USA - The dominance of the presidency in our system

Conservatism: A Look Ahead

by George W. Carey

Winston Elliott inquired whether I would like to update an article I wrote forModern Age in 2005, “The Future of Conservatism”. I have gladly accepted his invitation since it allows me to emphasize and expand upon certain of its central points that I believe deserve our close attention, as well as to express my views on an issue that seems to be of some interest to TICreaders, namely, the relationship between traditional conservatives and our major political parties. 

Turning to the article, I believe that my account of how the evolution of our party system and presidential supremacy are intertwined is essentially sound. Clearly, I find this development very dangerous. 

I should have pointed out that in this process presidential powers will always rachet up; that is, an incoming president will assume whatever advances in presidential power were made by his predecessor. 

In turn, an incumbent will strive to accrue new powers that can be passed on. 

We have seen this process take place in the first Obama administration. [See on this point Gene Healy’s recent e-book, False Idol: Barack Obama and the Continuing Cult of the Presidency. See also my extensive TIC review of Healy’s first work, The Cult of the Presidency, for an overview of the growth and powers of the modern presidency.]

The underlying concern in my essay related to the dominance of the presidency in our system today.

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Despite its thoroughly deplorable state, I have no doubt that the Republicans will enjoy electoral successes down the line, even recapturing the presidency. 

I hasten to add, however, that it will never again be home to traditionalists.

The odds are – and this brings me to the matter of our political culture which poses still another obstacle to reclaiming the Republican party – that it will indefinitely remain a party seriously wanting both morally and intellectually. (The same may be said of the Democrats.) 

Our political culture, best understood in Calhounian terms of gaining and retaining power and the enormous bounty associated with it in modern times, assures that the sensibilities of traditionalists will be trumped if they stand athwart the party’s primary goals.

What are these conservative sensibilities? 

An especially important one that immediately comes to mind -- one from which many of the most important principles that have served to bind traditional conservatives – arises from Burke’s understanding of society as a “partnership” between “those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.” 

This conception places a heavy responsibility, of course, on the living; they are not, inter alia, to ignore or squander their inherited capital, moral and otherwise, nor should they unnecessarily burden future generations. What seems evident is that despite their rhetoric, and save when it has coincided with their broader goals, neither party operates upon this Burkean understanding of society. Their very nature, as we have argued above, prevents them from doing so.

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