Conservatism - The State

• All believe that the state has a disciplinary function
• The state must be based on autonomy, order, security, and stability (inspired by Hobbes), essential for society; most conservatives support a paternalistic state with differences between hard and soft paternalism
• Conservatives prefer states that have evolved over ones created by a rational moment; argue that an uncodified constitution is better than a codified one
• The New Right calls for rolling back the state in terms of the economy and welfare but wants a strong state for law and order and social attitudes like anti-permissiveness; they are both liberal and authoritarian
• Hard authoritarians believe crime is caused by human nature and must be punished (Burke, Hobbes, and the Leviathan); one nation conservatives assert the state is a neutral agency with the primary role of preserving social order through welfare programs
• Soft authoritarians believe social factors can also cause crime and have a mixed view on the state's involvement in the economy (Oakeshott & pragmatism); they accepted the post-war Beveridge report between 1950 and 1979 and supported the NHS
• Conservatives started to see the value of a nation-state from the mid-19th century onwards, believing that one nation could embrace all social classes and a state could then be built to represent everyone
• In the UK and USA, the monarchy and the President are examples of institutions where the state and the nation are often mixed together
• People who respect unifying institutions like Parliament are less accepting of organizations that merge nations together, such as the EU
• Neo-liberalism advocates for the state to "roll back" and not interfere with the "invisible hand" of the market, believing in minimal state intervention
• Nozick stated that taxation is the best way to ensure order and stability
• Neo-conservatism believes that the state should legislate for morality, as seen in policies like Section 28 and being opposed to same-sex marriage
• Thatcher was concerned with both internal enemies like trade unions and external enemies like terrorist groups such as the IRA
• Conservatism views the state as playing a role in maintaining order to ensure that the law is followed
• Conservatism is organic, meaning it must evolve over time as society evolves, and is pragmatic, based on practical experience and open to change if needed
• Conservatism is also based on tradition, past wisdom, and practice, and is hierarchical and elitist, following a natural order either from birth or talent
• The New Right believes that the state should enforce moral standards, reflecting a belief in morality as a key aspect of governance