"A conservative is disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change." This is taken from dictionary.com and it is a good starting point in our discussion of Conservatism. It is a simple but accurate definition. It goes to the core of what conservative is, three essences that define it: tradition, preservation, and change.

Tradition is the shoulders on which conservatism rests. Judeo--Christian values and the founding documents of the United States, i.e. The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, etc., are the primary traditions of Americans and therefore make up the American conservative tradition. One cannot be an American conservative without a belief in God, who created all men equal, and from whom the right to life, liberty, and property flow. Since our founding documents are based on belief in that God, they are incomprehensible without that faith.

A conservative seeks to preserve the traditions of his country and faith or restore the areas he identifies that go against his traditions. However, the conservative also realizes that not all traditions can or should be preserved. Many social scientists reserve the word tradition for those areas of culture that are maintained, but have lost their practical value, such as wearing wigs in the courtroom. That is not what is meant here. The types of traditions that a conservative is interested in preserving are those which promote cultural and educational renewal, and revive interest in the church, the family, the state and local community.

In the social sciences, tradition is often contrasted with modernity. To most conservatives, however, tradition is dynamic, and coexists successfully with modernity. The challenge is to limit change to just those areas that require it without compromising the important areas, of faith, family, and liberty. Ordered, principled change is considered by the conservative as part of modern life. The conservative rejects change for the sake of novelty.

You will notice that we have not discussed the hot button conservative issues such as abortion, same sex marriage, or family values, among many others. It is not that these issues are not part of conservatism but rather that they derive their importance from the foundational principles of tradition, preservation, and change. With this foundation laid we will move on to conservative issues in future articles.