The Significance of Freedom Conservatism

Freedom Conservatism: A New⁢ Front in the War ‌for ⁢American Conservatism

On July 13, a group of journalists, policy wonks, and political activists opened a ‍new⁤ front in‌ the war for⁤ American conservatism. One-hundred-and-twenty-two signatories,⁣ led by ⁣Avik Roy of the⁣ Foundation for Research on Equal ⁣Opportunity and John⁢ Hood of the⁢ John William Pope Foundation, affirmed⁣ 10 principles that define “Freedom Conservatism.” It’s ⁢a‍ meaningful and necessary ​intervention in‌ the ongoing debate on the Right​ over political‌ economy that deserves to be read and ⁢shared.

Emphasizing Key Issues

Most of ‌Freedom Conservatism will be familiar to anyone with knowledge or experience‍ of the conservative movement before June 2015. Still, the statement of principles ​ emphasizes several ⁤issues ​that ​have ​emerged recently:

• Reducing the cost of living
• Restoring fiscal sobriety
• Addressing the legacy of slavery and Jim‌ Crow while adhering to the Colorblind Constitution

The​ major theme ‌is‍ that individual⁣ liberty is necessary for human flourishing. “We call ‍ourselves Freedom⁢ Conservatives,” the organizers write, “not because freedom ⁣is our sole interest but because without​ individual and⁤ economic liberty, our other fundamental values and aspirations will prove impossible to sustain.”

The Unraveling of the⁢ Conservative Consensus

What’s‌ remarkable about the document is that it had to be written at all. Conservatives have placed freedom at the heart of their political program since the 1930s. ‌They have resisted the encroaching control of centralized​ bureaucracies by appealing to the ⁢dignity of human ‍life,⁢ the limited government ⁣of the Constitution, and the space that market economics provides for individual choice⁤ and competition.

This consensus held despite criticism from Libertarians ⁣and Traditionalists. It held because the principles and institutions of the American Founding anchored conservatives in a national history and ⁤culture that, among other things, have long been individualistic and suspicious of ⁤authority.⁣ It ​held because conservatives of⁤ all stripes perceived⁤ a common danger ⁣in unconstrained government ⁣and, perhaps most ‍important, in ‌the Soviet Union and global communism.

The consensus unraveled⁣ in the⁤ 1990s. ⁤Victory defeated American ⁣conservatism. The collapse of the Soviet Empire, disintegration ‍of the Soviet Union, ‌and ​China’s turn toward state capitalism removed,‌ or obscured, the Communist threat. ⁣Congress lowered marginal ​tax rates‌ and exempted ​more⁢ Americans from income taxes. Lawmakers imposed time limits‌ and work requirements on welfare, and caseloads fell. Cities adopted‍ broken-windows policing and removed violent criminals from the streets, and crime declined. For a moment in 2001,​ and again from 2003 to 2007, ⁤Republicans enjoyed full ​control of⁤ the federal government for the​ first time in​ 50 years.

Success breeds confidence. ⁣It also leads to ⁤hubris‍ and complacency. As President George ⁤W. Bush prosecuted the global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, ‌some younger⁢ conservatives warned‍ that the Republican Party ‍was neglecting the domestic concerns ‌of its increasingly non-college voter base. The “Reform Conservative” group, writing in‍ the pages ‌of the Weekly Standard, National Review, and National Affairs, ‌tried to modify conservative political economy⁣ to address ‌the challenges of ⁤the early 21st century.

The ⁣Rise of National Conservatism

In⁢ 2016, a plurality of the ⁤GOP primary electorate⁤ voted for a candidate ⁢who rejected large parts⁣ of the conservative consensus. Donald ⁢Trump opposed changes to Social Security and‍ Medicare, ‌by far‌ the‍ largest drivers of America’s national ‌debt. He demanded that the United States leave the North⁢ American Free Trade Agreement and rejected the Trans-Pacific⁣ Partnership. He called for a southern border ⁤wall, a ban on Muslim immigration, and mass deportation of ‍illegal immigrants. He rebuked the foreign policy of​ George W. Bush and adopted a unilateral-nationalist approach to international affairs. He drew equivalences between the​ United States and despotic regimes. He spoke more ‍about sovereignty and⁤ strength than ⁣about freedom.

Trump won the⁢ general election ‌thanks‌ to narrow margins in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and‍ Wisconsin.‌ Republicans held⁢ unified control ‍of government ⁣for the ‌first time in⁤ a ⁢decade. And Trump’s presidency altered‌ the trajectory of the conservative movement, both ⁤political parties, the ⁢country, and the world. One irony of the Trump Era, however, is ⁣that his⁣ most effective policy achievements came⁤ from the conservative consensus he destroyed.

The Significance of Freedom Conservatism

That is why Freedom ⁤Conservatism matters. ⁢The statement isn’t⁤ perfect. Hugh Hewitt observes that it ought to mention property​ rights. Andrew T. Walker ⁤ notes that it departs from the 1960 Sharon Statement by neglecting transcendent values and the ‍existence ​of God. My own manifesto—yet to be written—would include additional language on human ⁣rights and democracy and the mediating institutions of family, ⁣community, vocation, ​and faith.

The point is that, after spending years on ​defense, conservatives who believe in political and economic freedom‍ have drawn ⁢a line. ⁢They have taken ⁤a stand. They have‍ offered the ​Right a choice, not ‍an echo‌ of Trump. One path leads away from the Founding and ⁤toward marginalization and contempt. The other builds on the ‍American ⁢political‌ tradition and resonates with public aspirations for advancement ⁤and growth. Choose ​wisely.

Matthew Continetti’s The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism is ​now out in paperback⁢ with a new afterword by the‌ author.