Chris
11-21-2016, 03:24 PM
What Trump might mean to conservatism...
A New Model for Conservatism (http://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2016/11/19/a_new_model_for_conservatism.html)
In thinking about what a Donald Trump-led government might do, we might begin by studying the early moves of British Prime Minister Theresa May. Differences abound, but it is nevertheless striking how similar are the situations faced by these two leaders.
May could emerge as the most consequential political leader in Western politics in a generation. Yet, her situation differs from those encountered by past conservative leaders, who have typically entered office with agendas focused primarily on cutting spending, slashing taxes, curtailing regulations, and rebuilding the nation’s international strength. Margaret Thatcher, for instance, confronted a moribund economy and a collectivist Labour Party. By contrast, May enters office in an age characterized by the dissipation of the national, civic, and relational institutions that shape citizens within a contextual bond of meaning and shared purpose. May’s prudent insistence, in her recent Conservative Party Conference speech, that rebuilding these institutions must be a priority strikes the right note politically.
While Trump partially fits the slash-and-cut mold of conservatism, his election was about much more. Arguably, his appeal throughout the last 18 months has been vaulted by a similar breakdown in familial, economic, and political institutions that now require careful mending.
The so-called “Trumpxit” holds a range of potentialities for restoring American prosperity and may even create space for constitutional principles to reemerge. But, if not held in check by other elements of the Right, Trump could use his core of support to embrace a traditional type of populism, swiftly leaving behind prudence and restraint. The Trump administration would do well to take stock of the manner in which May has articulated themes of citizenship, political independence, and economic mobility. Though not without problems of its own, May’s approach nevertheless strikes the appropriate balance between disdain for cultural liberalism and a recognition of the economic insecurities and patriotic identities that have been dismissed for too long by the converging elites of both parties in her country — thereby neutralizing Labour’s traditional advantages with the working class.
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A New Model for Conservatism (http://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2016/11/19/a_new_model_for_conservatism.html)
In thinking about what a Donald Trump-led government might do, we might begin by studying the early moves of British Prime Minister Theresa May. Differences abound, but it is nevertheless striking how similar are the situations faced by these two leaders.
May could emerge as the most consequential political leader in Western politics in a generation. Yet, her situation differs from those encountered by past conservative leaders, who have typically entered office with agendas focused primarily on cutting spending, slashing taxes, curtailing regulations, and rebuilding the nation’s international strength. Margaret Thatcher, for instance, confronted a moribund economy and a collectivist Labour Party. By contrast, May enters office in an age characterized by the dissipation of the national, civic, and relational institutions that shape citizens within a contextual bond of meaning and shared purpose. May’s prudent insistence, in her recent Conservative Party Conference speech, that rebuilding these institutions must be a priority strikes the right note politically.
While Trump partially fits the slash-and-cut mold of conservatism, his election was about much more. Arguably, his appeal throughout the last 18 months has been vaulted by a similar breakdown in familial, economic, and political institutions that now require careful mending.
The so-called “Trumpxit” holds a range of potentialities for restoring American prosperity and may even create space for constitutional principles to reemerge. But, if not held in check by other elements of the Right, Trump could use his core of support to embrace a traditional type of populism, swiftly leaving behind prudence and restraint. The Trump administration would do well to take stock of the manner in which May has articulated themes of citizenship, political independence, and economic mobility. Though not without problems of its own, May’s approach nevertheless strikes the appropriate balance between disdain for cultural liberalism and a recognition of the economic insecurities and patriotic identities that have been dismissed for too long by the converging elites of both parties in her country — thereby neutralizing Labour’s traditional advantages with the working class.
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