Map My Politics

NEOCONSERVATISM – The Democratic Imperialist Ideology

Neoconservatism is one of the seven semi-mainstream political ideologies on the Map My Politics ideology chart, occupying the area above the conservative zone and to the right of the populist zone. Neoconservatism is unique among the ideologies on the chart because “neocons” are identified by a belief in the use of military action to promote democratic principles as much as by their (relative) fidelity to economic freedom.

Let’s first begin with that x-axis of economic freedom, however. In terms of the traditional left-right spectrum, there is no doubt that neoconservatives embrace the free enterprise system just as typical conservatives do. To be clear, they do not favor completely unrestricted, laissez-faire capitalism in the manner of neoliberals, their ideological neighbors to the right. But neoconservatives typically advocate for less government participation in economic matters than centrists and populists, and certainly less than liberals. This usually results in a more restrained approach to financial regulation, taxation and spending. In short, like true conservatives, neocons are fundamentally “pro-business.”

It’s on the y-axis of personal liberty, however, where neoconservatism can be distinguished from standard conservatism. For the most part, neoconservatives adhere to the principles of classical liberalism that call for freedom of speech, press, religion – just like all of the core ideologies on the Map My Politics chart. But neoconservatives are willing to spend more and limit certain civil liberties when national security is at stake, so they support a strong defense – and even an interventionist foreign policy – to promote the ideals of democracy and capitalism. Accordingly, neoconservatives are ultimately defined not so much by their adherence to freedom – that’s almost a given – but by their willingness to sacrifice certain personal and economic freedoms in order to secure what they perceive as a liberty-based way of life.

Neoconservatism is a modern ideology, arising in the United States in the later part of the twentieth century as a reaction to political isolationism and the rise of Soviet communism. As such, neoconservative foreign policy is a true descendent of Wilsonian idealism, the belief that America and its Western ideological allies should make the world “safe for democracy.” After the fall of the Iron Curtain, neoconservatism shifted its focus to other perceived threats to democracy, such as Islamic jihadism and militaristic dictatorships in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Because the United States is – for the most part – a two-party system, neoconservatives are typically associated with the party of conservatism: the GOP. But not exclusively so, as the parties have evolved over time and because military “hawkishness” transcends party affiliation. For instance, the late Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson of Washington was a Democrat who actively supported his party’s economic and civil rights reforms of the 1960s. But he was known as a Cold War liberal who advocated for a neoconservative foreign policy. Given that Cold War context, some even consider a John F. Kennedy, a Democratic president, as an ideological neoconservative for his strongly anti-communist foreign policy that included invading and blockading Cuba and escalating America’s military presence in Vietnam.

There is no question, however, that in more recent times American neoconservatives are usually found in the Republican Party. Among the ranks of neoconservative GOP political figures are Dick Cheney, John Bolton, John McCain and Jeane Kirkpatrick (who switched from Democrat to Republican in 1985). And significant American neoconservative writers have included Bill Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Charles Krauthammer and David Frum.

For further reading about the neoconservative ideology, click here.

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