Many of Wyoming’s self-styled ‘conservatives’ are actually populists

“What does my elected representative really believe?” That is one question voters will ask repeatedly throughout their lifetimes. 

No doubt many Wyomingites just asked that question before voting on Aug. 20th. Political parties, of course, are organized around a group of people who share common political beliefs, but within parties there can be a wide variety of differing views. Wyoming’s GOP no longer holds a broad variation of beliefs within the party. Because Wyoming just elected a slew of brand-new lawmakers, I think a short diversion into political philosophy and the differences between real Republican conservatism and other forms of political ideology seems timely. 

First, let me say that many well-meaning current and newly elected lawmakers mistakenly believe they are conservatives, (given the term is so overused these days) but may not think or vote in a manner consistent with conservative principles. Instead, a close analysis of their rhetoric and voting record shows they are best described largely as populists with a mix of libertarianism thrown in.

Rightly understood, populism supports a brand of anti-elitism centered around a so-called agenda of “the people,” which is why you often hear terms like “we are the grassroots” used as rhetoric by the Freedom Caucus and state GOP. They are parroting populist sentiments. In populism, speaking for “the people” is more important as a talking point than a practical one. The kind of populism Wyoming’s GOP currently mimics is similar in fashion to the other populist movements that have come and gone in our nation’s history, a few bringing change that has lasted, most bringing change that has not.  

Edmund Burke (1729–1797), an Irish-born Englishman who served in the House of Commons, is considered the father of the modern conservative worldview. It’s a philosophical system centered on the superiority of cultural traditions established and refined over time. Burke’s conservatism values wisdom born from the past and understands how radical change destabilizes the present and future. Burke lived through the French Revolution, a time that brought with it waves of destabilizing change across Europe and countless mob murders in France, including a program of state-sponsored murders under the infamous guillotine. 

Burke’s understanding of conservatism is important to explore, as it stands in stark contrast to the populist whims that often drive GOP politics today.  

American conservative thinker Russell Kirk wrote in his seminal work, “The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot,” “For the conservative, custom, convention, constitution, and prescription are the sources of a tolerable civil social order. Men not being angels, a terrestrial paradise cannot be contrived by metaphysical enthusiasts, yet an earthly hell can be arranged readily enough by ideologues of one stamp or another.” 

Modern populism promotes a polarizing brand that places individuals into categories like the “common” people (the good guys) and the “corrupt elites” (the bad guys) to develop a politically useful “us-versus-them” divide. Populism almost always centers around a charismatic leader, as we see with Donald Trump on the right, but the recent Bernie Sanders movement in the United States is an examples of leftist populism.  

Populism also holds a strong emphasis on nationalism as well as a strong opposition to institutions. It promotes all of this by using a formula centered on a strong appeal to emotions. Anger, outrage, fear, frustration, jealousy and envy are all used to enlist supporters of a populist movement. 

Wyoming, like all states, has, a plethora of complex, difficult problems. And yet many supporters of the current populism accept the mantra that simplicity is the solution to challenging questions, when in reality these questions are impervious to simplicity.  

It’s why you will hear slogans like “forever wars” used to brush off complex foreign policy issues or you will see those who wish to rewrite history with simplistic new ideas. In Wyoming, you will see slogans like “eliminate property taxes” as a dangerously oversimplified solution to the myriad reasons why property taxes have risen in Wyoming. Simple solutions are a fatal flaw that has generally led to failed solutions. 

Russell Kirk continues in “The Conservative Mind,” “As Burke was to say four years later, the one principle to which the French Revolution, through all its transmigrations, consistently adhered was the idea of simplicity in political structure.”  Kirk later goes on, “Man being complex, his government cannot be simple.”

The problems with leading a movement that believes simple solutions are superior to all others and are adequate to the task of solving complex issues is evident. Its inevitable failures are the result of the perfect catch-22 inherent in its application. 

Conservatism rightly understood looks nothing like populism. As a matter of clarity, Burkean conservatism abhors all forms of ideology like populism, because historically they are always passing fads that bring only chaos, not an enduring philosophy that stands through the centuries to bring peace and prosperity. 

Conservatism finds the highest value in the traditions born of generational wisdom, a wisdom that understands the need for studious application to complex issues, not trite marketing slogans. It rejects abstract or faddish ideologies, like populism, that can bring with them momentary or long-term chaos and tyranny. It views our society as an almost living organism, a pact between past ancestors and today’s inheritors, where institutions are not to be distrusted but upheld (and reformed when needed), along with customs and hierarchies, where real peace is maintained through slow change, not violent upheaval.

Conservatism holds the view that government should be limited, not extinct, and that personal responsibility and high moral character are non-negotiable requisites in those who wish to lead. It respects the authority found in law, law enforcement and those found in the rights of private property owners. 

Burke was a political pragmatist, as all conservatives should be, and not a zealous perfectionist weaponizing political platforms to ruthlessly seek power. And opposite of what many accuse conservatives of being, he valued empathy and understood the need for flexibility in gradual change.  

And most importantly, Burke’s conservatism embraces an ordered liberty over the despotic rule of the mob or the tyranny of those who manipulate “the people.” Whereas populism’s emotional appeal cares little for holding or upholding a consistent set of principles and will, its zeal to pander to “the people” leads it to ignore or break long-standing traditions, laws and institutions to achieve its aims. Just as Burke saw in the French Revolution, those who wished to rule consistently played “the people” card to deadly effect. That is why checks and balances, like those our founders instituted, are so important. We are not a pure democracy for that reason. Let’s not forget France from 1780 to 1799 saw three constitutions written and replaced in quick succession. 

Wyoming citizens’ concerns over newly arrived neighbors criticizing the state and demanding immediate change is a confirmation of conservatism because it values a community’s established culture  and is rightly suspicious of those who arrive in a place only to demand immediate change. 

Understanding the real meaning of terms like “conservative” is important to the proper application of any political philosophy. In short, many of Wyoming’s recent “conservatives” are simply populists who’ve adopted the conservative moniker. As Kirk also wrote, “Language is the means by which we communicate our ideas and our faith in the continuity of the human experience. It connects us with the past and preserves the wisdom of the ages.”

So, for the voter who is asking, “what does my elected official believe?” after August’s election, they can find the answer by understanding the difference between modern populism and historical conservatism.