Conservatism Quotes

• Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear.

  William E. Gladstone

  Trust, Fear, People

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• I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may absolutely refuse to move at all.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Moving, Men, Innovation

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville. Volume II, Book Three, Chapter XXI, 1840.

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• f you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals - if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.

  Ronald Reagan

  Believe, Heart, Thinking

  "Reason" Magazine, July 1, 1975.

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• The very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.

  Ronald Reagan

  Heart, Soul, Libertarian

  Reason magazine, July 1, 1975.

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• Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny. It's the only one. It's based on thousands of years of human experience. There is nothing narrow about the conservative philosophy. It's a liberating philosophy. It is a magnificent philosophy. It is a philosophy for the ages, for all times.

  Mark Levin

  Philosophy, Years, Age

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• Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that make it possible for them to access all the hope, all the promise, all the opportunity that America offers. And our programs to help them should reflect that.

  Marco Rubio

  Opportunity, America, People

  "Rubio: 'Conservatism Is About Empowering People To Catch Up'". www.realclearpolitics.com. August 24, 2011.

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• Conservatism, we are told, is out-of-date. This charge is preposterous and we ought to boldly say so. The laws of God, and of nature, have no dateline. These principles are derived from the nature of man, and from the truths that God has revealed about His creation. To suggest that the Conservative philosophy is out of date is akin to saying that the Golden Rule, or the Ten Commandments or Aristotle's Politics are out of date.

  Barry Goldwater

  Philosophy, Men, Law

  "The Conscience of a Conservative". Book by Barry Goldwater and L. Brent Bozell, 1960.

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• A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.

  Franklin D. Roosevelt

  Clever, Men, Perfectly Good

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• The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.

  John Kenneth Galbraith

  Honesty, Integrity, Philosophy

  "Stop the Madness". "The Globe and Mail" Newspaper, July 6, 2002.

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  Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.

  Thomas Paine

  Motivation, War, 4th Of July

  Common Sense (1776)

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• Conservatism is not the problem. Conservatism is the founding of this country, essentially. Conservatism isn't even really an ideology. Conservatism is just what is right, proper, decent, and moral. That's all it is.

  Rush Limbaugh

  Country, Moral, Problem

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• Conservatism clings to what has been established, fearing that, once we begin to question the beliefs that we have inherited, all the values of life will be destroyed.

  Morris Raphael Cohen

  Belief, Value Of Life, Has Beens

  Morris Raphael Cohen (1993). “The Faith of a Liberal”, p.438, Transaction Publishers

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• Liberalism is financed by the dividends from Conservatism.

  Craig Reucassel

  Liberalism, Dividends

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• Conservatism is the blind and fear-filled worship of dead radicals.

  Mark Twain

  Political, Conservative, Worship

  Mark Twain (2014). “Mark Twain on Common Sense: Timeless Advice and Words of Wisdom from America's Most-Revered Humorist”, p.15, Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

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• Success makes men rigid and they tend to exalt stability over all the other virtues; tired of the effort of willing they become fanatics about conservatism.

  Walter Lippmann

  Success, Congratulations, Tired

  Walter Lippmann (1914). “A Preface to Politics”

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• There is nothing wrong with describing Conservatism as protecting the Constitution, protecting all things that limit government. Government is the enemy of liberty. Government should be very restrained.

  Ron Paul

  Government, Enemy, Liberty

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  Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

  Barry Goldwater

  Memorial Day, Freedom, Gay

  Speech accepting nomination for president at Republican National Convention, San Francisco, Cal., 16 July 1964

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• Conservatism has had from its inception vigorously positive, intellectually rigorous agenda and thinking. That agenda should have in my three pillars: strengthen the economy, strengthen our security, and strengthen our families.

  Mitt Romney

  Positive, Thinking, Should Have

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• Conservatism is a hard choice for a society that has become accustomed to big government and big entitlements promoted by liberals.

  Jesse Helms

  Government, Choices, Entitlement

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• In the book I define conservatism, as I believe it is fit upon four categories of principle: respect for The Constitution, respect for life, less government, and personal responsibility.

  Jonathan Krohn

  Believe, Book, Responsibility

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• The intellectual debility of contemporary conservatism is indicated by its silence on all important matters.

  Christopher Lasch

  Silence, Intellectual, Important

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• Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous or when they are most luxurious-they are conservatives after dinner.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Men, Luxury, Politics

  Essays, Second Series "New England Reformers" (1844)

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• I met the president when he was president-elect at a meeting in Austin. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of his desire for a compassionate conservatism, for a faith-based initiative that would do something for poor people.

  Jim Wallis

  People, President, Desire

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  Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

  Lord Acton

  Inspirational, Leadership, Work

  Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 3 April 1887, in Louise Creighton 'Life and Letters of Mandell Creighton' (1904) vol. 1, ch. 13.

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• Conservatism... offers no redress for the present, and makes no preparation for the future.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Preparation, Redress, Offers

  'Coningsby' (1844) bk. 2, ch. 5

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