Conservative, Conservatism

A conservative is generally defined as a person adhering to or advocating a political philosophy known as conservatism. As a term, conservatism has been used to describe a wide array of ideological viewpoints and has incorporated, to varying degrees, a host of political, social, cultural, and economic ideas. Conservatism's roots extend back to the Enlightenment. Many of the philosophy's particulars were defined by Anglo-Irish political observer Edmund Burke, whose critique of the French Revolution elevated the stage upon which conservative thought began to evolve. American conservatism in the 20th century is no less easily defined and includes strands of free-market liberalism, social and religious conservatism, anticommunism, anti-Statist libertarianism, isolationism, and neoconservatism. Throughout the 20th century, both major political parties in the United States have been ...