Political Ideologies in Action: American Conservatism

Course Description

Summary

Contemporary American conservatism has evolved considerably from its historical roots in the ideologies of classical conservatism and classical liberalism. How did we get from Edmund Burke to Steve Bannon? From the Federalists to the Freedom Caucus? To gain insight into these questions, this course will explore how the aforementioned ideologies have intersected with four distinct traditions within American conservative thought: (1) libertarianism; (2) neo-conservatism; (3) white supremacism; and (4) evangelical Christianity. Amid contentious midterm elections, analyzing the political logics of these ideological variants, and how they’ve converged and diverged in practice, will give us a better understanding of the political conjuncture in which we find ourselves.