Progressive conservatism

Progressive conservatism is a political ideology that attempts to combine conservative and progressive policies. While still supportive of capitalist economy, it stresses the importance of government intervention in order to improve human and environmental conditions.

Progressive conservatism first arose in Germany and the United Kingdom in the 1870s and 1880s under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli respectively. Disraeli's 'One Nation' Toryism has since become the central progressive conservative tradition in the UK.

In the UK, the Prime Ministers Disraeli, Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan,[1] David Cameron and Theresa May have been described as progressive conservatives.[2][3] The Catholic Church's Rerum Novarum (1891) advocates a progressive conservative doctrine known as social Catholicism.[4]

In the United States, Theodore Roosevelt has been the principal figure identified with progressive conservatism as a political tradition. Roosevelt stated that he had "always believed that wise progressivism and wise conservatism go hand in hand".[5] The administration of President William Howard Taft was considered by some to be progressive conservative. Various European leaders such as Angela Merkel have also aligned themselves with progressive conservative politics.[6] In some countries, such as New Zealand and South Korea, the main conservative camp are more progressive on immigration than the centre-left camp.[7]

  1. ^ Trevor Russel. The Tory Party: its policies, divisions and future. Penguin, 1978. p. 167.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ruth Lister. Understanding Theories and Concepts in Social Policy. Bristol, England, UK; Portland, Oregon, USA: The Policy Press, 2010. p. 53.
  4. ^ Emile F. Sahliyeh. Religious resurgence and politics in the contemporary world. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York Press, 1990. p. 185.
  5. ^ Jonathan Lurie. William Howard Taft: The Travails of a Progressive Conservative. New York, New York, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2012. p. 196
  6. ^ Noack, Rick (30 June 2017). "Why Angela Merkel, known for embracing liberal values, voted against same-sex marriage". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Why Korean conservatives are more open to immigration than liberals". m.koreatimes.co.kr. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.