Moderate conservatism is a politically moderate version of conservatism that is less demanding than classical conservatism, and can be divided into several subtypes, such as liberal conservatism. The term is principally used in countries where the political camp is divided into “liberals” (meaning social liberals) on the left and “conservatives” on the right, rather than in countries whose political camps include social democrats on the left and their opponents on the right. For countries belonging to the former, moderate liberalism is sometimes contrasted with moderate conservatism.[1] The latter term can be applied to several countries, such as the United States, Poland,[2] South Korea,[3] and Japan.[4]
Overview
editModerate conservative is not often used in most parts of Europe, where social democracy or socialist parties have grown into major parties since the early 20th century, because moderate conservatives in many European countries are liberal conservatives or Christian democrats. Despite this, the term has historically been widely used in Europe, particularly in the mid-19th and earlier century, when liberal-to-radical politics, or classical radicalism, formed the mainstream left in Europe and conservatives were the right opposition. The moderate conservatives of this period were contrasted with the moderate liberals.[5] It is also used as a contrast to ultra-conservatism.[6]
By country
editCanada
editThe main factions of the Conservative Party of Canada are the Red Tory and Blue Tory. Blue Tories value free markets and are more culturally liberal.
Japan
editThe Kōchikai faction that represents moderate conservatives within the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party. The incumbent Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida is a member of the Kōchikai faction, and he is also a "moderate conservative".[4] Yomiuri Shimbun is a moderately conservative newspaper.[7] Yomiuri Shimbun places more emphasis on moderate pro-American diplomacy rather than hawkish Japanese nationalism.[8]
Poland
editThe Civic Platform has supported a moderate conservative agenda.[2] The party is described in various ways in the Polish political context as centre-right,[nb 1] centrist,[nb 2] and centre-left.[nb 3]
South Korea
editIn the 20th century, liberal in South Korea had the opposite meaning of socialist or left-wing. Therefore, some historical liberals in South Korea were considered conservatives or moderate conservatives.[9] Ahn Cheol-soo was considered centrist reformist or centrist liberal (sometimes centre-left) in the early and mid 2010s but is now classified as centre-right and moderate conservative. Park Heong-joon and Yoo Seung-min are representative moderate conservatives.[10][11] JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean media outlet, is considered moderate conservative.[3]
Sweden
editThe major traditional right-wing party in Sweden was initially called the Conservative Party and later the Rightist Party, before adopting the Moderate Party name in 1969 to shed its ultraconservative image and espouse more classical liberal politics.[12]
United States
editThe Republican Main Street Partnership is a Republican Party (GOP) organization for moderate conservatives. Examples include Maine Senator Susan Collins, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and Arizona Representative Juan Ciscomani. It has historically been associated with Rockefeller Republicans. Sometimes moderate conservatives are called "Republicans in Name Only" by more traditional conservatives.[13] Prominent moderate conservative United States presidents are Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush.[14]
Moderate conservative political parties and caucuses
edit- Canada: Red Tory (Tories faction)
- Japan: Kōchikai (LDP faction),[15] Komeito[16]
- Philippines: Liberal Party
- Poland: Civic Platform, Polish People's Party
- Sweden: Moderate Party[12]
- United Kingdom: One Nation Conservatives (Tories faction)[17]
- United States: Republican Main Street Partnership (GOP faction)
Notes
edit- ^ PO has often been described as centre-right:
- Aleks Szczerbiak (2012). Poland Within the European Union: New awkward partner or new heart of Europe?. Routledge. p. 2. ISBN 9780415380737.
- Nathaniel Copsey (2013). "Poland:An Awkward Partner Redeemed". In Simon Bulmer; Christian Lequesne (eds.). The Member States of the European Union (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780199544837.
- Viktor, Szary (9 September 2014). "Poland's PM Tusk, heading for Brussels, submits resignation". Reuters. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ PO has often been described as centrist:
- Marcinkiewicz, Kamil; Stegmaier, Mary (8 January 2016). "The parliamentary election in Poland, October 2015" (PDF). Electoral Studies. 41: 221–224. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2016.01.004.
- Szczerbiak, Aleks (2017). "An anti-establishment backlash that shook up the party system? The October 2015 Polish parliamentary election" (PDF). European Politics and Society. 18 (4): 404–427. doi:10.1080/23745118.2016.1256027. S2CID 157951515.
- Siemsen, Pascal (2020). "Voting PiS: Voting Left when Voting Far-Right Populist?". Polish Political Science Review. 8 (1): 87–99. doi:10.2478/ppsr-2020-0006.
- ^ PO has often been described as centre-right:
- Sharon L. Wolchik, Jane Leftwich Curry, ed. (2018). Central and East European Politics: From Communism to Democracy. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 234. ISBN 9781538100899.
A movement spearheaded by young people to get out the vote brought the more policy-focused center left Civic Platform to power.
- "The perfect enemy: From migrants to sexual minorities". CHR Michelsen Institute. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
The tactic worked well for the PiS is in 2015 when anti-migrant rhetoric drummed up the party's support before its election defeat of the governing centre-left Civic Platform.
- "Poland's ruling party picks LGBTQ rights as election battlefront". NBC News. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
The tactic worked for PiS previously, analysts said, noting how in 2015 it used anti-migrant rhetoric to drum up support before its election defeat of the governing center-left Civic Platform.
- Sharon L. Wolchik, Jane Leftwich Curry, ed. (2018). Central and East European Politics: From Communism to Democracy. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 234. ISBN 9781538100899.