Fusionism

This article may need to be rewritten entirely to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. You can help. The discussion page may contain suggestions. (June 2009)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Fusionism is an American political term for the combination or "fusion" of libertarians and traditional conservatives as well as social conservatives in the American conservative movement. It is also known as libertarian conservatism.

History and positions

The strategy was advocated and named "fusionism" by National Review editor Frank Meyer, who believed that the holders of various disparate conservative beliefs should work together to combat the threats of Cold War communism, increasing government power domestically, and what was seen as a decline in civil society (especially during the Great Society era of the mid-1960s). In many ways, fusionism can be considered as a revival of classical liberalism.

Fusionism saw its height during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, who had brought together the divided factions after Gerald Ford's loss in the 1976 election. Rich Lowry has argued that Reagan maintained a fusionist 'sweet spot' of both ideological flexibility and respect for conservative principles.^[1] In the immediate aftermath of the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, fusionism was also at its height. Fusionist impulses began to decline during the presidency of George W. Bush.^{[citation needed]} The social conservative element of the Republican Party was seen on the ascent (at least with respect to domestic politics), leading to increased domestic spending on "moral" issues that angered fiscal conservatives and libertarians. In addition, the long standing tensions between neoconservatives and paleoconservatives bubbled over in the wake of the Iraq War.

Following the Republican Party's defeat in the 2006 midterm elections, some are calling for a new "fusionism" between libertarians and liberals in the Democratic Party to address what is seen as increasing governmental interference in private activity.^{[2][citation needed]} The victory of Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 President election brought on a renewed split within the Republicans between social conservatives with centrist economic views and libertarians.

Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan said during a June 2009 the Hudson Institute conference speech:

A “libertarian” who wants limited government should embrace the means to his freedom: thriving mediating institutions that create the moral preconditions for economic markets and choice. A “social issues” conservative with a zeal for righteousness should insist on a free market economy to supply the material needs for families, schools, and churches that inspire moral and spiritual life. In a nutshell, the notion of separating the social from the economic issues is a false choice. They stem from the same root.^[1]

Prominent Fusionists

• William F. Buckley – founder of National Review
• Barry Goldwater – Republican Senator and U.S. presidential candidate
• Frank Meyer – editor of National Review
• Ronald Reagan – fortieth president of the United States
• Ralph E. Reed, Jr. – former executive director of the Christian Coalition

Critics of Fusionism

• L. Brent Bozell, Jr. – traditionalist Catholic political author
• Russell Kirk – traditional conservative philosopher
• Ayn Rand – novelist and founder of Objectivism, who clashed with traditional conservatives and with libertarians
• Murray Rothbard – libertarian author and economist
• Patrick Buchanan – political commentator and prominent paleoconservative

See also

• Neoconservatism and paleoconservatism

References

• Ryan Sager, The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians and the Battle to Control the Republican Party (2006)
• Brink Lindsey, "Liberaltarians"
• Arnold Kling, "Why Be a Conservative Libertarian?"
• Edward Feser, "Hayek and Fusionism"