Questions to answer

1/ Give the type of document and its topic

This document is an opinion piece/op-ed written by a fellow journalist of the NYT (Nate
Hochemann is not a columnist of the NYT). The document deals with the evolution of the link
between religion and conservatism today. It aims to examine the place of the Christian
heritage and its religious role in the conservative platform.

2/ Give the difference between the traditional and the new right
The difference between the traditional and the new right lies upon the secularization of the
new right today, as shown with the surge of modern conservatism. Christian religion and
conservative politics are less and less intertwined today. The new right is not embracing
religious values as much as the traditional one. Religious conservatives are not the sleeping
giant in the Party anymore. The conservative platform has shifted from religious issues to
nationalist ones. The conservative agenda today has eclipsed the set of religious principles,
which were at the core of the traditional right before. Therefore, the new right broadens its
audience.

In some cases, the new right, embodied in modern conservatism, highlights that conservative
values are less and less grounded in religious beliefs, and conservatives seek to decrease the
role and legacy of religion in their platform. The goal of social conservatism is to make gains
among the less-religious groups, who are the sleeping giants of their audience.

3/ Explain the following sentences:

“it is a social conservatism rather than a religious one, revolving around race
relations, identity politics, immigration and the teaching of American history”

The evolution from religious to social conservatism creates a shift in the conservative
platform : the new conservatives do not apply the teachings of particular religions to politics
anymore. Instead of proclaiming the value of evangelistic teachings which aim at bringing
people together regardless of their race. Modern conservatism has largely ignored the
importance of some religious values such as same-sex marriage for example. It has embraced
new social theories such as monetarism, privatization and opposition to the dependency
culture, and is less and less dependant from religion.

Thus, this sentence underscores a change in tone in the conservative platform: the Republican
Party, that used to have an overtly religious rhetoric before, is embracing broader culture war
issues today. The goal is to create a partisan identity: social conservatism’s goal is to reach
« issue votes », rather than religious affiliation.
Therefore, if religious conservatism used to target the Evangelist Christians, the social
conservatives try to adjust to their non-religious audience and to people from other religions
like Catholic Latinos. The modern conservative slogans tend to also be dog-whistle for
nationalist and anti-migrant sentiment. The set of christian values are not the central pillar of
the conservative today. Their policies focus on partisanship : conservatism is less ideological,
and becomes more pragmatic. Therefore, conservatism appeals to xenophobic sentiments,
unlike religion.

“As of now, the new secular conservatives and the old religious right are bound
together in an uneasy partnership”

The audience of the GOP is split between two groups: those who are disaffiliated with religion
(the new young electoral basis, mostly atheist) and the Christian Evangelists who are deeply
bound to the traditionalist conservative ideology: the alliance is thus weakened. They are
allied as long as their fight shares common points. However as soon as either the religious or
the secular conservatives decide of something detrimental to the interest of the other one
then their alliance will break. The electoral audience of the GOP is shaken, tension between
the atheist and Christian evangelists in the conservative party. Consequently, there is a
growing polarization inside these two groups in the GOP.

4/ Draw a parallel between the content of the article and the latest mid-terms
election. Does the right have any future ? (100 words)

I can’t hope thinking that the halcyon days of conservatism are definitely gone today. The
results of the latest mid-terms election have shown that their hopes for the “red wave” were
shattered. The disappointing performance of the GOP in the midterms spurred some
conservatives to lash out at Donald Trump. Besides, the traditional background of the GOP
and Trump’s presidency have hit the party like a sledgehammer. Due to all these elements,
the conservative agenda is seen as rebarbative and too extreme today, as shown with the
running political ads in the midterms elections, pointing out there is too much partisanship in
the US.

(104 words)