Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
Recent political developments have rekindled longstanding debates over "fusionism," the combination of libertarianism and conservative traditionalism that dominated the American right from roughly the late 1970s through the early years of this century.
asserted
that → rekindle → century
That dominance has been severely undermined and likely overthrown by the rise of nationalism and "postliberalism."
asserted
dominance → undermine → nationalism
But some would like to revive it.
asserted
some → like → it
Reason editor Stephanie Slade's important new book Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right outlines one notable case for such a revival.
asserted
book → outline → revival
I agree with Slade, Jonathan Adler, and others that fusionism is far preferable to nationalism and postliberalism.
asserted
fusionism → agree → nationalism
In addition, fusionism has significant conceptual flaws.
asserted
fusionism → have → flaws
Despite my relative skepticism about a revival, I readily acknowledge fusionism's significant past achievements, and ongoing superiority over various other tendencies on the conservative right.
asserted
I → acknowledge → right
Between the 1970s and the early 2000s, fusionist conservatives and libertarians (sometimes with the help of moderate/"neoliberal" Democrats) made huge contributions to such achievements as deregulation of many sectors of the economy, reducing tax rates, reinvigorating constitutional protection for property rights and limits on federal government power, and the West's triumph in the Cold War.
asserted
conservatives → make → War
While early fusionists sometimes undervalued the Civil Rights movement and were soft on racism, over time most of them came to promote color-blindness and and abjuring racial and ethnic discrimination in government policy.
asserted
most → undervalue → policy
They even, for a long time, succeeded in making racial and ethnic color-blindness the dominant approach to such issues in the conservative movement.
asserted
blindness → succeed → movement
William F. Buckley and other fusionists also worked to purge the political right of its longstanding tendencies towards anti-Semitism.
asserted
Buckley → work → Semitism
But, especially over the last decade, fusionism has been displaced by nationalism as the dominant ideology of the Republican Party and the conservative movement.
asserted
fusionism → displace → Party
Where fusionism sought to reconcile traditionalism and liberty, nationalism is a grave menace to liberty across a wide range of issues.
asserted
nationalism → seek → issues
Consider Donald Trump's massive tariffs, federal takeovers of numerous private corporations, attempts to use the FCC and other government agencies to undermine free speech, and policy of mass deportations (which threatens the civil liberties and economic future of native-born citizens as well as immigrants).
asserted
which → consider → citizens
Instead of color-blindness and nondiscrimination, we now have a conservative movement increasingly permeated with racial and ethnic bigotry and anti-Semitism of the kind fusionists sought to purge.
asserted
fusionists → have → kind
Prominent right-wing "influencers" go so far as to claim we need to bar Indian immigrants because they work too hard and undermine the objectives of "homogeneity" and "maintain[ing] a white majority in the country."
uncertain
they → go → country
Many congressional Republicans also promote religious discrimination in immigration and other policies.
asserted
Republicans → promote → immigration
In foreign policy, Trump has undermined relations with liberal democratic allies like Canada, Australia, and the nations of the European Union, and kowtowed towards illiberal nationalist authoritarians like Vladimir Putin.
asserted
Trump → undermine → Putin
Trump's idiosyncratic personal predilections contribute to some of these developments.
asserted
predilections → contribute → developments
But most arise from inherent tendencies of nationalism, which gravitates towards a zero-sum view of the world that leads to expanded government control of the economy, repression of racial and ethnic minorities, undermining civil liberties, and authoritarianism.
asserted
that → arise → liberties
The "postliberalism" advocated by many leading right-wing intellectuals and activists is just as bad.
asserted
postliberalism → advocate → intellectuals
Postliberals like Adrian Vermeule and Patrick Deneen are very clear about their desire to massively expand government control over the economy and civil society, and destroy both economic and personal liberties.
asserted
Postliberals → expand → liberties
Unlike nationalism, postliberalism has little mass public support.
asserted
postliberalism → have → support
But it does have considerable influence among the intellectuals and activists who may staff future Republican administrations and congressional offices.
uncertain
who → have → administrations
Illiberal big-government nationalism holds a strong sway over the Republican base.
asserted
nationalism → hold → base
The 2024 election dramatically illustrates that.
asserted
election → illustrate → that
In the 2024 GOP presidential primary, Trump was challenged by Nikki Haley (a prominent advocate of traditional fusionism) and Ron DeSantis (popular governor of a major red state who tried to, in effect, split the difference between MAGA nationalism and pre-2016 conservatism).
asserted
who → challenge → nationalism
And, yet, despite the events of January 6, 2021 and numerous other scandals, Trump not only beat these opponents, but did so very easily.
asserted
Trump → beat → opponents
While that was partly due to his particular type of charisma, it also highlights the influence of illiberal nationalism over the GOP.
asserted
it → highlight → GOP
Even now, with Trump increasingly unpopular, most congressional Republicans shy away from challenging his worst policies, for fear of losing to MAGA types in GOP primaries.
asserted
Republicans → shy → primaries
Many of those who are willing to challenge him on major issues have either been ousted in GOP primaries (like Rep. Thomas Massie), or chose not to run for reelection because of the likelihood of suffering that fate (e.g. - Rep. Don Bacon).
asserted
who → challenge → fate
Facing a difficult political environment in the 2026 midterm elections, some congressional Republicans have become more willing to criticize a few of Trump's policies, such as the badly mismanaged Iran War.
asserted
Republicans → face → War
But very few have repudiated his big-government nationalism across the board or called for a return to fusionism.
asserted
few → repudiate → fusionism
Perhaps this will all change once Trump leaves the scene.
asserted
Trump → change → scene
But we shouldn't count on it.
asserted
we → count → it
At this point, the major likely contenders for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination - Vice-President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio - seem like they are vying for the mantle of inheritors of Trump's worst tendencies, not opponents of them.
asserted
they → seem → them
Even if fusionists do manage to regain control of the Republican Party and the conservative movement, the ideology's inherent limitations might undermine its value.
uncertain
limitations → manage → value
Frank Meyer, a key founder of fusionism in the 1950s and 60s, famously argued that liberty and virtue are mutually reinforcing because liberty is what enables people to be truly virtuous.
asserted
what → argue → people
A person who only does the right thing because he is forced to by the state isn't truly virtuous at all.
asserted
he → do → state
Think, for example, of a man who only refrains from violence and theft for fear of going to prison.
asserted
who → think → prison
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
