social conservative

(noun)

One who favors a specific set of social policies, generally including opposition to abortion rights, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and sexual permissiveness, often based on a particular reading of Judeo-Christian values.

Related Terms

Examples of social conservative in the following topics:

  • The Election of 1964

    • In his campaign, Johnson spoke eloquently about two favorable social programs, known as the Great Society and the War on Poverty.
    • Conservatives favored a small, low-tax federal government that supported individual rights and business interests while opposing social welfare programs.
    • Conservatives also resented the dominance of the GOP's moderate wing (based at the time in the Northeastern U.S.).
    • He was the front-runner to receive the Republican nomination in the election of 1964 until his divorce and remarriage alienated social conservatives.
    • Goldwater's conservative views and penchant for unscripted remarks helped Johnson win in a landslide.

  • The New Right

    • In the United States, the New Right refers to two historically distinct conservative political movements.
    • The second New Right tended to focus on social issues and national sovereignty and was often linked with the religious right.
    • With Ronald Reagan's victory in 1980 the modern American conservative movement took power.
    • He brought together a coalition of economic conservatives, who supported his supply side economics; foreign policy conservatives, who favored his staunch opposition to Communism and the Soviet Union; and social conservatives, who identified with his religious and social ideals.
    • Capitol in 1981, an early example of his administration's conservative economic policies.

  • The Religious Right

    • By the 1980s, the Religious Right made substantial gains in United State politics, as conservative Democrats were alienated by their Party's support for liberal social views.
    • By 1980, evangelical Christians had become an important political and social force in the United States.
    • In the 1960 presidential election, the alienation of Southern Democrats from the Democratic Party, as well as the fear of social disintegration provoked by the counterculture and social movements of the 60s, contributed to the rise of the Right.
    • As the Democratic Party became identified with a pro-choice position on abortion and with nontraditional societal values, social conservatives, especially in the South, joined the Republican Party in increasing numbers.
    • Under this leadership, the new Religious Right combines conservative politics with evangelical and fundamentalist teachings.

  • Conservative Resurgence

    • Many Southern whites were frustrated by the social changes after the Civil War and formed conservative political organizations.
    • Often, these parties called themselves the "Conservative Party" or the "Democratic and Conservative Party" in order to distinguish themselves from the national Democratic Party and to obtain support from former Whigs.
    • The planters and their business allies dominated the self-styled "conservative" coalition that finally took control in the South.
    • Conservative reaction continued in both the North and South; the "white liners" movement to elect candidates dedicated to white supremacy reached as far as Ohio in 1875.
    • Identify the social and political factors that contributed to the rise of the KKK

  • The Social Gospel

    • Social Gospel leaders were predominantly associated with the liberal wing of the Progressive movement, and most were theologically liberal, although they were typically conservative when it came to their views on social issues.
    • Important Social Gospel leaders include Richard T.
    • Denver, Colorado, was a center of Social Gospel activism.
    • By 1900, says historian Edward Ayers, the white Baptists, although they were the most conservative of all of the denominations in the South, became steadily more concerned with social issues, taking stands on, "temperance, gambling, illegal corruption, public morality, orphans, and the elderly."
    • The Social Gospel affected much of Protestant America.

  • Compassionate Conservatism

    • Bush, conservative techniques are thought to improve the welfare of society.
    • A compassionate conservative sees the social problems of the United States, such as health care or immigration, as issues that are better solved through cooperation with private companies, charities, and religious institutions rather than directly through government departments.
    • Others on the left have viewed it as an effort to remove America's social safety net (such as social services) out of the hands of the government and give it to Christian churches and private corporations.
    • Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg has written that compassionate conservatism as implemented by George W.
    • Doug Wead, a historian and presidential advisor, is credited with coining the term "compassionate conservative".

  • Domestic Conservatism

    • Roosevelt's New Deal faced great opposition from conservative Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
    • The counterattack first came from conservative Democrats, led by presidential nominees John W.
    • The Old Right accused Roosevelt of promoting socialism and being a "traitor to his class. " The New Deal strongly supported labor unions, which became the main target of conservatives.
    • Senator Josiah Bailey (D-NC) released the "Conservative Manifesto" in December 1937, which marked the beginning of the "conservative coalition" between Republicans and southern Democrats.
    • Conservatives in the East and South were generally interventionists, as typified by Henry Stimson.

  • Battles in the Courts and Congress

    • O'Connor was a conservative Republican and strict constructionist.
    • In 1987, when Associate Justice Louis Powell retired, Reagan nominated conservative jurist Robert Bork to the high court.
    • These included Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps, and federal education programs.
    • Though Reagan protected entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, in one of the most widely criticized actions of his administration, Reagan attempted to purge tens of thousands of people with disabilities from the Social Security disability roles, alleging they were not "truly disabled."
    • Reagan nominated conservative jurist Robert Bork to the high court.

  • Challenges to the New Deal

    • While the League's members were divided over the National Recovery Administration, they fervently criticized the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (calling it "a trend toward Fascist control of agriculture") and Social Security (which they saw a marking "the end of democracy").
    • It also united conservatives in both parties.
    • The court-packing plan strengthened conservative opposition to the New Deal.
    • Known as the Conservative Coalition (at the time, the term "conservative" referred to the opponents of the New Deal and did not imply any specific party affiliation), it initiated a conservative alliance that, with modifications, shaped Congress until the 1960s.
    • In 1937, Bailey released a "Conservative Manifesto" that presented conservative philosophical tenets, including the line "Give enterprise a chance, and I will give you the guarantees of a happy and prosperous America."

  • Relief and Conservation Programs

    • Conservation projects included reforestation and flood control, coupling environmental goals with unemployment relief.
    • At that time, the federal government provided no safety net: there was no unemployment insurance, no Social Security, and no welfare.
    • Conservation projects included reforestation and flood control, coupling environmental goals with unemployment relief.
    • The New Deal included some of the first national welfare programs, including Social Security, passed in August of 1935 and still in operation today.
    • The Social Security Act was an attempt to create a safety net against economic dangers such as old age, poverty, and unemployment.