What are the aims of social conservatives, and to what extent have they been achieved? (January 2013)

Social Conservatism ideology is very prevalent in the USA, especially amongst conservatives and Republicans. Social Conservatism is based around the upholding of traditional values and, in politics, social policies. Social Conservatism in the USA is usually entangled with Christianity, with many Evangelical and other Christians being strongly socially conservative. This manifests itself within politics in positions such as Pro-Life opposition of Roe V. Wade. Social Conservatives tend to strongly support the concept of the traditional, nuclear family. These traditional family values were an intrinsic part of the ideology pushed by Ronald Reagan in the 1980’s, alongside neoliberalism. The nuclear family, containing husband, wife and two children has been the cornerstone of many of the social policies endorsed by social conservatives today. One very obvious example to this is the socially conservative position of opposing gay marriage & LGBT rights on a larger scale. Social conservatives believe that marriage is between a man and a women only, and that gay marriage is at best unlawful and at worst abhorrent. This can be seen by the response to the Supreme Court ruling in 2013 that gay marriage is legal across the United States by Republican leaders. During the 2016 primaries, many of them opposed the ruling and stated that they would choose Supreme Court nominees who would oppose or even reverse the change. It is clear that on Gay Marriage, social conservatives have failed and both law and public opinion are shifting firmly towards the liberal position.Social Conservatives also look towards the nuclear family to oppose abortion. The opposition to abortion has been the largest difference between social conservatives, liberals and moderates for the past 50-60 years and at one point, was the deciding factor splitting social conservatives more towards the Republican Party and social liberals towards the Democrats. Social Conservatives believe that abortion is wrong and are seen as “pro-life”, supporting the rights of the child over that of the mother. Of course, it is not only the idea of the nuclear family and the desire for families to have children that brings this position. Many social conservatives see abortion as murder, and believe that both religiously and morally they should oppose it. Many social conservatives oppose Roe vs Wade – Donald Trump has pledged to appoint a Supreme Court nominee who would oppose and consider overturning the landmark Supreme Court case. They seem likely to shift progress into their direction here under Donald Trump, who is likely to support defunding Planned Parenthood.Social Conservatives also support other social positions that are in accordance with traditional values and family structures. They generally oppose the introduction of assisted suicide for terminally ill or disabled people. However, in the case Oregon vs Gonzales they were unable to shut down the state law. They also tend to support the “War on Drugs”, believing that these drugs should be kept illegal. However, an increasing amount of states are legalizing cannabis in the USA and public opinion is rapidly pushing towards support for this on a federal level. Some social conservatives are even beginning to flex on this position, with Jeb Bush openly stating his previous use of cannabis and expressing his complete indifference on the issue during the 2016 primary season. Finally, social conservatives believe that appointing a conservative Supreme Court is a key part of their agenda. This is because on many of the issues that they care about substantially, such as abortion and LGBT rights, are regularly settled not in Congress but in the Supreme Court. Having a conservative leaning court makes it easier for their agenda to be settled through judicial review. For example, a more conservative court in 2012 may have ruled against gay marriage. The nature of their success on this topic is difficult to outline, as their success rises and falls whenever a change of presidential party occurs. However, as of 2016 the court seems likely to become more conservative with Donald Trump as President. The Republicans in the Senate successfully obstructed the appointment of Garland under Obama and now seem likely to appoint Gorsuch, a very conservative judge, to the Court.In conclusion, social conservatives aim to preserve the traditional family values and social policy in the USA. Whilst they do often succeed in this, the USA is becoming more and more socially liberal and with this, social conservatives are finding that they are seeing more and more policies shift towards a more liberal standpoint. Trump supporters tend to be more worried about economic issues – even cheering Trump stating his support for LGBT rights during the National Convention in 2016. The evidence tends to point towards a decline in social conservatism.