Glossary

Conservatism

A political outlook that values tradition, ordered liberty, limited government and gradual change over radical reform.

Also called: American conservatism, the right

Conservatism is a broad tradition that emphasizes the preservation of institutions and customs that have proved their worth, skepticism toward sweeping social engineering and respect for the accumulated wisdom of the past. In the United States it is usually associated with limited government, free enterprise, strong national defense, religious and family values, and constitutionalism.

Modern American conservatism took shape after World War II, with thinkers such as Russell Kirk, Friedrich Hayek and William F. Buckley Jr. and the political rise of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. It brought together several strands, including traditionalists, free-market advocates and anti-communists, in what became fusionism. Since then, new currents like neoconservatism, paleoconservatism, populism and national-conservatism have contended over its direction.

Conservatives disagree among themselves on trade, immigration, foreign intervention, the size of the welfare state and the role of government in cultural questions. Critics on the left describe conservatism as resistance to change that defends existing hierarchies, while conservatives respond that they seek to conserve freedoms and institutions that protect everyone. The word does not mean the same thing in every country. See burkean-conservatism for its intellectual roots.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Burkean conservatism A conservatism rooted in Edmund Burke's defense of tradition, gradual reform, prescriptive institutions and skepticism of abstract theory. Fusionism A mid-century conservative synthesis combining traditionalist moral values with free-market libertarian principles and strong anti-communism. Libertarianism A political philosophy that makes individual liberty the central value and seeks to minimize coercion, especially by government. Populism A political style that pits ordinary people against a supposedly corrupt or out-of-touch elite, found across the political spectrum. Limited government The principle that government power should be restricted by a constitution or law to defined purposes, leaving most matters to individuals and society.