Common sense conservative
Encyclopedia
A common sense conservative is an advocate of conservative politics who adopts the rhetoric of "common sense
" to frame his or her arguments. The term is almost always used to apply to domestic and fiscal policy
. See the term neoconservative for a related movement that mostly focuses on foreign policy
initiatives.
"Common sense" conservatives can be either quite right wing, or more moderate. They are usually spawned in opposition to the policies of liberal
politicians and parties. Left-wing policy-makers, they argue, are mired in fantasy, striving for an unachievable utopia
n society. "Common sense" conservatives believe that rather than governing based on what "should work," politicians should govern based on established precedents and norms, or as they might say "what has worked." This, they say, is the "common sense" approach.
"Common sense" conservative movements are mostly confined to the United States
, United Kingdom
, Canada
, Australia
, and Singapore
, but have spread to Latin America
and other regions with evangelical Christian
movements which emphasize moral rules, financial responsibility, and retributive justice
. In each country the political agenda is different, but it has economic themes in common:
Critics have accused "common sense" conservatives of deliberately stirring conflict among opposing groups to clear the way for their reforms, which they say are often simple reactionary
moves to eliminate prior regimes of regulation
.
Often, these objectives and strategies cross national boundaries. Margaret Thatcher
can be said to have brought the above trends into the mainstream, but its origins actually lie in the Singapore Model
of economics, in which the ruling party wanted to "avoid the dependency culture of Socialist countries." the subsequent application of these beliefs by Ronald Reagan
in the U.S.
was much more ideologically rigid in character. A second generation of regional politicians such as Ontario Premier Mike Harris
, often using the slogan "Common Sense Revolution
" (used in New Jersey
, Ontario
and Australia
), continued the trend in the 1990s, though without most of the social conservatism
.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin
says she considers herself a common sense conservative in her autobiography, Going Rogue.
Toro, Felix R. "The Return of Common Sense",Llumina Press, march/2007, Website- http://www.commonsense-mentalhealth.com
Common sense
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
" to frame his or her arguments. The term is almost always used to apply to domestic and fiscal policy
Fiscal policy
In economics and political science, fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy....
. See the term neoconservative for a related movement that mostly focuses on foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
initiatives.
"Common sense" conservatives can be either quite right wing, or more moderate. They are usually spawned in opposition to the policies of liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politicians and parties. Left-wing policy-makers, they argue, are mired in fantasy, striving for an unachievable utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n society. "Common sense" conservatives believe that rather than governing based on what "should work," politicians should govern based on established precedents and norms, or as they might say "what has worked." This, they say, is the "common sense" approach.
"Common sense" conservative movements are mostly confined to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, but have spread to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and other regions with evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
movements which emphasize moral rules, financial responsibility, and retributive justice
Retributive justice
Retributive justice is a theory of justice that considers that punishment, if proportionate, is a morally acceptable response to crime, with an eye to the satisfaction and psychological benefits it can bestow to the aggrieved party, its intimates and society....
. In each country the political agenda is different, but it has economic themes in common:
- across the board tax cuts to promote economic growth
- support for neoliberalismNeoliberalismNeoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
, monetarismMonetarismMonetarism is a tendency in economic thought that emphasizes the role of governments in controlling the amount of money in circulation. It is the view within monetary economics that variation in the money supply has major influences on national output in the short run and the price level over...
, capitalismCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and free tradeFree tradeUnder a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from... - privatizationPrivatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of some infrastructure and government services on the belief (described by critics as a market theology) that the private sector is not only more efficient but more effective at providing such services - streamlining government and reducing regulation, usually in an effort to reduce barriers to business.
- though taxes should be low, but spending must be cut until a balanced budget is achieved.
Critics have accused "common sense" conservatives of deliberately stirring conflict among opposing groups to clear the way for their reforms, which they say are often simple reactionary
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
moves to eliminate prior regimes of regulation
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
.
Often, these objectives and strategies cross national boundaries. Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
can be said to have brought the above trends into the mainstream, but its origins actually lie in the Singapore Model
Economy of Singapore
Singapore has a highly developed state capitalist mixed economy; the state owns stakes in firms that comprise perhaps 60% of the GDP through entities such as the sovereign wealth fund Temasek...
of economics, in which the ruling party wanted to "avoid the dependency culture of Socialist countries." the subsequent application of these beliefs by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was much more ideologically rigid in character. A second generation of regional politicians such as Ontario Premier Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, often using the slogan "Common Sense Revolution
Common Sense Revolution
The phrase Common Sense Revolution has been used as a political slogan to describe common sense conservative platforms in Australia and the U.S. state of New Jersey in the 1990s. Based on the Singapore Model of economics, its main goal is to reduce taxes while balancing the budget by reducing the...
" (used in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), continued the trend in the 1990s, though without most of the social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
says she considers herself a common sense conservative in her autobiography, Going Rogue.
External links
Toro, Felix R. "The Return of Common Sense",Llumina Press, march/2007, Website- http://www.commonsense-mentalhealth.com