Traditional Conservatism

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Starting in the mid-twentieth century, what it meant to be a Republican began to change. Under Theodore Roosevelt, the GOP was progressive and leaned left. However, the progressive era was short lived because Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal attracted liberals who had previously supported the Republican Party. The new Republicans were conservatives, those who opposed the New Deal. Like a shepherd to a flock of sheep, new conservative leaders took in those feeling lost and distrustful of big government and helped to hone many conservative views into the current ideology of the Republican Party. In the sixties, seventies, and eighties, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan attracted white southerners to the Republican Party. These southerners brought with them racial and evangelical views which influenced republican and conservative ideas on how government should be involved in social, political, and religious movements. Conservatism and Republican ideology resisted change in social and moral laws because of new leadership and influx of white southerners. This …show more content…
Most conservatives favor slow change if any. Additionally, traditional conservatives preferred a small federal government, limited public policy, and less cultural diversity. Although these ideas were prominent in traditional conservatism, new conservatives were particularly concerned with the revival of religion and many were caught up in political Christianity. They demanded strong leaders who would preserve order and discipline, as well as Christianity and hierarchy. As far as wealth, they felt that the proletariat should be taken care of and wealth should be distributed between classes. Lastly, modern conservatives spoke up for tradition and wanted their leaders to do the same 1. New conservatism was sacrosanct to many old southerners, as it expressed their fears about the changing society and was a sanctuary in such an anxious