what does it mean to be a conservative?
344216
The basic underlying idea behind (American) conservatism is the idea of a limited government which has minimal involvment in the lives of citizens. To believe that makes you a conservative. Conservatism is associated with things like religion and certain views on foreign policy, but the main requirement to be a conservative is to believe in limited government.
1037465
Since you asked...my definition of "liberal" is one who believes in government sponsored programs designed to provide benefits such as healthcare, financial aid, and education to individuals in low income brackets.  This is accomplished by high tax rates on the upper level income earners.  They profess a belief in a strong middle class, have an aversion to corporations and "big business" and feel that privacy is the most important thing, other than helping the poor.\n\nConservatives are people who believe in business, big and small and feel that the money they earn should be retained by them, not spent on others.  They believe that since the highest income earners are also usually the ones who employ the middle and lower class, they should get a break because without them, there wouldn't be jobs.  Pro-gun, pro-military, agressive foreign policy (shoot first ask questions later).  They also believe in personal liberty, but often see compromises with that liberty as okay when it's for the good of the country.\n\nMe, I'm a Libertarian.  I am definitely more right than left, but I see that conservatives and liberals both have screwed up the government.  Neither one is in touch with anything except their bank accounts and hate.  I think I can stomach the right more because the views are a little more in line with mine and democrats (I'm gonna say it)...are hypocrites.
1125475
I couldn't have said it better myself. You are so right. the Neo-Cons should be asamed of themselves for even using the term "conservative." Conservatism essentially means small government, which they clearly do not believe in, though they say they do. "Marriage = Man+Woman," they say. To coin a phrase... "Only a SITH deals in absoloutes."
218141
A neoconservative isn't a conservative at all. Neoconservatives believe in an all powerful government which intercedes in the lives of all its citizens on behalf of big business and extreme right-wing religous zealots. The economic and military conquest of the planet is the ultimate goal of Neoconservatives by any means necessary.\n\nPaleoconservatives, or traditional conservatives, if you prefer, believe in small central government with the majority of power given to individual states and municipalities, minimal government spending, and the idea that the government should stay the hell out of people's personal lives.
52233
In America being a liberal means you think people should have a lot of personal freedoms (abortion, free speech, unions) and that the economy should be closely monitored and modified by the government.\n\nConservatives think that people's freedoms should be more closely monitored and controlled and that the economy should be free from government interference.\n\nNow, this is just what the trend is GENERALLY nowadays, because really the ideals change as time goes on for both types.
223170
The word Liberal and Conservative don't mean SHIT! The assholes that like to lable themselves conservatives are usually rich sons of bitches or the mindless minons that believe the bullshit they shovel.\n\nFor the most part the conservatives who label people liberal are usually a bunch of freaks and weridos who are equally rich political lap dogs of the wealthly who are using the equally blind for support to get elected. These people also don't do shit for the people. \n\nThe words liberal and conservative don't fit the true definition of the word(s). \n\nLiberate, to set free\nConservation, to protect, or not waste\n\nIt all a bunch of bull shit and if you use these words to label yourself or lable someone else you're an idiot and a minon of the mass media. \n\nFor the most part I agree with you that the so called "conservatives" seem to be are card carrying members of the NRA and enjoy NASCAR. (Right Wing minons)\n\nAnd the so called liberals are a bunch of wanabe hippies.
