This is the first in a series of articles on terminology by Richard Smith. The series is intended to provide a basis for discussion regarding Convention of States.
Constitutional Conservatism is a term that has become commonly used in the media. Let's explore its origin, and how it applies to the Convention of States.
The traditional stereotypical paradigm suggests that Republicans are conservative and believe in a smaller government, lower taxes, and a healthy economy. It also indicates that Democrats believe in a much broader form of government, higher taxes, and social programs funded by taxpayers to support such programs.
This has been the general belief system and how Americans have viewed the federal government for generations. This belief system made it easy to categorize political parties and their candidates based upon traditional beliefs. As time went on, this conventional paradigm became skewed.
The current landscape of politics in general, and the way the federal government conducts business, is not a representation of the traditional protocol as outlined by the framers of the Constitution. We now hear terms used on a regular basis such as RINO (Republican In Name Only).
The term RINO refers to a candidate who has campaigned on a traditional conservative platform. Once this candidate is elected to office, their voting record varies from their campaign platform, thereby not representing the will and beliefs of the people who chose this candidate to office.
This characteristic of elected officials, in general, has, unfortunately, become common in today's political culture. As the general population of the United States grew weary of how the federal government conducts their business, the people decided to act to make a positive impact.
The Tea Party originated in 2009. The Tea Party movement is an American conservative movement within the Republican Party. The Tea Party places its view of the Constitution at the center of its reform agenda. It urges the return of a government as intended by the Founding Fathers. The term Constitutional Conservatism came from the movement, and the public adopted it.
The name Constitutional Conservative is older than the Tea Party movement but was used more often as the Tea Party movement grew in popularity. Constitutional Conservatism requires a proper balance between principle and prudence. This means living up to one's ideology and living together in a democratic community in which all acknowledge the necessity of compromise.
In 2013 the conservative media first mentioned that Article V of the Constitution provides a resolution for states to respond to a federal government that no longer serve the voters who elected them. This article provision is called the Convention of States.
The Convention of States movement is a historical first in our nation’s long history. This movement illustrates how much of the general population embody the beliefs of the framers of the Constitution.
The Convention of States belongs to all the people from any party or political persuasion wanting a return of a government that truly represents the will of the people. With a 242 year history, this is not too much to ask from any elected official.
