Do conservatives question Authority less than liberals?

Answer 1

True conservatives no, why do you think we defend the Free Exercise of Religion Clause and the Second Amendment as hard as we do. It's the conservatives that raised a ruckus about Harriet Myers. Conservatives are the ones demanding the current immigration laws be enforced and those breaking the law be arrested. Conservatives have questioned the Supreme Court and the 9th Circuit Court.

Conservatives question, but we don't take to the streets as a general rule, we vote, we write letters, and we make phone calls

Answer 2

Yes. Conservatives are less likely to question authority. They might argue about who has it, or how it is to be used, but in the end, "authority" is the cornerstone of conservative thought.

When listening to (or in this forum, reading) arguments between conservatives and liberals (or even libertarians), pay attention to the _reasons_ they give for the opinions that they defend. In their arguments, you will find conservatives using words like law, constitution, moral, right, etc. These are all appeals to authority. (Even lancelot682005 argued from moral and legal authority against Clinton and Bush, who merely had Presidential authority.)

In contrast, notice that liberals (more often) use words like care, better, safer, etc. To them, authority is secondary to creating a better world. Liberals desire the best for mankind, and if authority will achieve that, they'll use it, but when authority gets in the way of that goal, they don't hesitate to ask questions.

Libertarians, by the way, always reason from one root principle -- that people should be allowed to do anything they want as long as it does not directly harm someone else or their property. Every plank on their platform is derived from this. You can bet that libertarians question authority more than liberals and conservatives combined.

So, yes, I believe conservatives question authority less than liberals (or especially libertarians), because it is deeply embedded in their mindset. The only way you could get them to stop thinking in terms of authority would be to tell them that some authority wants them to.

Answer 3

Actually Conservatives questions authority more. Here is how:

When Clinton was in office, the Democrat party looked the other way, and protected him on any and all things he did wrong.
Lying under oath in a Court of Law is a crime. Jail-able offense. so it is a minimum Class A Misdemeanor. In some cases it can be a felony.
Conservatives questioned Clinton.

Bush tried to appoint someone who was no where near qualified for the courts. Conservatives questioned him on it. Conservatives question a lot of his policies. Sometimes they look as bad as the democrat's when they question him.
Point is that just because a man is a Conservative, does not mean he gives a free pass to one of his same party. There are moral and legal absolutes.

Answer 4

Conservatives question authority when it is unjust. In other words, they question authority only when it leads to a good outcome.

Liberals question authority as a means of usurping legitimate authority. In other words, they ONLY question authority when it leads to an EVIL outcome.

They aren't even close to being the same thing.

This is a repeating pattern:

Conservative = good
Liberal = evil

How evil? Hundreds of millions of people being exterminated evil.

Answer 5

Generally yes. Conservatives are more likely to stand by their father figure for guidance,comfort, and security regardless of ones action.

Answer 6

yes. liberals booed hilary clinton at a speech last week becasue she said we should stay the course in iraq. when asked about the incident hilary says she has happy that our party has so many different views and opionions.

Answer 7

I don't understand why so many people find it necessary to label people and lump them all in the same nice, neat category. "Liberals." "Conservatives." "Christians." "Atheists."
No matter there's so much bigotry and hatred and fighting in the world!

Answer 8

We don't question the people we put in power; but if they do things other than why we voted for them; then they will not be put into power on the next election day.