443230
Liberal = change\nConservative = keeping things as they have always been\nModerate = will swing back and forth between the two depending on the issue at hand
1067831
The generally accepted definition is that liberals expect government to provide services to all of the citizens, and expect government to protect the freedoms and rights of all citizens.\n\nConservatives generally want less government, which means less government services, less government protection for citizens, and expect citizens to rely only on themselves for their needs and not government.\n\nLook at how the conservative point of view has been corrupted over the past 20 years -- even the Republican platform still states that they believe in less government, yet W has enlarged the government (through the creation of new departments, hiring of employees, etc.) more than any other president since FDR.  Conservatives officially believe in less government spending, yet W has spent more than any president in history, while cutting taxes for the rich so that there is no way to pay for all that spending without borrowing money to run up the biggest deficit in US history.  At the same time he cuts government's services for the needy, he spends our money on defense contractors, needless wars, and incompetent agencies that do nothing to provide any real protection.  "Conservative" has moved away from its original meaning, being taken over by religious fanatics (who want government to do MORE to enforce their own religious rules on all Americans) and by big-money defense/oil companies who want all the government's money but don't want to pay any taxes.\n\nLiberalism has changed as well, though not as dramatically.  Many "visible" liberals today are for everyone's rights except the fundamentalist religions, which they would like to squash.  True liberalism is hard, you need to accept and protect the rights of everyone, even those you don't agree with.  Many current so-called liberals don't live up to that ideal.
967243
Being a liberal is being a constitutionalists. Being a conservativist is more difficult to define precisely due to the different categories of conservatism.  There is the so-called compassionate conservative, the fiscally conservative and lastly there is the socially conservative.\n\nIn an attempt to answer your question, I will elaborate on my personal liberal reasons for leaning far left.\n\nI believe in freedom of speech, separation of church and state, a person's right to bear arms, in the Bill of Rights making all ppl equal and believe that minorities should not be discriminated against, etc... I believe in the constitution and fully support this great nation's Supreme Court's interpretation of it. \n\nI do NOT believe in majority rule or changing the constitution just because the majority says so. \n\nI believe this country CORE value is the right of the ONE!\n\nIn more detail, here is why I am a 'liberal' and a democrat:\n\n- I believe in war as a last resort or unless we or an ally have been attacked. IEs, Gulf War and Pearl Harbor\n- I believe in UN support and if the UN is corrupt, instead of bailing on them, fix it.\n- I believe we have a duty to pay our elderly social security because they paid those funds when they were working. That is like robbing them if we do not pay it back.\n- I do not believe trickle down economics of Reagan, Bush Sr, and Bush Jr works. It never works. I believe in Clinton's economic system that is commonly referred to as Pay-As-You-Go... I believe in fiscal responsibility to not burden our children with our large debts.\n- I believe in FDR's New Deal that the republican party has been trying to destroy piece by piece.\n- I believe our social programs that keep families from living under bridges prevent us from becoming a 3rd world country.\n- I believe in welfare but I also believe in Clinton's welfare reform where it is limited to 2 to 3 years in a lifetime. This prevents ppl from living on it their entire life; thereby, prevents welfare abuse.\n- I believe in universal healthcare because a healthy nation is a powerful nation and also the pharmcy/insurance companies are corrupt.\n- I believe in government regulation of monopolies such as power/energy, cable and telephone companies. Everytime the government deregulates these industries, they promise the price will go down but it never does... it always increases thereby increases the cost of living.\n- I do not believe in making laws that violate constiutional rights... such as the Patriot Act or even seatbelt laws.\n- I do not believe in making new laws everytime a problem arises; but rather, to fix the problem.\n- I believe in gay marriage because gay ppl pay taxes too and heteorsexual couples should not be given special rights by the states just because they are straight. Otherwise take away those special rights and don't allow the state to recognize anyone's marriage.\n- I believe in a woman's right to choose because just as the Supreme Court has ruled, a woman has a constitutional right to privacy over what happens to her body.\n- I believe in the right to own a gun because it is a constitutional right.\n- I believe in the constitution 110% and the liberties it allows each citizen.\n- I am anti-illegal immigration because simply, they break the law by entering illegally therefore are criminals.\n- I believe in complete separation of church and state per the constitution and as interpreted by Thomas Jefferson who stated, "thus building a wall of separation between Church and State"\n- I believe in SMALL GOVERNMENT in terms of big brother staying the hell out of my business. I've never participated in a census and refuse to. I am a LIBERAL and believe government has NO RIGHT to stick its nose in my business.
64982
Conservative thinking is about making the ordianry people feel surprised about the things you mentioned. For them is all part of a plan which is to get filthy rich by exhausting resources all over the world.
