Why is it there is no person that is a 'social conservative and fiscal liberal'?

Question

But there are certainly self-professed 'social liberals while being fiscal conservatives'.

Answer 1

The social conservative is reluctant to spend public money on social issues. The fiscal liberal is ready to spend public money on nearly anything, including social issues. The two stances are mutually exclusive.



And then there are the social liberals/fiscal conservatives that want social issues addressed but just don't want to pay for it. After all, the public purse is everybody's pocket.

Answer 2

The question has more to do with human behavior than anything. If a person is conservative it is a reflection of that person acting how they honestly feel. The person who acts liberally in a social medium who does not feel 100% comfortable with that ideology will act more prudently or conservatively with what matters most to them. Therefor I am saying that people act in their own self interests, and a fiscally liberal platform is never a wise platform. Example no one wants to be taxed more unless they are not affected in any way shape or form by the tax structure where they live.

Answer 3

That's a very interesting question.



My first instinct was that perhaps the 2 ideologies are mutually exclusive, i.e. that some aspect of social conservativism is contrary with the economic ideas of liberalism; however, after looking both up on good ol' wikipedia, I found this to not be the case.



However, my idea is this: fiscal liberalism emphasizes freedom of trade. Increasingly, this means participation in the rapidly changing global economy, and the inevitable loss of domestic jobs to foreign competition. Social conservatism emphasizes "traditional values", and as such it is fundamentally opposed to this kind of rapid change.



This might explain why there aren't many "socially conservative fiscal liberals".



Or I could be wrong. God, I need to get off here and back to work, haha.

Answer 4

Perhaps I fit into that category. I'm socially conservative or at least more personally conservative than most conservatives (I've never tried drugs like Newt did, I've never cheated on my wife like Bob Livingston, and I'm about to celebrate my twelfth anniverasary to the only woman I've ever married, unlike Rush who's divorced thrice). I think most people would be much happier if they would keep their passions in check and try to live a moderated life which includes staying within the law and keeping promises both to God and the person you said you loved enough to marry.



On the other hand, I definitely feel that liberalism and its programs have helped me tremendously. I finished college with a guaranteed student loan (yes, I did pay off every penny of it, so the Union Trust Bank made a little money and the taxpayers didn't lose anything), I was able to purchase my first home with a FHA loan, and I have always been in favor of public assistance so poor children can be healthy. These programs have helped make me a better citizen, a better employee, a better neighbor, and a better husband.



I do not mind people who disagree with me on liberalism, but I do mind people who have taken advantage of liberal programs when they needed them, only to oppose those same programs now that they have helped them to succeed (Rush wrote in THE WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE that he had been assisted by welfare and public health when he was unemployed in St Louis, and Clarence Thomas has admitted that he was assisted in getting into a better law school).

Answer 5

Sure there are.. on the far end, Hitler and Stalin, and extremist mormons who believe in the welfare state. Of course, there are many people who are much much more moderate than this -- but most people probably pin them as merely "conservative" since social views are the first things people see and the easiest thing people understand. Social liber/fiscal conservatism is just a more popular phrase we are most sick of being labeled just conservative or liberal.



i was going to post the political compass site, but someone already did... it has some good examples. who knows, you might even find yourself in that quadrant

Answer 6

There are, although that does seem to be an odd position in politics today.



I think in the "ruling class" it is probably a rare position- you have a few like Gene Taylor(a Mississippi Democrat who is Pro-Life but who opposes tax cuts for the rich and corporate tax breaks) and Chris Smith (a New Jersey Republican who is Pro-Life, but who usually gets union endorsements).



I think in the working class, it is a common position- If you've ever been to a working class bar, you see people who are obviously union workers, but who probably are traditional when it comes to things like abortion, gay rights, etc.

Answer 7

There called RINO's ie Arlen Spector and John McCaine.

Answer 8

what are Bush and Regan they try to limit your social freedoms and spent like no other administrations. they both ran up huge deficits

Answer 9

I think you might find this site interesting:

http://www.politicalcompass.org