Political ideologies are numerous and exceptionally diverse in their nuanced approach toward the ideas of governance, ethics, and principles. However, out of the multitude of the existing perspectives on the development and further coordination of social order, two particular theories have become so prominent that they have gained the dominant place in most states globally (Pennycook et al. 754). These are Liberalism and Conservatism, which are typically represented as the exact opposites of each other and, as a result, often create a sociopolitical rift within a range of communities, especially in the Western sociopolitical environment (Baron and Jost 293). Although Liberalism and Conservatism are usually juxtaposed to each other, the two have several common characteristics that allow them to coexist in the same political universe and serve the needs of citizens accordingly. However, even though the political ideologies in question could be seen as related to each other, Liberalism is still preferable to Conservativism for modern society since it opens a greater range of opportunities for meeting the needs of all populations, including vulnerable groups.
On the surface, the very definitions of Liberalism and Conservatism set the specified notions miles apart from each other. Scheppele defines Liberalism as a theory “that simultaneously defends a) the rights of individuals, b) limited and checked state powers, and c) a government responsive to shifting democratic majorities” (315). The specified perspective on the nature of Liberalism is quite different from that one on Conservatism. Specifically, as Pennycook et al. explain, Conservatism is a political theory that considers tradition as the core source of wisdom and, therefore, the primary basis for the relevant political, economic, and social decision-making (754). Therefore, the gap between the concepts in question is observably large.
Remarkably, Liberalism and Conservatism ideologies are also broadly used in the present-day political discourse, yet the strategies for deploying the relevant liberal and conservative concepts have been changed significantly. Namely, the modern liberal-conservative dialogue has extended beyond the confinements of politics and expanded into other areas of the socioeconomic and sociocultural lives of citizens. For instance, in the U.S., the juxtaposition of Liberalism and Conservatism has shifted into a variety of areas of the public life, such as healthcare (Pruysers et al. 153). Specifically, the heated debates regarding the issue of immunization, particularly, vaccination against the coronavirus, have started to be strongly associated with the disagreements between Conservatives and Liberals (Pruysers et al. 157). Specifically, the stance again vaccination has been strongly linked to Conservativism, whereas the eagerness to become immunized has been associated with Liberalism (Pruysers et al. 156). The specified trend introduces the element of performance into the political discourse, shifting the focus of the debate from strictly political issues regarding the management of the state affairs toward more nebulous notions.
A closer look at how the current political discourse is shaped in the Western world also indicates that Liberalism has been producing a substantially larger impact on the Western politics than Conservatism. For example, the concept of the separation of powers as one of the core foundations of the present-day government structures in most countries supporting democracy can be seen as the direct effect of the promotion of Liberalist ideas. Specifically, Liberalism actively promotes the notion of the separation of power as remain tool for keeping decision-making in the context of domestic politics (Baron and Jost 297). Given the emphasis on the need to maintain the legislative, executive, and judicial powers as separate entities in most Western countries, one can claim that Liberalist ideas have been dominating the West for a substantial period of time.
Therefore, even though there are certain similarities between Liberalism and Conservatism, the foundational differences between the two, namely, conservative allegiance to traditions and liberal focus on change, have defined the course for the development of the Western world. Specifically, the emphasis on the advancement of continuous innovation and change has been shaping the Western politics to a significant extent (Scheppele 316). By comparison, the Conservativism principles have been reducing the success of the Western world in its political, economic, and cultural progress, forcing countries choosing conservative principles at certain points of their development to accept regressive ideas. For instance, having suffered the infamous 9/11 attack, the U.S. reverted to Conservative philosophy for some period of time, which has affected the country’s political performance evidently negatively (Baron and Jost 298). Specifically, the Conservative interpretation of the events spurred the emergence and rampant development of Islamophobia within the country, affecting not only its economic performance, but also its opportunities to build cross-cultural ties, specifically, with Islamic states.
