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Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements.[1] As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different senses, and in some countries would be considered an oxymoron, even though in Continental Europe it represents a particularly natural concept. In general, it has carried two broad meanings – an oxymoronic position in the United States (attempting to reconcile the mutually exclusive ideologies of progressive, social democratic U.S. liberalism and pro-market, U.S. conservatism) and a natural, common position in present-day Western Europe of socially tolerant traditionalism.
Historically, the term often referred to the combination of economic liberalism, which champions laissez-faire markets, with the classical conservative concern for established tradition, respect for authority and religious values. It contrasted itself with classical liberalism, which supported freedom for the individual in both the economic and social spheres.
Over time, the general conservative ideology in many countries adopted economic liberal arguments, and the term liberal conservatism was replaced with conservatism. This is also the case in countries where liberal economic ideas have been the tradition, such as the United States, and are thus considered conservative. In other countries where liberal conservative movements have entered the political mainstream, such as Italy and Spain, the terms liberal and conservative may be synonymous. The liberal conservative tradition in the United States combines the economic individualism of the classical liberals with a Burkean form of conservatism (which has also become part of the American conservative tradition, such as in the writings of Russell Kirk).
Modern European liberal conservatism combines current conservative policies with more liberal stances on social issues.[2] This has developed as an opposition to the more collectivist views of socialism. Often this involves stressing what are now conservative views of free-market economics and belief in individual responsibility, with social liberal views on defence of civil rights, environmentalism and support for a limited welfare state. Centre-right political parties in Europe are usually liberal conservative. Compared to a different group of centre-right parties, such as Christian democratic parties, liberal conservatism is less traditionalist, and usually more right-libertarian economically, favouring low-taxes and minimal state intervention in the economy. This philosophy is that of Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Canada's Liberal-Conservative Party and its successor the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada pursued this ideology.
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Historically, in the 18th and 19th centuries, conservatism comprised a set of principles based on concern for established tradition, respect for authority, and religious values. This form of classical conservatism is often considered to be exemplified by the writings of Edmund Burke and, in more robust form, Joseph de Maistre and the post-Enlightenment Popes. Contemporaneous liberalism — now called classical liberalism— advocated both political freedom for individuals and a free market in the economic sphere. Ideas of this sort were promulgated by Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill.
The maxim of liberal conserativism, according to scholar Andrew Vincent is "economics is prior to politics".[3] The original "liberal conservatives" were those who combined conservative social attitudes with a classical-liberal economic outlook. Over time, the majority of conservatives in the Western world came to adopt free-market economic ideas, to the extent that such ideas are now generally considered and termed "conservative". Nonetheless, in most countries the term "liberal" continues to be used to describe those with free market economic views. This is the case, for example, in mainland Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain) and (unusually for an English-speaking country) in Australia.
The liberal conservative tradition in the United States combines the economic individualism of the classical liberals with a Burkean form of conservatism (which has also become part of the American conservative tradition, for example in the writings of Russell Kirk). However, the terms "liberal conservative" and "liberal conservatism" are seldom used in the United States, as "liberal" and "conservative" are often viewed as opposite, competing parts of the ideological spectrum.
A common first principle for most liberal conservatives, including Burke, is a theory of collective human intellect. Over time, the argument goes, civilizations and groups develop a set of traditions, practices or customs that grow to solve certain problems of human existence. Conservatives argue that we should have a presumption in favour of such institutions, rather than changes to them. Institutions reflect the wisdom of the collective human intellect, whereas changes reflect reasoning or deduction by individuals or groups who are only exposed to contemporary problems. When individuals reason out new institutions from a set of first principles, a process conservatives called 'social engineering', they will rarely best an institution that that has grown from the collective intellect. Conservatives believe that institutions based on the collective human intellect, experience and wisdom of many generations are more reliable.
A second principle common to most liberal conservatives is that collective traditions, practices or customs are crucial to a moral life. Institutions are a set of rules guidelines, heuristics—a sort of script—for the leading a moral life. Social conservatism is often coupled with "liberal conservatism".
In modern European discourse, "liberal conservatism" can have another meaning. Rather than referring to a combination of classical conservatism and free-market economic ideas, it refers to free-market (in this context, "conservative", because most conservative parties in Europe have adopted economic liberalism) economics allied with culturally liberal views—on issues such as gay marriage, for example. This position is sometimes associated with support for moderate forms of social safety net and of environmentalism. "Liberal conservatism" in this sense is for instance represented by Michael Portillo or the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party, the Conservative Party of Norway, and the Finnish National Coalition Party. In a recent interview with journalist Andrew Marr, for BBC Television, David Cameron described himself as a liberal Conservative. He defined this as believing in individual freedom and human rights, but being sceptical of "grand schemes to remake the world".[4]