Western conservatism

Western conservatism is a political orientation^[1] prevalent in the Western United States that some might otherwise call libertarian conservatism, Jeffersonian conservatism, or in some circles classical liberalism, typified by politicians like Barry Goldwater,^[2]^[3] Ronald Reagan,^[3] Ron and Rand Paul^[2]^[3] and Rick Perry.^[4] It has been described as a soft-libertarian ideology that focuses on economic rather than social issues, one which strongly embraces individual freedom and opposes an expanded role for government.^[3]

Differences with other ideologies

Western conservatives differ from purist libertarians in that most tend to oppose legal abortion believing government bans on the medical procedure to be more of a state and not federal issue; foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan ought be driven by a clearly defined mission and exit strategy; and immediate legalization or decriminalization of drugs is not a practical near-term solution.^{[citation needed]}

On the other hand, Western conservatives differ from neoconservatives in that they tend to believe there should be a natural or practical separation of church and state, military presence throughout the world should be significantly less than it is now and that a premium placed on privacy trumps most any rationale behind the USA PATRIOT Act or Real ID Act.^{[citation needed]}