793509
Basic conservative mindset. The strength of conservatives is that they tend to operate in a more organized, coherent, and group-minded fashion. \n\nLiberals tend to be more creative, more flexible, and as a result, often come up with different ideas about how to solve a problem. Since most Democrats are liberal to one degree or another, that also shows through in the lack of coherence in the Democratic party.\n\nThe only question is, can the all at least reach consensus about specific issues, and thus be able to accomplish those tasks? Time will tell.
155125
Im a hardcore conservative.
548138
If you used the dictionary definition of a liberal, most conservatives would want to be liberals, or would think they already are liberals:\n\n"marked by generosity and openhandedness, broad-minded, tolerant, bountiful, munificent" and so forth.  All except the part "lacking moral restraint, licentious" applies equally to conservatives.\n\nGood question, because I don't think a liberal defines himself the way a conservative defines a liberal.  And vice versa.
360848
Theocratic Conservative.  Otherwise known as the religious right.
971538
its a word to describe many ppl in the current republican party (usually) that have "conservative" values. BUT, if you look at the conservative values of Nixon, or even as recent as Reagan, their views on a lot of major issues are no longer the same as their party has historically been. \n\njust to give you an idea, Bush has brought up the "tax and spend" democrats in many of his interviews and addresses, but HIS cabinet has spent more money than anyone in history. i think he's only vetoed 1 or 2 bills to date.\n\nthats typically not considered to be a conservative way of behaving.
921309
fundamentalist is NOT precisely defined usually on the conservative end\n\nevangelical is not so precisely defined as you might think  and includes very conservative to somewhat conservative views\nand beyond that preaching the gospel...  the evangel... the good news\n\nin general conservative evangelical... a very broad term.. can mean believing what the bible claims about itself\nTaking the Bible to be true in the sense of the literature intended\nand standing for the truths of the gospel, the good news\n\nfundamentalism,  might mean to some wooden literalism...  or it might mean conceiving truth.. and almost the same as the previous.. usually its a reaction to liberalism which much too often sold the farm too often on Biblical truth\n\nthere are differences in style,  but frankly they do more to undermine each other and lose more than they gain  if they overcrtitisize each other instead of having respectful disagreements although granted we are talking about important issues
235990
Well, I am a conservative, although not as right-leaning as an ultra conservative.\n\nUltra conservatives believe in:\n- Very small governments. This means that the government does not tell you what to do in most respects (for example, they would be hesitant to establish environmental regulations or national daycare) and this also means they do not want to be taxed to death (which results in fewer social services, welfare programs, etc)\n\n- People are in charge of their own lives. This means that the government should not have these "affirmative action" programs, etc, because people (by working hard) make their own luck.\n\n- Governments should take care of things like the roads, defence and similar broad over-reaching goals that individuals cannot do easily on their own. \n\n- Accountability. While I think everyone believes governments should be transparent, Conservatives base part of their belief on the fact that the government is the employee of the people. Again, this is the "no telling people what to do" thing about governments that Conservatives value, which shows their belief that we elect whom we choose, but then they have to answer to us.\n\n- Little Immigration. If it is necessary for immigration to occur (because of a declining birth rate, for example), Conservatives want immigrants to be screened. This is based on the value of "it's my home. I have built it up with other citizens, and therefore, we should get to choose who gets to share our country with us." It is definitely not an open-arms welcome to immigrants and it doesn't make sense to welcome the worst of the world when you can choose to invite people who are educated and will be assets to the society.\n\n- Charity should be undertaken at the individual level, as opposed to the national level. This again flows from fewer taxes. If there is a need for hot lunches for poor students, then Conservatives would be happy to fill it by volunteering individually. It is considered a duty as a citizen in this way. If instead, you are taxed in order for the government to do this, it is seen as a lack of choice for the individual's use of their own hard-earned money.\n\nThis is why I often think the differences between Conservatives and Liberals are more value-based, than about being misinformed. To say one group "doesn't know" X, Y or Z is insulting to that group's intelligence because you should assume that people know the facts before they choose to align themselves with one group or another.\n\nHope this helps!