Western conservatism is a political orientation[1] prevalent in the Western United States that some might otherwise call libertarian conservatism, Jeffersonian conservatism, or in some circles classical liberalism, typified by politicians like Barry Goldwater,[2][3] Ronald Reagan,[3] Ron and Rand Paul[2][3] and Rick Perry.[4] It has been described as a soft-libertarian ideology that focuses on economic rather than social issues, one which strongly embraces individual freedom and opposes an expanded role for government.[3]

Differences with other ideologies

Western conservatives differ from purist libertarians in that most tend to be oppose legal abortion believing government bans on the medical procedure to be more of a state and not federal issue; foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan ought be driven by a clearly defined mission and exit strategy; and immediate legalization or decriminalization of drugs is not a practical near-term solution.

On the other hand, Western conservatives differ from neoconservatives in that they tend to believe there should be a natural or practical separation of church and state, military presence throughout the world should be significantly less than it is now and that a premium placed on privacy trumps most any rationale behind the USA PATRIOT Act or Real ID Act.

References

  1. ↑ "What's A Western Conservative? – New West". newwest.net. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The GOP's future: Western conservatism v Southern conservatism". The Economist. 2 June 2010. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Weisberg, Jacob (May 29, 2010). "Showdown at the GOP Corral". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ Helfrich, Jesse (March 10, 2014). "Parsing the Rick Perry rebellion: A manifesto of Western conservatism". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
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