What is often overlooked about conservative policies is their consistent pattern of resisting social progress while simultaneously implementing measures that protect and consolidate wealth for a select few.

While a key tenet of conservatism is a reverence for tradition and a cautious approach to change, this often serves as a political and intellectual shield for policies that maintain existing hierarchies and economic inequalities.

The Resistance to Social Progress 

The core of conservative resistance to social progress lies in a belief that established institutions, social norms, and traditions are a source of stability and order. Any radical change, in this view, risks destabilizing society and leading to chaos. This principle is applied to a range of social issues:

• Civil Rights and Racial Justice: Historically, conservative policies in the United States and elsewhere resisted the expansion of civil rights. Arguments were often framed in terms of states' rights and opposition to federal overreach, but the effect was to maintain racial segregation and inequality. While modern conservatism officially rejects racism, its policies, such as the opposition to affirmative action and voting rights legislation, are often criticized for creating barriers that disproportionately affect minority communities.

• LGBTQ+ Rights: The conservative opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, including same-sex marriage, has long been justified on the basis of "traditional family values." This argument, while rooted in religious and cultural beliefs, serves to resist a fundamental social change that challenges long-standing norms.

• Women's Rights: The resistance to the Equal Rights Amendment and the ongoing opposition to abortion rights are other examples. These policies are often framed as a defense of traditional gender roles and the sanctity of life, but they also serve to limit women's autonomy and social mobility.

While these positions are based on a sincere belief in traditional values, they effectively act as a political barrier to movements that seek to create a more inclusive and egalitarian society.

The Protection of Wealth and Privilege 

The resistance to social progress is often paired with a clear policy agenda that protects wealth and privilege. This is not a coincidence; the two are intertwined. By maintaining a social hierarchy, conservative policies help to preserve an economic one.

• Tax Policy: A hallmark of modern conservative policy is the advocacy for lower taxes, particularly on corporations and high-income earners. The argument is often that these tax cuts stimulate economic growth, a theory known as "trickle-down economics." However, decades of data suggest that these tax cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthy, leading to an increase in economic inequality. They also result in a decrease in government revenue, which can be used to justify cuts to social programs that benefit the poor and middle class.

• Deregulation: Conservative policies often favor the deregulation of industries, from finance to environmental protection. This is argued to free up businesses to innovate and create jobs. In practice, deregulation often leads to increased corporate profits at the expense of public goods, such as clean air and water, and worker protections. For example, the deregulation of the financial industry in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis allowed for risky behavior that led to a market collapse, while the bailouts that followed protected the wealth of financial institutions.

• Labor Policy: Conservatives have a long history of resisting policies that strengthen labor unions or raise the minimum wage. These policies, while seen as protecting workers, are often framed by conservatives as harmful to businesses and the free market. By weakening the power of labor, these policies help to suppress wages and ensure that a larger share of economic gains goes to corporate owners and shareholders. This maintains the economic hierarchy that is so central to conservative thought.

The Paradox of Populism and Elitism

A key paradox of modern conservatism is that it often presents itself as a populist movement, speaking for the "common person" against a "liberal elite." Yet, its core economic policies consistently benefit the wealthy and powerful. This is achieved through the use of wedge issues—social and cultural controversies that divide the working and middle classes along lines of race, religion, or gender. By focusing public attention on debates over issues like gun control, immigration, or school curriculum, conservative politicians can galvanize a large base of voters who might otherwise oppose their economic policies.

This strategy effectively serves as a distraction, allowing conservative leaders to enact policies that benefit their wealthy donors and allies while maintaining the support of a populist base that is more concerned with cultural issues. This dynamic highlights how the resistance to social progress is often a powerful tool for achieving the more fundamental goal of protecting economic power and privilege.

In conclusion, a deeper look at conservative policy reveals a consistent pattern. While it often frames its opposition to social change in terms of tradition and order, these positions are often paired with economic policies that directly benefit the wealthy and powerful. This dual strategy allows conservatism to resist movements that threaten existing social hierarchies while simultaneously consolidating wealth, creating a system where the "tradition" being protected is often a tradition of inequality and privilege.