What Is Moderate Conservatism?
Moderate conservatism is a politically moderate version of conservatism that is less demanding than classical conservatism, and can be divided into several subtypes, such as liberal conservatism. Part of the Centrist family.
Definition
Moderate conservatism is a politically moderate version of conservatism that is less demanding than classical conservatism, and can be divided into several subtypes, such as liberal conservatism.
Definition quoted from Wikipedia: Moderate conservatism (text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; checked October 20, 2026).
Core ideas
- Gradual reform.
- Fiscal responsibility.
- Acceptance of a mixed economy.
Core ideas, origins and thinkers: Atlas summary.
Where Moderate Conservatism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 64 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 65 | toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 30 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 64 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 38 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 68 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 39 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 64 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 70 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 22 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 57 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 43 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 38 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 54 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Medical gender transition should not be available to minors. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| The government should cap prices for essential goods during normal economic conditions. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with One-Nation Conservatism, Moderate Conservatism sits 5 points further toward market on the economic dimension.
- Compared with Christian Democracy, Moderate Conservatism sits 9 points further toward progressive on the social dimension.
- Compared with Cultural Nationalism, Moderate Conservatism sits 22 points further toward cosmopolitan on the national identity dimension.
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Moderate Conservatism.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Moderate conservatism
- Wikipedia: Moderate Conservatism (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Conservatism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.