Conservative vs Progressive

Conservative vs Progressive. Let's define them so we can see how they play out in relation to real issues we face. In this video Genevieve Wood of the Heritage Foundation explains simply and clearly the difference between these two completely approaches to life. The distinction is fairly simple:

Conservatives believe in individual responsibility. They ask "What can I do for myself, my family, my community, and my fellow citizens?" Progressives ask "What is unfair? What am I owed? What has offended me today? And what can my country do for me?"

Conservatives advance the ethic of achievement. Progressives advance the ethic of aggrievement.

While progressives like different ethnicities and gender identities, they do not like differing opinions. While they love the word "choice," they do not want it applied in the areas of education and healthcare, and religious faith. Conservatives believe parents should have the right to choose their children's school according to what suits the child best. Conservatives believe different people have different healthcare needs and preferences and should not be subjected to a "one size fits all" approach. Conservatives do not believe they should be forced to celebrate other people's choices if it violates their religious beliefs.

The approach to governance is also contrasted. Conservatives believe "We the people" means Federalism: the idea that states and local governments can decide what is best, as the people vote. Progressives believe that if the people pass laws they don't agree with, they can overturn these laws by Judicial decisions, executive orders, or Federal regulations that place the leverage of power in the hands of government bureaucrats in Washington.