CONSERVATISM IN CRISIS?: ANGLO-AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY AFTER THE COLD WAR

"Conservatism in Crisis? examines the distinctive features of British and American conservative writings on government and society in the post-Cold War era. These features include attempts to replace the Cold War with a Culture War to defend traditional moral values and efforts to promote a vision of global free-market capitalism. However, in spite of the victories of conservatives over their socialist opponents, this has not led to the uncontested dominance of their ideas. Even with capitalism no longer facing fundamental challenge, conservatives face an array of opponents from multiculturalists to environmentalists. In fact, conservatives are often more uncertain and defensive about their own beliefs than is recognized, while divisions within conservative ranks have been exacerbated by the loss of a unifying sense of purpose. By looking at the many challenges faced by modern conservatives, Bruce Pilbeam considers the possibility that conservatism is exhausted as an ideology of contemporary relevance."--Jacket.