Who We Are
Americans didn’t always think of themselves as conservatives. Our country has a revolutionary history, after all, and for much of the 19th century Americans could fairly have been described as classical liberals. “Conservative” was a label for the backward and authoritarian, the most hidebound elements of Old Europe. As late as July 1950, a witness reported of a man causing a public disturbance, ”He was using abusive and obscene language, calling people Conservatives and all that.”
A people only begins to discover conservatism when it becomes aware of something it has lost. By the mid-20th century, Americans knew they had lost their independence from the wars and intrigues of the Old World, and they increasingly felt the loss of the habits that had defined their form of self-government. Now America was a nation of big business and even bigger government. It was perpetually armed for war, and to finance the armaments and the bigness of everything required tremendous economic stimulus – growth at all costs, whether following the formulas of John Maynard Keynes or those of his neoliberal opponents.
The themes that run through the works of the first prominent figures to call themselves conservatives — thinkers such as Russell Kirk, Peter Viereck, and Robert Nisbet — are peace, community (which means self-government was well as civil society), and fiscal restraint. Today, many politicians and pundits who call themselves conservatives seem to stand for something else: war, every man for himself, and endless deficits and debt.
What wrecked the good name of conservatism? Success. The conservative critique of the liberal welfare-warfare state was so powerful that special interests (such as those that President Eisenhower called the Military-Industrial Complex) and opportunistic politicians began to adopt the label and offer fame, money, and power to conservatives who would admit them to the fellowship. As well, there was another reaction against the new age of ideology and bigness, a populist reaction. Combining populist anger with the name of conservatism proved a winning formula for fundraisers and office-seekers. But instead of making the populist uprising more conservative, the effect was to remake conservatism as populism. Thus the principle conservative values of peace, community, and economic responsibility came to be lost amid wars and rumors of wars, military Keynesianism and promises of perpetual, debt-fueled growth.
The original conservatives—and some of their libertarian and even liberal friends, those who were more conservative than they knew—had it right. Today the country pays the price for the left-wing ideologies that ran rampant in the 20th century and the right-wing, but not conservative, reaction that has only exacerbated the destruction wrought by the left. To solve the country’s seemingly intractable—and, in the long-term, lethal—strategic, economic, and socio-cultural problems requires a rediscovery of traditional conservatism.
That’s the mission of The American Conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The American Conservative?
The American Conservative is a print magazine and daily site for cultural commentary and political analysis.
What kind of politics?
Well, conservative, but not necessarily in the sense you might be thinking (see “Who We Are”).
Which kind of conservative?
Authentically conservative — modest, open-minded, and uninterested in partisan chicanery. Our motto is “Ideas over Ideology, Principles over Party.” So much of what passes for conservatism today is wedded to a kind of radicalism — fantasies of global hegemony, economic theories that are utopian and ruinous, and an eagerness to substitute diatribe for debate. TAC is nonpartisan and devoted to the conservative disposition, not the Republican Party. We broadly stand for fiscal restraint, civil liberties, and a prudent foreign policy, and we incorporate a range of voices.
When was TAC founded?
The magazine was founded in 2002 by Pat Buchanan, Scott McConnell, and Taki Theodoracopulos, in response to the distinctly unconservative policies of the Bush administration (the Iraq war chief among them). The goal was to provide an intellectual home for serious, independent-minded conservatives.
Why are you so critical of Republicans? What, Democrats can do no wrong?
There are approximately a thousand websites, hundreds of organizations, ten magazines, and one TV channel dedicated to attacking progressives and Democrats. In a center/right country, the failures, hypocrisy, ideological fixations, and ineptitude of the GOP are the biggest obstacles to the restoration of constitutional governance, fiscal responsibility, and a responsible national security policy. So that’s where we mostly aim our fire. You have plenty of choices when it comes to trying to reform the Democrats. Good luck with that.
How can you be conservative and fair?
By contributing to and expanding the debate. Our contributors frequently disagree with each other, and in no way hew a party line. More on that here.
What is your comments policy?
See our general guidelines here. Editor Daniel McCarthy elaborates here.
Who are you?
Check out our Masthead.
How do I subscribe?
Thanks for your interest! Go here. Newsletter sign-up here.
Where can I pick up a copy?
Find a newsstand near you.
You’re a nonprofit?
Yes, so we need your help.
How can I help?
Very nice question! Head to our donate page. Even $5 will make a real difference.
Are you hiring?
Join us! We offer fall, spring, and summer internships. See our most recent listing here.
How do I advertise with you?
Our ad man, Ron, can take care of you.
What is The American Ideas Institute?
A nonprofit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, D.C.
What’s your relationship to The American Ideas Institute?
TAC is the Institute’s flagship program.
How do I get permission to reprint an article?
Contact rburr@burrmediagroup.com.
I have more questions.
Email us at letters@theamericanconservative.com.
