What’s a Conservative, Anyway? | Words & Numbers | Ep 531

James and Hillsdale history professor Brad Birzer talk about what it means to be a conservative, and if there is actually much left to conserve.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Brad Birzer
00:44 Foolishness of the Week: James Makes a Six-Year-Old Mistake
03:54 What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative Today?
06:41 How MAGA Changed the Meaning of Conservatism
09:28 Why James Rejects Political Labels
12:28 Republicans, Libertarians, and the Conservative Tradition
15:06 Is Trumpism Really Conservatism?
19:20 How Political Discourse Lost Its Decency
22:37 Ronald Reagan and the Lost Art of Statesmanship
25:40 What Are Conservatives Actually Trying to Conserve?
27:59 Human Dignity, Compassion, and the Principles of Conservatism
31:01 The Importance of Community and Local Responsibility
33:29 Is America a Nation of Shared Principles or Shared Identity?
36:07 The American Founding and the Ideals Worth Preserving
41:03 Why America’s Founders Designed an Inefficient Government
43:21 Conservatism as the Politics of Restraint and Decency
45:01 Public Service, Political Power, and Humility
47:46 How Government Power Has Undermined Conservatism
50:10 Machiavelli, Political Power, and Moments of American Unity
53:01 Can American Conservatism Be Reborn?
53:53 Closing Thoughts: The Importance of Kindness

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