Progressive conservatism

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Progressive conservatism is a conservative ideology that incorporates progressive policies alongside conservative policies. It stresses the importance of a social safety net to deal with poverty, support of limited redistribution of wealth along with government regulation to regulate markets in the interests of both consumers and producers.[1] Progressive conservatism first arose as a distinct ideology in the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's "One Nation" Toryism.[2][3]

In the UK, the Prime Ministers Disraeli, Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan,[4] and present Prime Minister David Cameron have been described as progressive conservatives.[5][6] The Catholic Church's Rerum Novarum (1891) advocates a progressive conservative doctrine known as social Catholicism.[7]

In the United States, Theodore Roosevelt has been the principal figure identified with progressive conservatism as a political tradition. Roosevelt stated that he had "always believed that wise progressivism and wise conservatism go hand in hand, and that the wise conservative must be a progressive because otherwise he works only for that species of reaction which inevitably in the end produces an explosion".[8] The administration of President William Howard Taft was considered by some to be progressive conservative and Taft described himself as "a believer in progressive conservatism".[9] However, Taft was challenged for the presidency from within the Republican Party by Theodore Roosevelt on the basis of his lack of support for presumed key progressive legislation, and his supporters formed the Progressive Party specifically to allow Roosevelt to run against Taft. President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared himself an advocate of "progressive conservatism".[10]

In Germany, Chancellor Leo von Caprivi promoted a progressive conservative agenda called the "New Course".[11]

In Canada, a variety of conservative governments have been progressive conservative, with Canada's major conservative movement being officially named the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1942 to 2003.[12] In Canada, the Prime Ministers Arthur Meighen, R.B. Bennett, John Diefenbaker, Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, and Kim Campbell led progressive conservative federal governments.[13]

History [edit]

Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1868, 1874-1880).

Progressive conservatism was developed by the British Conservative government of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli principally as being a middle ground between proponents of laissez-faire and British Radicalism.[14]

The Catholic Church's Rerum Novarum (1891) advocates a progressive conservative doctrine known as social Catholicism that addressed the issues of poverty of workers.[15]

From the 1940s to the 1970s, progressive conservative politics was popular within the British Conservative Party. Progressive conservatives succeeded in pressing the Conservative Party to maintain similar social policies to that of the Labour Party, particularly the Bow Group that urged the Conservatives to be moderate on social policy and opposed more extreme conservative-minded bodies that disagreed with this moderation.[16] One of the primary British progressive conservative advocates in this time was Rab Butler.[17] Butler was responsible for creating The Industrial Charter (1947) that sought to combine support of free enterprise with Tory interventionism that promised security of employment, promotion of full employment, and improvement of incentives to employees to help them develop skills and talents - allowing them to fulfill their full potential as individuals, and enhanced status for all employees regardless of their occupation.[18] The Industrial Charter was criticized by Conservative leader Winston Churchill though he eventually supported it, and more harshly condemned by more right-leaning Conservatives as being a step towards socialism.[19]

Present British Prime Minister David Cameron has been described as a progressive conservative. As British Conservative Party leader in 2009, he launched the Progressive Conservatism Project at the British think tank Demos.[20] In his speech, he outlined his vision of a contemporary progressive conservatism:

First, a society that is fair, where we help people out of poverty and help them stay out of it – for life. Second, a society where opportunity is equal where everyone can, in Michael Gove’s brilliant phrase, “write their own life-story”. Third, a society that is greener, where we pass on a planet that is environmentally sustainable, clean and beautiful to future generations. And fourth, a safer society, where people are protected from threat and fear.

— David Cameron, 2009.

See also [edit]

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References [edit]

  1. ^ Patrick Dunleavy, Paul Joseph Kelly, Michael Moran. British Political Science: Fifty Years of Political Studies. Oxford, England, UK; Malden, Massachusetts, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. Pp. 107-108.
  2. ^ Patrick Dunleavy, Paul Joseph Kelly, Michael Moran. British Political Science: Fifty Years of Political Studies. Oxford, England, UK; Malden, Massachusetts, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. Pp. 107-108.
  3. ^ Robert Blake. Disraeli. Second Edition. London, England, UK: Eyre & Spottiswoode (Publishers) Ltd, 1967. Pp. 524.
  4. ^ Trevor Russel. The Tory Party: its policies, divisions and future. Penguin, 1978. Pp. 167.
  5. ^ David Marr. "Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd", Issue 38 of Quarterly Essay Series. Black Inc., 2010. Pp. 126. (British Conservative Party leader David Cameron launched the Progressive Conservatism Project at Demos.)
  6. ^ Ruth Lister. Understanding Theories and Concepts in Social Policy. Bristol, England, UK; Portland, Oregon, USA: The Policy Press, 2010. Pp. 53.
  7. ^ Emile F. Sahliyeh. Religious resurgence and politics in the contemporary world. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York Press, 1990. Pp. 185.
  8. ^ Jonathan Lurie. William Howard Taft: The Travails of a Progressive Conservative. New York, New York, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2012. p. 196
  9. ^ Jonathan Lurie. William Howard Taft: The Travails of a Progressive Conservative. New York, New York, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Pp. ix.
  10. ^ Günter Bischof. "Eisenhower, the Judiciary, and Desegregation" by Stanley I. Kutler, Eisenhower: a centenary assessment. Pp. 98.
  11. ^ John Alden Nichols. Germany after Bismarck, the Caprivi era, 1890-1894: Issue 5. Harvard University Press, 1958. Pp. 260.
  12. ^ Hugh Segal. The Right Balance. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Douglas & McIntyre, 2011. Pp. 113-148.
  13. ^ Hugh Segal. The Right Balance. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Douglas & McIntyre, 2011. Pp. 113-148.
  14. ^ Robert Eccleshall. English conservatism since the Restoration: an introduction and anthology. London, England, UK; Winchester, Massachusetts, USA; North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: Unwin Hyman Ltd., 1990. Pp. 119.
  15. ^ Emile F. Sahliyeh. Religious resurgence and politics in the contemporary world. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York Press, 1990. Pp. 185.
  16. ^ Peter Duignan, Lewis H. Gann. The rebirth of the West: the Americanization of the demoratic world, 1945-1958. Paperback edition. Lanham, Maryland, USA; London, England, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1996. Pp. 239.
  17. ^ Peter Duignan, Lewis H. Gann. The rebirth of the West: the Americanization of the demoratic world, 1945-1958. Paperback edition. Lanham, Maryland, USA; London, England, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1996. Pp. 239.
  18. ^ Peter Dorey. British conservatism and trade unionism, 1945-1964. Surrey, England, UK; Burlington, Vermont, USA: Ashgate Publishing, 2009. Pp. 44-48.
  19. ^ Peter Dorey. British conservatism and trade unionism, 1945-1964. Surrey, England, UK; Burlington, Vermont, USA: Ashgate Publishing, 2009. Pp. 44-48.
  20. ^ David Marr. "Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd", Issue 38 of Quarterly Essay Series. Black Inc., 2010. Pp. 126.
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