Neoconservatism

Neoconservatism is a right-wing branch of American liberalism that includes endorsement of political individualism and a qualified endorsement of free markets. It has also been described as a variant of conservatism which advocates the assertive promotion of democracy and United States national interest in international affairs including by military means.Yet from the 1930s to the early 1950s, conservatives were strong non-interventionists and the Old Right committed to the concept of anti-imperialism. Neoconservatism (or new conservatism) began with a group of former liberals, who during the late 1960s began to endorse nationalism and interventionism in opposition to the USSR. The term "neoconservative" (sometimes shortened to "neocon") was used initially during the 1930s, to describe American liberals who criticized communists. Neoconservatives have been especially influential in the formulation of foreign and military policy, particularly in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush . In the George W. Bush administration, neoconservative officials of the Departments of Defense and State helped to plan and promote the Iraq War.