What Is Libertarian Conservatism?
Libertarian conservatism, also referred to as conservative libertarianism and, more rarely, conservatarianism, is a libertarian political and social philosophy that combines conservatism and libertarianism,… Part of the Conservative family.
Definition
Libertarian conservatism, also referred to as conservative libertarianism and, more rarely, conservatarianism, is a libertarian political and social philosophy that combines conservatism and libertarianism, representing the libertarian wing of conservatism and vice versa.
Definition quoted from Wikipedia: Libertarian conservatism (text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; checked October 20, 2026).
Core ideas
- Limited government and free markets.
- Constitutional originalism.
- Conservative social values held privately rather than imposed by the state.
Origins
United States, mid-20th century (“fusionism”).
Associated thinkers and leaders
Frank Meyer, Barry Goldwater
Core ideas, origins and thinkers: Atlas summary.
Where Libertarian Conservatism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 93 | strongly toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 75 | toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 20 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 78 | toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 12 | strongly toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 94 | strongly toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 22 | toward civil liberty |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 78 | toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 84 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 19 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 68 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 9 | strongly toward free market |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 12 | strongly toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 56 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Reducing the gap between rich and poor should be a major government goal. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Traditional family structures should receive special recognition in public policy. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Conservative Liberalism, Libertarian Conservatism sits 25 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Traditional Conservatism, Libertarian Conservatism sits 22 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Fiscal Conservatism, Libertarian Conservatism sits 31 points further toward nationalist on the national identity dimension.
Comparisons
Social Conservatism vs Libertarian Conservatism
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Libertarian Conservatism.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Libertarian conservatism
- Wikipedia: Libertarian Conservatism (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Libertarianism
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Conservatism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.