Liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism is a variant of
conservatism that combines the classical conservative concern for established
tradition, respect for authority and, sometimes, religious values with
liberal ideas, especially on economic issues (see
economic liberalism, which advocates
free market capitalism).
Liberal conservatism usually takes hold among conservatives in countries where liberal economic ideas are considered traditional, and therefore conservative.
In countries with large liberal conservative movements that have entered the political mainstream, the terms "liberal" and "conservative" may become synonymous (as in
Australia), or they may be redefined such that liberal conservatives keep one of them and the other is taken up by a different group (as in the
United States, where liberal conservatives use the term "conservative," and "liberal" is generally used to refer to
American liberalism, a
social liberal movement).
The liberal conservative tradition in the United States combines the economic
individualism of the
classical liberals with a
Burkean form of
conservatism (which has also become part of the
American conservative tradition, for example in the writings of
Russell Kirk).
Liberal conservative political parties exist in a number of countries, and they are usually most entrenched in
Anglo-Saxon cultures.
