What is Conservatism?
A short definition of the political ideology of conservatism
Question
What is Conservatism?
Answer
Conservatism refers to a right wing ideology that emphasises the ideals of self-reliance and individualism. It places importance on the development and preservation of personal wealth with the goal of increasing private ownership. Conservativism is often associated with a tougher stance on crime and those who follow its ideals are also often part of orthodox religious groups, this in turn has often led to a viewpoint that people who hold conservative viewpoints are more likely to be anti-homosexual and hostile to minority groups that do not confirm to the teachings of the church. This is because Conservatism is seen as a traditional philosophy and as such, follows traditional norms. Another key point of Conservatism is it is highly critical of radical change and major changes in governance, it instead focuses upon reducing the public sector allowing the private sector more room to grow. This leads to privatisation whereby state services are stripped back and replaced by private companies with the idea of providing cheaper services to the public.