R: The Republican Party Is Conservative

Many of those who are unfamiliar with American history are shocked to find that the same political party which sent Donald Trump to the White House in 2016 also sent Abraham Lincoln in 1860. The Republican Party has a history steeped in conservatism, emerging as one of the sole political forces to combat the evil of slavery in the mid-1850s through a commitment to principles such as free-market economics and tempered political change. Today, however, the Grand Old Party is characterized by its abandonment of grandeur in favor of baseness. The ascendance of populism in the Party marks a turning point in the American political landscape, as the traditional party of the business man becomes the party of the working man. But is this change inimical to conservatism? This debate aims to examine whether the Republican Party of today can be considered conservative, as well as whether or not the global populist movement is compatible with conservatism.

The affirmative takes a more practical approach to the issue. Like all human institutions, the Republican Party is not perfect and never will be. However, comparing conservative values with those of the GOP, it becomes clear that where it counts, the Republican Party is conservative. They are the only party in America fighting to end abortion, to limit uncontrolled spending, and to promote American principles at home and abroad. Because the goal of politics is to promote goodness through law, the principles of the GOP maintain its conservatism. In addition, the affirmative includes those who may be more sympathetic to the populist cause. Conservatives for too long have prioritized procedure and civility over the needs of everyday Americans; if populism opens the path for the unborn to be saved, we ought to not only accept it, but embrace it.

The negative argues that what sets a conservative apart from anyone else is his disposition: one need only briefly to examine Burke in order to see this point in action. A conservative should pride himself on not only what he says, but also how he says it, indicating a refined sensibility that seeks to promote truth and order above all else. In today’s political landscape, few, including in the Republican Party, wish to promote these things. They act as all other politicians do: utilitarian pawns executing an ends-based agenda. Trump, Vance, Hawley—all leaders of the GOP, all unprincipled in various ways. If to be a Republican is to be a follower of any of these individuals, conservatives should abandon the Party in favor of either a new movement or even political isolation.

How can conservatives engage politically without compromising their values? Is the term “populist conservative” an oxymoron? And has the Republican Party ever been truly conservative?