American Export:
- Conservatism was defined by much of Western Europe as a combination of social conservatism and economic liberalism.
- Conservatives stressed order, authority and traditional communities their support for private property and capitalism was tempered by a fear that market forces could generate inequalities that would outrage most of the working class.
- UK had a support for a more Keynesianism model whilst in the USA, there was much more emphasis on individual freedom and laissez-faire capitalism, private property and minimal government that emerged organically after the discovery of the New World.
- These traditions were liberal in nature stemming from the individualistic values of the Founding Father and a Constitution. Some of these ideas developed into Christian Democracy
- American conservatism had always invaded a synthesis between classical liberalism and social conservatism.
Crisis
of Traditional Conservatism:
- The UK in the 1970s were in a lot of trouble: 3-day week, coal miners strike, trade unions with too much power, winter of discontent, sick man of Europe, spiralling inflation, unemployment and unsustainable welfare spending.
- The post-war consensus involving Keynesian economics, state welfare and social liberalism was no longer working especially whilst resisting socialism.
- Thatcher and Regan were the only two to try and bypass traditional thinking and the Christian Democracy way of thinking.
What
Are the Key Features of New Right Conservatism, Is It
Two-Dimensional:
- A more neo-liberal and neo-conservative look at the ideologies
- Neo-liberals had a focus on the individuals by ‘rolling back the frontiers’ of the state in order to create a free market economy leading to economic growth and a vibrant society
- Neo-liberals: Reduction in tax, control of government spending, end of dependency culture, privatisation, neutering of bodies e.g. trade unions
- Neo-conservatism confused on restoring authority, national identity and religion
- Neo-conservatives: Tough approach to law and order, robust national approach, less tolerant approach to immigration, reversal of social policies e.g. abortion and homosexuality with promotion of family structures.
Contradictory
Doctrine:
- Some argue that New Right was a betrayal of traditional conservatism because it mixes neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.
- Neo-liberals want to roll back the frontiers of the state (privatisation), neo-conservatives want to roll the frontiers of the state forward (restriction of trade unions)
- Neo-liberals want to advance individual liberty (income tax cuts) whilst neo-conservatives want to restrict it (police stop and search)
- Neo-liberals are more relaxed about immigration and see it as a side effect of free markets, neo-conservatives are wary of it (swamping traditional cultures)
- Neo-liberals want to minimise government spending, neo-conservatives are prepared to increase it to strengthen the nation’s profile (UK’s nuclear deterrent)
Complimentary
Doctrine:
- New Right Conservative was a ‘liberal mugged by reality. Liberals have such an optimistic view of human nature that It fails to anticipate the tensions arising from a free market capitalist society where strong authority is required.
- For low taxation, neo liberals would have to reduce the levels of state spending on welfare but there would have be some more support where neo-conservatives argue that traditional morality would lead to the restoration of supportive families and altruistic responsibility from community would privatise compassion and social security weakening the state’s obligations
- Neo-conservatives wish to strengthen the state by reinforcing the police and armed forces which requires state funding, but neo-liberals claim this becomes easier once state spending has been reduced in other areas through rolling back the frontiers of the state.
Key
Thinker 4: Ayn Rand:
- Talented individuals rather than ambitious governments lay at the heart of any successful society. Without this, the state would wither away no matter how much is spent.
- A core belief that everyone should be guided by self-interest and rational self-fulfilment
- Associated with atomism: Human beings seeking autonomy and space leading to a vague sense of society.
- Each individual would seek self-fulfilment and self-realisation. Did not justify society but was ideally just a loose collection of independent individuals.
- The New Right should strongly support the laissez-faire brand of capitalism and renewal of negative liberty proving justification for rolling back the frontiers of the state and tax cuts
- Defended free markets and homosexuality with a ‘right to choose’ stance. Rejected anarchism claiming that free markets were needed
- Liberty was impossible without order and security which only a state could provide for. “the small state is the strong state”
Key
Thinker 5: Robert Nozick:
- Developed many of the ideas condensed into neo-liberalism.
- The growth of government was a threat to individual freedom and the growth of the welfare state fostered a dependency culture.
- He thought the individual should be left alone not just in the economic sphere (as neo-liberals and all new right would argue) but in social and cultural spheres. Therefore, he takes an relaxed view on homosexuality, abortion etc.
- He was not a true anarchist in that he believed in a miniarchist state – one that mainly involved outsourcing public services to private companies.
- Optimistic view of human nature which seemed to be more anarchistic than conservative where “tax is theft” indicates an upbeat view that individuals have self-ownership and they are the sole owners of their talents and abilities should be left alone.
- Believed the society should predate the state but liberty and property ‘could not be taken for granted without some formal authority enforcing laws
- A limited state was not to facilitate raw individualism and free market capitalism. Instead, self-sufficient communities should emerge alongside the extension of individual freedom. Each of these communities would be free to practise moral does and values, including ones that may be socialist or anti-Christian. An more upbeat version of ‘little platoons’ from Burke.