What is Neoconservatism?
Neoconservatism is a political movement that emerged in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Its founders were mostly intellectuals who had been liberals or socialists but grew critical of the left. They objected to parts of the 1960s counterculture, to some Great Society programs and to what they saw as weakness toward the Soviet Union. Neoconservatism is best known today for its foreign policy, which favors a strong military, firm alliances and the active promotion of democracy abroad.
Core beliefs
- The United States should use its power to defend and spread liberal democracy.
- Military strength and credible alliances deter aggression.
- Markets generally work better than government planning, but a modest welfare state is acceptable.
- Social programs should be judged by results and should encourage self-reliance.
- Culture, family and moral character matter for a healthy democracy.
- Policy should be based on evidence about unintended consequences.
History
The movement grew out of a group of New York writers and academics, many of whom had been active on the anti-communist left. Irving Kristol, often called the founder of neoconservatism, described a neoconservative as a liberal who had been 'mugged by reality.' The journals The Public Interest, founded in 1965, and Commentary became important outlets. The social scientist Daniel Patrick Moynihan and the criminologist James Q. Wilson studied the limits of government programs. In the 1970s and 1980s many neoconservatives moved into the Republican Party. Jeane Kirkpatrick, a political scientist and later ambassador to the United Nations, argued for firm opposition to Soviet influence. Some writers also link the movement to the political philosopher Leo Strauss, though the strength of this link is debated. After the Cold War, neoconservatives argued that the United States should use its position to shape a democratic world order.
Variants
Early neoconservatism focused mainly on domestic policy, such as crime, welfare and education. Later neoconservatism focused much more on foreign policy and is sometimes called 'neoconservative internationalism' or 'muscular liberalism.' Outside the United States, the term is sometimes used loosely for any hawkish center-right foreign policy, which can cause confusion.
Criticisms
Critics on the left argue that neoconservative foreign policy has led to costly wars, civilian deaths and instability, and that it overestimates what military force can achieve. Paleoconservatives and libertarians argue from the right that it expands government, weakens national sovereignty through foreign entanglements and departs from older conservative traditions. Realist scholars of international relations argue that promoting democracy by force ignores local conditions and the balance of power. Some critics also argue that neoconservatives have at times supported undemocratic allies, which conflicts with their stated goals.
In practice
Neoconservative ideas influenced American foreign policy during the late Cold War and in the early 2000s. Britannica notes that officials associated with the movement played a key role in planning and promoting the 2003 Iraq War. Its domestic ideas contributed to welfare reform debates, to 'broken windows' policing and to a focus on the cultural foundations of economic success. The movement has also shaped several influential think tanks and magazines.