Now, tariffs aren't currently in the conservative camp at all, in the sense that Republicans

do not support them. Republican's now are staunchly free-trade. Democrats are too for
the most part, although they are more likely not to oppose the idea of tariffs, or
protectionism, because protectionism supposedly helps American labor.If you think
tariffs are conservative, that's because they were originally bought forward during
America's industrial revolution of the 1870-90's, or the Guilded Age. Democrats, who
were at that time conservatives, supported tarriffs to help grow industry and shield us
from British trade mostly. Republicans, then more liberal, supported them "for revenue
only."
Wilson changed the Democrats to being more liberal. FDR made them downright
socialistic during the depression, but they stopped that after it was over.
Republicans were (by comparison) liberal under T. Roosevelt and Taft. After Wilson,
they swung to the right.

Okay, complex issues don't have to be one or the other. In an American concept of the
word, it was liberal because it was closer to socialism.
The 20's was the premiere of the lezie faire economics. That was when the Republican
party first took it's current form of social restriction and economic freedom.

Jon: We know it was the premire because they won the South more and more, which had
gone to the democrats.
11:19 PM Do you really have to speak in terms of conservative or liberal? Does the
assignment require that of you?
11:20 PM me: FDR is commonly thought of liberal and Hoover as conservative. to what
extent are the characteriazations of valid
iwas going to include haley smoot to support like he is conservative/libera
which ever side it fits.
Jon: Okay, let's first give you understanding of what these things mean.
11:21 PM The American concept of conservatism embodies the universial concept of
Market Liberalism. Market liberalism is the ideology, first adopted by Britain, that free
trade was the best thing ever.
So when you say conservative you are refering to someone who believe in the free
market, first and foremost.
11:22 PM The person who best embodies this spirit is Barry Goldwater. Do you know
about him?
best in America that is.
me: i think i heard about him
erm. so i willread this later.but back to my essay! lol
i have to go in like 10 min
Jon: He was the Republican candidate for President in 1964.
11:24 PM Now, for electorial neccesity, Republicans can't just endorse market liberalism
in its purest form. So, as they began in the 20's, they are also Social Conservatives,
meaning they use the state to forward a traditional culture. This give them a chance in
elections and is why Market Liberalism in America is called Conservatism.
11:25 PM Democrats on the other hand only believe in Market Liberalism to a point.
They hold that it is neccesary for the government to intervene in order to protect the poor
and help the working class.
11:26 PM They are not socialists but they believe in a mixed economy. And for
convienince they support social liberalism, hence the American term Liberal.
11:27 PM So a Liberal, in America, actually 9 times out of 10 does not believe in pure
market liberalism, although he also doesn't believe in socialism.
American conservatives would not support something which opposed free trade, so
tarriffs are not a Conservative policy.
me: oh yeah
11:28 PM Jon: Finally however, remember that American Liberals actually believe in the
free market more than they believe in socialism, so they wouldn't be likely to support
tariffs as a concept either. They might support it on a case-by-case basis.
Like if the auto industry needed help, it would be a comparitively liberal idea to tariff
incoming cars. But they haven't proposed this because America is a culturally Market
Liberal country and wouldn't believe in tariffs.
Quickly on the gold standard.
No one supports that right now either. It's an obsolete concept. You hear about it on the
internet because Ron Paul, a rouge by either party's standard, brings up this idea of a
federal government which focuses on classical monetary (or banking/currency) policy. If
the gold standard were adopted it would mean less inflation. But inflation hasn't been a
problem for over twenty-five years so no one is calling for that. If anything it would be a
Liberal policy, but Democrats don't mention it.
The gold standard is just obsolete because it would actually lead to deflation.