I predict lots of heat and little light in the answers to follow...
Roughly, conservative is supposed to mean keeping the status quo or slow/slight change backward; liberal is supposed to mean slow change forwards.
Extreme versions would be "reactionary" and "revolutionary".
A conservative in the U.S. is usually someone who wants a very limited role for the government, and resists changes to traditional social roles and definitions (e.g., gay marriage).
A liberal in the U.S. is usually someone who wants an active role for the government, and pushes for changes in traditional social roles and definitions.
In the real world, the terms are thrown around in such a way that they have little true meaning. In the U.S., Republicans are supposed to be "conservative", and Democrats "liberal", but there is often little relation to standard definitions of the terms. Republicans may call any position they disagree with "liberal", and Democrats may call any position they disagree with "conservative".
2006-08-05 10:51:16
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answer #1
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answered by Zhimbo 4
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Zhimbo has a great answer. I'll expand on that.
Each of the major political parties focuses on different aspects of the Constitution as most important. In the Preamble to the Constitution, there are five goals (values) of the US government: "establish Justice, to ensure domestic Tranquility, to provide for the common Defense, to promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty"
Conservatives think the most important are "to ensure domestic Tranquility" (meaning to promote conformity with 'traditional' ways) and to "provide for the Common Defense". Most conservatives are Republicans, who (nowadays) want group rights (conformity with 'traditional' values) and a large government to ensure domestic tranquility (by enforcing those conservative majority beliefs). Moderate republicans (originally called fiscal conservatives) want a small government, just large enough to provide for the common Defense.
Liberals think it's more important to "promote the general Welfare, and ensure the blessings of Liberty". Most liberals are Democrats, who want individual rights and a large government to promote the general welfare. Moderate democrats don't want a lot of wasteful spending, and want to achieve their goals without causing too many problems. Democrats do have a Conservative wing, which focuses on better ethical leadership and greater protection for both groups and individuals. The main difference is that conservative democrats still don't believe in enforcing their views on the minority, even if their own personal choices would be the same as what conservative republicans would make.
The concept of promoting Justice is important to both camps, but their idea of justice differs. Most camps of the liberal parties believe ensuring Justice requires favoring defendants, preferring the guilty to go free rather than sending the innocent to prison. Republicans and conservatives believe the promoting Justice requires being harsh to those accused, even if that occasionally inflicts sentences on the innocent.
Interestingly, the spectrum is not linear, and has more than one dimension. There are other political parties who focus on different combinations of those values. For example, Libertarians want a small government (no wasteful spending) and very little Welfare (few if any entitlements), but strong on Defense. Libertarians also want lots of protection for individual civil rights, to secure the blessings of Liberty. They feel that Tranquility will take care of itself, and doesn’t need government enforcement of morality. As such, they are moderate about most issues, except for being adamant that the majority should not impose its beliefs on the minority, as part of their way to promote Justice.
So, it basically comes down to which sets of Constitutional values each group thinks are most important.
2006-08-05 11:44:46
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answer #2
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answered by coragryph 7
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Conservatives generally want small federal government and less taxation. They are usually for tough laws on crime and a strong military.
Liberals generally are for a large central government and more taxation. They are usually for more lenient punishments for criminals and a smaller military.
This is a very over simplified answer but I think it hits the main points.
2006-08-05 11:01:52
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answer #3
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answered by Ethan M 5
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Generally speaking...conservatives are Republicans, liberals are Democrats
2006-08-05 10:52:20
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answer #4
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answered by Audra 1
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They are conservatives that also have many liberal views or vice versa
2006-08-05 10:51:18
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answer #5
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answered by Matt 2
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Conservative liberalist are people who can't tell their right foot from their left foot.
2006-08-05 11:00:25
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answer #6
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answered by Overt Operative 6
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They are the same people with tiny differences in their outlooks. In practice, there is no difference.
2006-08-05 10:51:39
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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