> Isn't "small government" the definition of political conservatism? Not at all. Small government was a movement within US conservatism that gained a lot of mo

> Isn't "small government" the definition of political conservatism? Not at all. Small government was a movement within US conservatism that gained a lot of momentum in the second half of the twentieth century. Plenty of conservatives did and do have ideas that rely on some significant government apparatus or another, at some level or another. Even during the hey day of the “small government” era, Republicans were loudly in favor of expanding military and law enforcement programs, and many craved the reintroduction of censorship programs to protect kids from being exposed to naughty things. Conservatism is defined by reactionary conservation or restoration of traditional norms (per the specific conservatives’ vision) as set against any number of emerging alternatives. If it takes a government bureau to make that happen, history shows no reluctance to use one.