What does it mean to be a fiscal conservative?

Question

I need a good, yet easy to understand definition that I can use in a presentation about Rudy Giuliani..
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Answer 1

It supposed to mean that you don't spend what you don't have. Like you have more money coming in than you are spending.

Answer 2

Someone that is "fiscally conservative" is someone that claims it is inappropriate to spend tax payer money on social programs such as welfare. They also claim that they are going to take a hard line approach to wasteful government spending and balance the budget and get us out of debt. Most of the time this is a claim made by the Republican party (Mr. Giuliani's party). It sounds nice but is unrealistic. The war will prevent us from ever being fiscally conservative unless we leave. Something Mr. Giuliani has no desire to do.

Answer 3

Ron Paul is fiscally conservative, especially compared to Giuliani. His platform is to end the war immediatly, saving billions, and end most departmental agencies including the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA, and the IRS.

Any budget that creates an end of year deficit (not to be confused with debt) shouldn't be considered conservative. Any position involving continuing the war would create a deficit. We are borrowing billions of dollars a month from China to finance our war.

Answer 4

SIMPLY put? It's when you believe in balancing your budget every year before spending anything more the next.

"Jakedeez" up there got it exactly right. Ron paul is a fiscal conservative. Bill Clinton (surprisingly for a democrat) was fiscally conservative. The two bushes have not been fiscal conservatives.

Answer 5

Pragmatic and careful. Sort of like what your parents teach you as you grow up. Save your money. Be careful how you spend it and let it work for you.

This is a concept that seems to have escaped the leaders of our country. Republicans are supposed be fiscally conservative but the Bush administration has squandered more than any other administration in history.

The Democrats? They've never known the meaning of fiscal responsibility.

Answer 6

A fiscal conservative is one who believes in limiting government spending by providing only basic services and keeping taxes low. This used to be the province of the Republican Party until out current President was elected.

Answer 7

To be a fiscal conservative means that you do not believe in levels of deficit spending (selling bonds that require interest payments and principle repayment in the future) that are great enough to lead to a high probability of inflation, or that endanger your future ability to continue needed spending.

It may surprise many people on this board, but George W, and Regan were NOT fiscal conservatives... in fact the most recent, and most successful fiscal conservative was Clinton. This is exemplified by the budget surplus that was run under Clinton.

Answer 8

A fiscal conservative is careful about spending programs that cost a lot of cash. They are usually tight fist-ed with the governments money.

Answer 9

A fiscal conservative believes in borrow and spend. It is like the old buy now pay later plan the department stores used to offer on major appliences before the days of credit cards.

What a sweet deal. They get the benefit and their grand kids have to pay for it. That'll teach the little buggers.

Answer 10

It's something that's as extinct as the dodo bird. Rudy Giuliani and conservative can't be used in the same sentence.

Answer 11

Look over the last six years of Bush and the Republican congress - then think about the opposite of that.

That is a fiscal conservative.