Compared to the described problem, Canada has been aligning with the principles and core ideas of Liberalism unwaveringly and unequivocally. Indeed, considering the core trends in the Canadian politics over the past several decades will allow observing the obvious trend toward the promotion of individual liberties and freedoms (von Rennenkampff). However, one must also mention that the Canadian Conservatism as the main opposing force to liberalist ideas is slightly different from the conservative politics dominant in the rest of the Western world. Specifically, the Canadian type of Conservatism represents a significantly less polarizing set of ideas that allow for a rational debate between the opposing sides (von Rennenkampff). Furthermore the Canadian approach to Conservatism does not suggest that the core concepts of innovation and change should be sacrificed for the sake of upholding the tradition (von Rennenkampff). Instead, it posits that a reasonable compromise between the two can be located (von Rennenkampff). Thus, the Canadian approach to Conservatism implies a notably milder method of enforcing traditions.
Admittedly, the effects of the active promotion of Liberalism as the foundational political ideology and philosophy of the West have not been homogenously positive. Particularly, adverse impacts of the Liberalism ideology being actively promoted in the present-day setting have been reported to create a major rift within the western society (Scheppele 317). Specifically, the propensity toward setting rigid boundaries for being a part of the Liberalism movement has alienated quite a significant number of people from its philosophy and values, forcing the specified demographic to align themselves with the opponents or to declare themselves politically homeless (Scheppele 318). However, the observed situation can be considered negligible compared to the drastic effects of failing to align with changes observed in the sociocultural, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical global context.
Nonetheless, the differences between the two concepts are evident, and their effects on international and domestic politics are apparent. Specifically, liberalist ideas have gained much more traction in the present-day world due to their consistent support of the principles of social justice and the promotion of active participation in the political change within the state among citizens (Pennycook et al. 759). In turn, Conservativism seeks to rely on the traditional approach toward addressing emergent issues, which is why it will not be helpful when encountering a mew threat affecting the political life of a state (von Rennenkampff). For this reason, the further enhancement of Liberal ideas and values within the Western community should be encouraged. At the same time, the focus on a compromise between the two forces, namely, the liberal and Conservative perspectives, must be promoted as the Canadian political framework offers (von Rennenkampff). With the specified emphasis on the enforcement of civil liberties and individual rights, while upholding the core ethical standards and principles of social justice, the global community will be able to progress. Moreover, the proposed solution will allow the Liberal and Conservative ideologies to reconcile.
Despite there being certain links and overlaps between the liberal and Conservative ideologies, the two represent often conflicting viewpoints, Liberalism tending to focus on embracing opportunities for innovation, which is why it is the preferable political ideology to pursue. Specifically, as the example of Canada and some aspects of the U.S. politics demonstrate, the promotion of Liberal ideas and values leads to the search for innovations that lead to the improvement of the relationships within the global community. Though both political forces can be seen as essential to the very existence of the premise of civil and political liberties, the active promotion of Liberalism is presently vital due to the problems associated with tolerance, acceptance, and social justice globally. Thus, Liberalism has been having a significantly greater impact on Western politics than Conservatism has.
Works Cited
Baron, Jonathan, and John T. Jost. “False Equivalence: Are Liberals and Conservatives in the United States Equally Biased?” Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 14, no. 2, 2019, pp. 292-303.
Pennycook, Gordon, et al. “Beliefs about COVID-19 in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States: A Novel Test of Political Polarization and Motivated Reasoning.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 48.5 (2022): 750-765.
Pruysers, Scott, Anthony Sayers, and Lucas Czarnecki. “Nationalization and Regionalization in the Canadian Party System, 1867–2015.” Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue Canadienne de Science Politique, vol. 53, no. 1, 2020, pp. 151-169.
von Rennenkampffm, Marik. “Canada’s Conservatives Show How Dangerously Skewed US Politics Have Become.” The Hill, Web.
Scheppele, Kim Lane. “The Opportunism of Populists and the Defense of Constitutional Liberalism.” German Law Journal, vol. 20, no. 3, 2019, pp. 314-331.