold for so many generations. Conservatives viewed, as a result, any form of reason is potentially radical and can threaten the stability of a traditional society.

As mentioned, religion forms a basis for such tradition in society. It provided a sense of order to control bad behavior, more readily known as "sin." Due to this strong adherence to **social customs** created by faith, the state will punish violators of that order. It also calls for respect for individual jobs and roles held in that society. Everyone is given a specific role and everyone must maintain that role to maintain balance and order.

Traditional conservatives also believed that humans naturally pursue their own interests. This, coupled with social restrictions, has evolved and developed over many years. In addition, they reject **egalitarianism**, or equality, among all people. Rather, they believe that people's abilities and contributions make some people more valuable than others. Those individuals who have more importance in maintaining economic or social stability receive more for their contributions. Thus, they supported an aristocracy.

__//**Shifting Positions in the Late 19th Century:**//__
Over time, conservatism has evolved to include new ideas, while other concepts remained basically the same. Regarding the economy, conservatives support any government action that stimulates and grows business, while limiting the amount of regulation on the economy. This includes limited taxation, beneficial **tariffs** and **price supports**. After the stock market crashed and the Depression began in 1929, conservatives believed fewer regulations would spur economic growth.

Much like traditional conservatives, modern conservatives support preservation of traditional values. They also support a strong military and less or no social welfare.


 * //__Basic Tenets of Modern Conservatism:__//**

country.
 * Abortion:** The life of a person begins at conception and unborn babies deserve the same rights as citizens of the United States. Abortion should be illegal in this


 * Affirmative Action**: People should be selected for positions based solely on their ability. Using race as a factor is wrong


 * Death Penalty**: The death penalty is an appropriate form of punishment as long as it fits the crime committed. It is neither "cruel" or "unusual". For example, execution is an appropriate punishment for the murder of an innocent person.


 * Economy**: The highest opportunity for people in the economy comes from a **free market**, capitalist system. The government should not play a large role in the economy monetarily and should have few regulations. This allows for the greatest success in the economy.


 * Energy**: Drilling for oil and mining for coal in the United States is the best way to ween off our dependency for foreign oil and those forms of energy are the best sources of energy. Nuclear energy should be increased while wind and solar power should be decreased because it does not supply an abundant amount of energy and is not affordable.



being put into the atmosphere should not be passed because it would increase energy cost and would not change the global temperature.
 * Global Warming**: Global warming is a natural phenomena and is not exacerbated by humans. Environmental protection laws to reduce the amount of carbon


 * Education**: Education is not a top priority for conservatives and do not support an abundant amount of financial aid to public schools.


 * Stem Cell/Embryonic Research**: Research conducted on an umbilical chord and stem cells is the only acceptable form. Because life begins at conception, the extraction of an embryo is not supported because it destroys the "human".


 * Gun Contr**ol: The right to bear arms is protected under the Second Amendment. Individuals are allowed to carry weapons to defend themselves. Gun control laws to not reduce crime rates.


 * Healthcare**: A free market form of healthcare where people choose their plan in a competitive fashion is the best way for healthcare to be accessed. Healthcare should not be run by the government, but solely by private organizations. Socialized medicine result in higher cost for people paying for private insurance.


 * I****mmigration**: Support legal immigration and strongly oppose a path to citizenship for illegals. People who are here illegally do not have the same rights as other citizens. The boarders need to be secure and illegals need to be deported back to their home-country.


 * Same-Sex Marriage**: Marriage should be defined as the legal union between a man and a woman only. Oppose same-sex marriage and support the **Defense of Marriage Act**.


 * Social** **Security**: Social security is not stable and cannot survive under current conditions. Problems in the system need to be addressed in order to keep the program alive. Social security would be more efficient in the hands of the private sector. People should manage their own savings for the most part.


 * Taxes**: Lower taxes on the everyone in order to stimulate job creation. The rich are the ones who create the jobs, so if they have more money, they will be able to create more jobs. Support theory of **trickle-down economics,** instituted as a large part of Ronald Regan's platform in 1981. Government programs and huge tax cuts promote laziness and stop people from working.




 * Welfare**: People need to be self reliant and should not depend on the government to give them "hand-outs" or **entitlements**. Welfare promotes dependency and does not create incentive to work.

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**//__Vocabulary Terms__//**
 * **Authoritative Government**
 * form of social organization characterized by submission to authority as well as the administration of said authority. In politics, an authoritarian government is one in which political authority is concentrated in a small group of politicians. It is usually opposed toindividualism and libertarianism.
 * **Conventional**
 * conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste
 * **Social Customs**
 * Social norms are the behavioral expectations and cues within a society or group. This sociological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors".
 * **Egalitarianism**
 * a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs
 * **Tariffs**
 * a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods
 * **Price Supports**
 * artificial maintenance of prices (as of a raw material) at some predetermined level usually through government action
 * **Free Market**
 * a market where the price of a good or service is determined by supply and demand, rather than by governmental regulation.
 * **Defense of Marriage Act**
 * a United States federal law that defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman for federal and inter-state recognition purposes in the United States.
 * **Trickle-down economics**
 * term in United States politics to refer to the idea that tax breaks or other economic benefits provided by government to businesses and the wealthy will benefit poorer members of society by improving the economy as a whole.
 * **Entitlements**
 * a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit

**//__Questions #1-5__//**

 * 1) What did traditionalist conservatives stand for?
 * 2) Who was Edmund Burke
 * 3) After the Depression began in 1929, what did conservatives believe would spur economic growth?
 * 4) What is a modern conservatives stance on energy? Global warming?
 * 5) What is trickle-down economics? What president supported this theory?

__**Sources:**__
 * Mr. Swanson's In-Class Notes
 * American Government: Roots and Reform, 11th Edition
 * http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
 * http://academic.regis.edu/jriley/libcons.html
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNyaNMaiACI