Definition

Compassionate conservatism is a political philosophy that was invented by Marvin Olasky, who went on to memorialize it in his 2000 book Compassionate Conservatism: What it is, What it Does, and How it Can Transform America, and Myron Magnet of the Manhattan Institute. Olasky has been called the "godfather of compassionate conservatism". The phrase was ironicly popularized when George W. Bush adopted it as one of his key slogans during his 2000 presidential campaign against Al Gore because he has proved to be neither. Marvin Olasky Marvin Olasky (born June 12, 1950) is a professor of journalism at the University of Texas, a leading conservative pundit, and the editor-in-chief of World magazine. ... The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is an influential conservative think tank based in New York, and established in 1978. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, now the incumbent President of the United States, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ...

According to its proponents, a compassionate conservative is someone who believes that conservatism and compassion go together and complement each other. This is opposed to the traditional criticism that conservatives tend to be more strict and calculating. A compassionate conservative sees the social problems of the United States, such as healthcare, immigration, the environment, etc., as being issues that conservatives can find solutions to better than what compassionate conservatives consider to be the failed programs of liberals and the War on Poverty. Compassionate conservative philosophy argues for the restigmatizing of illegitimacy to encourage two-parent families; welfare reform including workfare; active policing; standards-based schools, and helping poor countries around the world. As U.S. president George W. Bush puts it, "It is compassionate to actively help our citizens in need. It is conservative to insist on accountability and results."[1] The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Compassion (in Pali: Karuna) is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering; to show special kindness to those who suffer. ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... New liberalism (also called modern liberalism or American liberalism) is a political philosophy that argues for the idea that society has the responsibility of guaranteeing equal opportunities for each of its citizens. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ... Welfare reform is the name for a political movement in countries with a state-administered social welfare system to institute changes in that system, generally in a more conservative direction. ... Workfare is an alternative model to conventional Social Welfare systems. ... Signing ceremony at Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio. ...

Conservatives argue that compassion has always been in their vocabulary. They say that the principles of conservatism lead to a more prosperous and stable society that is inherently compassionate towards others, in which local communities help their own in a neighborly fashion, rather than depend on national efforts with less community based understanding of issues. They argue that they aim for a society that helps others to help themselves, thereby avoiding reliance on the government for their needs. Also, some people, especially more fundamentalist conservatives, see compassionate conservatism as just another word for a moderate, regardless of whether they are a Democrat, Republican or a member of a third party. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... In the context of the United States political system, a third party is any political party organized in at least some states, other than the two current leading parties, which since the time of the American Civil War have always been the Democratic and the Republican parties. ...

Opponents claim that compassionate conservatism is a meaningless phrase, an oxymoron, and an example of hypocrisy intended to confuse voters and simultaneously appeal to the middle and right of the political spectrum. Critics of the term contend that it is nothing more that a repackaging of the conservativism of Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution, a conservativism that includes cutting programs for the poor and infirm, rolling back environmental legislation, and undermining the funding for integral institutions such as public schools. An oxymoron (plural oxymora or oxymorons) (noun) is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms (e. ... Look up Hypocrisy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have morals or virtues that one does not truly possess or practice. ... Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich, Ph. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with U.S. House election, 1994. ...

Additionally, opponents of the term point out that describing Bush as compassionate in light of his avid support of the death penalty, the hundred thousand Iraqi citizens killed by the United States' invasion of Iraq [2], efforts toward militarizing space, et cetera, would appear to contradict his self-labelling as "compassionate." Moreover, such opponents argue that conservatives are not compassionate towards the poor, minorities, the unemployed, etc. Conservatives, however, contend that their policies are better for these groups in the long run by creating superior opportunities through growth. In the words of Magnet, Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ...

[Compassionate conservatives] offer a new way of thinking about the poor. They know that telling the poor that they are mere passive victims, whether of racism or of vast economic forces, is not only false but also destructive, paralyzing the poor with thoughts of their own helplessness and inadequacy. The poor need the larger society's moral support; they need to hear the message of personal responsibility and self-reliance, the optimistic assurance that if they try —as they must —they will make it. They need to know, too, that they can't blame "the system" for their own wrongdoing.

Critics further charge that conservatives have historically been indifferent to the concerns of those not in the mainstream culture (see AIDS, mental illness, same-sex marriage). In fact, some charge that conservative actively stigmatize these groups (see Culture Wars). Many argue that locally-driven "compassion" creates a potential for unequal treatment of similar problems and for local biases to take precedence over general standards. Some argue that the use of charitable religious groups administering social programs violates the principle of separation of church and state; courts, however, generally recognize that the First Amendment permits religious organizations to be neutral beneficiaries of government programs. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (or acronym AIDS or Aids), is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... A mental illness is defined by the medical profession as a disorder of the brain that results in a disruption in a persons thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others and to work. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are legally of the same characteristic sex. ... The term culture war has been used to describe ideologically-driven and often strident confrontations typical of American public culture and politics since at least the 1980s. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ...

Olasky and Magnet were not the first to use the term "compassionate conservative," but they were the first to popularize it and Bush was the one to associate it with a concrete (though unsupported) domestic policy agenda.

1980s uses of the term

In 1984 Representative James R. Jones of Oklahoma (a Democrat) told the New York Times (8 November 1984):

I think we should adopt the slogan of compassionate conservatism...We can be fiscally conservative without losing our commitment to the needy and we must redirect our policy in that direction.

Earlier the same year Republican Ray Shamie proclaimed that "I believe in a visionary and compassionate conservatism" (Christian Science Monitor, 20 September 1984, p 19).

In 1981, Vernon Jordan of the National Urban League said, of the Reagan administration, ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

I do not challenge the conservatism of this Administration. I do challenge its failure to exhibit a compassionate conservatism that adapts itself to the realities of a society ridden by class and race distinction. (New York Times, 23 July 1981, p 17)

External links

• White House fact sheet
• Wall Street Journal - What is compassionate conservatism?
• "Where's the Compassion?"
• Salon.com "Compassionate Conservatives" - Article about the Bush's Missappropriation of "the Culture of Life"