Back To Basics
by Jim Lynch ~ June 3rd, 2008. Filed under: Conservative Principles, Reclaiming Conservatism.Ed Morrissey wrote Time to return to the first principles of conservatism? several days ago. He makes a great point about the basics of conservatism.
What is the first principle of conservatism? Limited government. Our founders understood this, which is why they tightly constrained the jurisdiction of the federal government in the Constitution. Henry David Thoreau famously wrote “That government is best which governs least”, and that encapsulates what has been the overarching philosophy of conservatism as applied to governance. Furthermore, it exists in opposition to and as a counterbalance for the competing philosophy of socialism, which postulates that government improves as it governs more.
Sadly, limited government is probably the principle from which we’ve strayed the furthest. And the one we most need to reclaim.
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