This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in the United States |
---|
This article is part of a series on |
Libertarianism in the United States |
---|
Libertarian conservatism,[1][2] also referred to as conservative libertarianism[3][4][5] and, more rarely, conservatarianism,[6][7] is a political and social philosophy that combines conservatism and libertarianism, representing the libertarian wing of conservatism and vice versa.[8]
Libertarian conservatism advocates the greatest possible economic liberty and the least possible government regulation of social life (described as "small government"), mirroring laissez-faire classical liberalism, but harnesses this to a belief in a more socially conservative philosophy emphasizing authority, morality, and duty.[1] Primarily an American ideology, libertarian conservatism prioritizes liberty, promoting free expression, freedom of choice and free-market capitalism to achieve conservative ends while rejecting liberal social engineering.[9]
Although having similarities to liberal conservatism and therefore mainstream American conservatism with both being influenced by classical liberal thought;[10] libertarian conservatives are far more anti-statist and are much more hostile to government intervention in both social and economic matters.[11]