Conservatism

[Page 135]Conservatism is a dominant political philosophy and ideology that is predicated upon the notion that change should not come from premeditated design. Rather, traditional values and customs should be preserved. This political ideology has played a pivotal role in the development of political systems around the world. In particular, the American system has been strongly influenced by conservatism’s strong alignment with the tenets of the U.S. Constitution and the protection of private property. Traditionally, conservatism has sought to preserve the existing structures of society in fear that a vast rearrangement of societal institutions would produce more negative outcomes than positive outcomes.

The modern usage of the term conservatism is often synonymous with right-wing political views that stand opposed to the left-wing views along the political ...