Compassionate conservatism
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Compassionate conservatism is a political philosophy that stresses using traditionally Conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society.
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[edit] In the United States
The US doctrine was invented by Dr. Marvin Olasky, who went on to memorialize it in his books Renewing American Compassion (1996) and Compassionate Conservatism: What it is, What it Does, and How it Can Transform America (2000), and Myron Magnet of the Manhattan Institute. Olasky has been called the "godfather of compassionate conservatism". The phrase was popularized when George W. Bush adopted it as one of his key slogans during his 2000 presidential campaign against Al Gore.
A compassionate conservative is someone who believes that conservatism and compassion complement each other, particularly in opposition to common conservative party platform planks such as advocating laissez-faire economic policies.[citation needed] A compassionate conservative might see the social problems of the United States, such as healthcare or immigration, as being issues to which conservatives can find better solutions than their opponents can.
Magnet and Olasky based their views on the Christian doctrine of original sin. Olasky writes: “Man is sinful and likely to want something for nothing. … Man’s sinful nature leads to indolence … appetite and lust and idleness.” (Olasky, Renewing American Compassion, 64, 41). They assume that poor peoples' sins are the root cause of their poverty and that, as such, traditional religion is ultimately the only cure for poverty.
Compassionate conservative philosophy argues for policies in support of traditional families, welfare reform to promote individual responsibility (cf. workfare), active policing, standards-based schools (cf. No Child Left Behind Act), and assistance (economic or otherwise) to poor countries around the world.
U.S. president George W. Bush says:
| “ | "It is compassionate to actively help our citizens in need. It is conservative to insist on accountability and results." | ” |
– [1]
Bush began his presidency hoping to make compassionate conservatism his centerpiece. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, he focused less on this theme, but its fundamental ideas became central in his rhetoric about the War on Terrorism. (See Chernus, "Compassionate Conservatism Goes To War") [2]
Contemporary American conservatives argue that compassion has always been a part of their beliefs. This argument states that the principles of conservatism lead to a more prosperous and stable society, which is inherently compassionate towards others. Therefore communities help their own as neighbors rather than depend on national efforts which are considered to have less understanding of local issues. It is also argued that conservatives aim for a society that helps people to help themselves, thereby avoiding reliance on the government for their needs.
[edit] Criticism
More fundamentalist conservatives and some on the political left have criticized compassionate conservatism as just another word for a political moderate, in addition to expressing significant (and valid) doubt of its existence, regardless of whether the person taking the position is a Democrat, Republican or a member of a third party.
Political opponents of conservatives have also claimed that compassionate conservatism is a meaningless phrase or an oxymoron, and an example of hypocrisy intended to confuse voters and simultaneously appeal to the middle and right of the political spectrum.[citation needed] These critics of the term contend that it is nothing more that a repackaging of the conservatism of Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution.[citation needed] (Similar criticisms have been made by compassionate conservatives against "New Democrats" versus classical Democrats.[citation needed])
Conservatives, however, contend that their policies are better for these groups in the long run by creating superior opportunities through growth. In the words of Magnet,
| “ | Compassionate conservatives [...] offer a new way of thinking about the poor. They know that telling the poor that they are mere passive victims, whether of racism or of vast economic forces, is not only false but also destructive, paralyzing the poor with thoughts of their own helplessness and inadequacy. The poor need the larger society's moral support; they need to hear the message of personal responsibility and self-reliance, the optimistic assurance that if they try – as they must – they will make it. They need to know, too, that they can't blame "the system" for their own wrongdoing. | ” |
Critics further charge that conservatives have historically been indifferent to the concerns of those not in the mainstream culture (see AIDS, mental illness or those that suffer from extreme poverty). In fact, some charge that conservative actively stigmatize these groups (cf. Culture Wars). Many argue that locally-driven "compassion" creates a potential for unequal treatment of similar problems and for local biases to take precedence over general standards.[citation needed] Some argue that the use of charitable religious groups administering social programs violates the principle of separation of church and state[citation needed]; courts, however, generally recognize that the First Amendment permits religious organizations to be neutral beneficiaries of government programs, such as federal aid to a Jesuit-run school like Georgetown University.[citation needed]
Comedian Robin Williams has regularly described compassionate conservatism as sounding like "a Volvo with a gunrack."
[edit] Earlier uses of the term
Olasky and Magnet were not the first to use the term "compassionate conservative," but they were the first to popularize it, and George W. Bush was the one to associate it with a concrete domestic policy agenda.
In 1984 U.S. Representative James Robert Jones (D-OK) told the New York Times (8 November 1984):
| “ | I think we should adopt the slogan of compassionate conservatism...We can be fiscally conservative without losing our commitment to the needy and we must redirect our policy in that direction. | ” |
Earlier the same year Republican Ray Shamie proclaimed that "I believe in a visionary and compassionate conservatism" (Christian Science Monitor, 20 September 1984, p. 19).
In 1981, Vernon Jordan of the National Urban League said, of the Reagan administration,
| “ | I do not challenge the conservatism of this Administration. I do challenge its failure to exhibit a compassionate conservatism that adapts itself to the realities of a society ridden by class and race distinction. | ” |
– New York Times, 23 July 1981, p. 17
[edit] In the United Kingdom
Recently, many modernisers in the United Kingdom's Conservative Party have begun to use the term. Unlike the US counterpart, the UK form is unassociated with Christianity and instead incorporates many social democratic, liberal and environmental concepts into conservatism, while playing down traditionalist focuses on family breakdown, opposition to immigration, and monarchism. It is most associated with current Leader of the Opposition David Cameron. See also 'And' theory of conservatism
