Conservatism Gina, Mio, Clara

What is a conservative? Traditional Conservative Focused on economics Favor tax cuts and resist all but the minimum antitrust, trade, and environmental regulations on corporations. Globalization, free markets, and limited government stimulate economic growth. Social Conservative Focused on morality and lifestyle Strong governmental action to enforce laws regarding social and moral values Conservative believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. They also believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.

Meet Matthew Philips… Middle- aged Family Man (wife & two kids) Businessman (Marketing) Republican Christian Traditional & Social Conservative

Prayer in Public Schools Prayer and religion should be mandatory in schools in order to strengthen the moral fiber of our children in school. It is perfectly appropriate for school officials, acting in authority given them by the government, to impose religious behavior on students.

Gun Control The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Individuals have the right to defend themselves.

Censorship Censorship should be prohibited, because it violates our freedom of speech.

Abortion Rights Abortion is murder and must be stopped at all costs.

Adoption Adoption is only unacceptable for same-sex couples.

Affirmative Action Individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process.

Animal Experimentation It is morally acceptable. The research being done directly benefits humans and even animals.

Production of Biological Weapons History shows that the United States is the global force for spreading freedom, prosperity, tolerance and peace. It is the duty of the U.S. to stop production of biological weapons in other countries.

Capital Punishment The death penalty is a punishment that fits the crime of murder. It is neither ‘cruel' nor ‘unusual.' Executing a murderer is the appropriate punishment for taking an innocent life.

Cloning It is morally and ethically wrong for the government to fund embryonic stem cell research. Human life begins at conception. The extraction of stem cells from an embryo requires its destruction. In other words, it requires that a human life be killed.

Drug Legalization Drugs are illegal because the drugs—even if only marijuana—will increase the harm already suffered by the drug-using larger numbers of people.

Euthanasia It is immoral and unethical to deliberately end the life of a terminally ill person. Legalizing euthanasia could lead to doctor-assisted suicides of non- critical patients.

Gambling

Global Warming

Homelessness

Homosexual Marriage

Immigration

Media Violence

Criticism of Conservatism Supports more government control only when it serves their needs, but opposes it when it serves somebody else’s needs Places too much faith in the market economy ▫ Collapse of savings and loans companies in 1980s ▫ Energy crisis in California in the early 2000s Lowering taxes causes an increase in deficit Does not acknowledge or endorse policies that deal with sexism and racism and weakens the enforcement of these laws through the executive branch and the courts ▫ Civil right laws in the 1960s ▫ Affirmative action