Classifying Viewpoints 17tive leadership. Conservatives believe that ruling is a special
skill which is learned by practice and example. While they don’t
subscribe to a fixed aristocracy, they do assert that the best rule
is the rule of the best. The importance of good government
requires that the good govern.
Law, to the conservative, is the result of centuries of imper
ceptible growth, not the work of one generation of constitution
makers, or court decisions based on some current trends. Law,
and the order that results from its enforcement, is necessary to
provide for the stability which allows government to carry out its
necessary functions. Conservatives generally support constitu
tionalism; limited government safeguards the people from the
abuses of the power-hungry, and safeguards the government
from the tyranny of the majority.
Liberals believe that government exists for the welfare of the
people. Basic liberal postulates about the state and the role of
government, are egalitarianism, the greatest good for the great
est number, democracy, and freedom. They see the state as a
servant to the common well-being, equalizing opportunity and
the benefits that the state provides. Democracy is the best means
to accomplish the goals of the state, since a majority decision, by
definition, provides the greatest good for the greatest number.
Freedom and free expression are the best means to effect the
reforms that the liberal sees as necessary. Participation in the
process, and the faith in democracy as the best means to achieve
the ideal state, are major liberal assumptions. Through participa
tion, freedom, and democracy, the liberal is eager to change any
rules, written or unwritten, to equalize opportunity for all. While
committed to change through existing institutions, in the final
analysis, if all else fails, the liberal would accept a revolution to
effect the required change.
ECONOMICS
The conservative views man as a competitive animal. The
government should not regulate the economy, but should not
allow a purely laissez-faire system either. The ideal would be a
system where free competition would be encouraged, but laws
would be in place to ensure justice. Due to man ’ s innate inequali