Description

This article is from the Conservatism FAQ, by Jim Kalb kalb@aya.yale.edu with numerous contributions by others.

What are the differences between American conservatism and that of other countries?

They correspond to the differences in political tradition. In
general, conservatism in America has a much stronger
capitalist/libertarian and populist streak than in other countries.
European conservatism once emphasized support for throne, altar and
sword as hierarchical bearers of authoritative traditions. When those
things collapsed European conservatism mostly disappeared, while in
America those hierarchies never existed so their collapse had less
effect. The national differences seem to be declining as other
countries become more like America and many American conservatives
become more alienated from their country's actual way of life and
system of government. Especially in recent years conservatism on both
sides of the Atlantic has emphasized opposition to new
antitraditional hierarchies of formal expertise and bureaucratic
position. However, American conservatism continues to have a stronger
religious streak than present-day European conservatism and also has
much broader and deeper support.