American conservatism is a broad system of political beliefs in the United States characterized by respect for American traditions, republicanism, support for Judeo-Christian values, moral absolutism, free markets and free trade, anti-communism, individualism, advocacy of American exceptionalism, and a defense of Western culture from the threats, whether real or perceived, posed by anarchism, communism, socialism, Islamism, liberalism, progressivism, authoritarianism, and moral relativism. The recent movement is based in the Republican Party, though some Democrats were also important figures early in the movement's history.Merle Black, "The transformation of the southern Democratic Party." Journal of Politics 66.4 (2004): 1001–1017.

The following list is made up of prominent American conservatives from the public and private sectors. The list also includes political parties, organizations and media outlets which have made a notable impact on conservatism in the United States. Entries on the list must have achieved notability after 1932, the beginning of the Fifth Party System. Before 1932, terminology was different. Positions that are called conservative after 1932, were typically called "liberal" (i.e. classical liberal) before then. Likewise European liberals, such as Friedrich Hayek, were called conservatives when they came to America, which puzzled Hayek.Hayek, "Why I am Not a Conservative" online

People Intellectuals, writers, consultants and activists

NameLifetimeNotabilityRef.Agnes Repplier1855–1950essayist, literary critic, and authorGeorge Santayana1863–1952philosopher and authorRalph Adams Cram1863–1942architect and writerIrving Babbitt1865–1933literary criticGaret Garrett1878–1954financial journalistH. L. Mencken1880–1956essayist and cultural criticJoseph Schumpeter1883–1950political economistFrank Knight1885–1972economistPitirim Sorokin1889–1968sociologistWalter Lippmann1889–1974reporter and public intellectualErnst Kantorowicz1895–1963historianGeorge Schuyler1895–1977writer, journalist, and social criticClarence Manion1896–1979direct-mailerKrugman, Paul. The Conscience of a Liberal. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007. Print. p. 115Leo Strauss1899–1973political philosopherWhittaker Chambers19011961author of WitnessTanenhaus, Sam. "Review: 'Exit Right: The People ....'" The Atlantic. March 2016. 13 July 2018.Will Herberg19011977sociologistFrancis Wilson19011976political scientistEliseo Vivas19011991philosopher and literary theoristRoss J. S. Hoffman19021979historian, writer, and educatorEric Hoffer19021983philosopherSidney Hook19021989philosopherGeorge F. Kennan19042005historian and foreign policy advisorJames Burnham19051987political philosopher and co-founder and editor of National ReviewWillard Van Orman Quine19082000philosopher and logicianC. Vann Woodward19081999historianMichael O'Brien, ed., The Letters of C. Vann Woodward (2013) p. xlWillmoore Kendall19091967political philosopherFrank Meyer19091972editor of the Books, Arts and Manners section of National ReviewErik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn19091999journalist and political philosopherPeter Drucker19092005sociologist, management consultant, and authorRichard M. Weaver1910–1963author of Ideas Have ConsequencesWyler, Grace and Paul Szoldra. "13 Books That Every Conservative Must Read." Business Insider. 29 March 2013. 17 May 2017.Nathaniel Weyl1910–2005economist and authorGeorge J. Stigler1911–1991economistHenry B. Veatch1911–1999philosopherRemembering an Aristotelian Radical: Henry Veatch and Rational Man - Douglas B. Rasmussen & Douglas J. Den Uyl. (2020, February 10). Law & Liberty. https://lawliberty.org/classic/remembering-an-aristotelian-radical-henry-veatch-and-rational-manRobert Nisbet1913–1996sociologistErnest van den Haag1914–2002sociologistDaniel J. Boorstin1914–2004historianEdward C. Banfield1916–1999political scientistGeoff Kabaservice, & Geoff Kabaservice. (2024, July 17). The conservative vision of Edward C. Banfield, with Kevin Kosar - Niskanen Center. Niskanen Center - Improving Policy, Advancing Moderation. https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-conservative-vision-of-edward-c-banfield-with-kevin-kosar/Robert Conquest1917–2015historianRussell Kirk1918–1994author of The Conservative MindHarry V. Jaffa1918–2015historian and political philosopherPeter J. Stanlis1919–2011literacy scholar and councilmanDaniel Bell1919–2011sociologistEdmund Pellegrino1920–2013bioethicistIrving Kristol1920–2009Neoconservative author and writerThomas Molnar1921–2010political philosopher and historianGaetano L. Vincitorio1921 2007historianPhilip Rieff1922–2006sociologist and cultural criticRobert Goldwin1922–2010political scientistGertrude Himmelfarb1922–2019historianWilliam A. Rusher1923–2011publisher of National ReviewJames E. Bunce1924–2015historianStanley Jaki1924–2009philosopher of science and historianPhyllis Schlafly1924–2016activistJohn Lukacs1924–2019historianWilliam F. Buckley Jr.1925–2008author, television host, and founder of National ReviewJohn B. Judis, William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives (1990).L. Brent Bozell Jr.19261997speechwriter for Senator Joseph McCarthyTim LaHaye1926–2016author and political activistFarmer, American Political Ideologies, p. 45.Forrest McDonald1927–2016historianRoy Cohn1927–1986lawyer, political activist, former chief counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Paul W. Schroeder1927–2020historianEva Brann1927–2024classicistHilton Kramer1928–2012art criticNicholas Rescher1928–2024philosopher and polymathBeverly LaHaye1929–2024activist and founder of Concerned Women for AmericaPaul M. Bator19291989legal scholar and former government officialAllan Bloom19301992classicist and philosopherSeth Benardete1930–2001classicist and philosopherEugene Genovese1930–2012historianThomas Sowell1930–author, columnist, professor, and economist at the Hoover InstitutionHarnden, Tom. "The most influential US conservatives: 100-81." The Telegraph. 11 January 2010. 17 May 2017.Norman Podhoretz1930–2025political commentatorBerger, Joseph (December 16, 2025). "Norman Podhoretz, Influential Editor and Neoconservative Force, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2026.James Q. Wilson1931–2012social scientistChristopher Lasch19321994historian and social criticHarvey Mansfield1932political philosopherBen Wattenberg1933–2015political commentator and demographerRichard Viguerie1933media pioneer"Donald Trump -- Conservatives ...." National Review. 21 January 2016. 17 May 2017."Richard A. Viguerie Biography." PBS. 29 October 2004. 13 July 2018.Mel Bradford19341993literary critic and legal scholarRichard E. Morgan19342014political scientist and constitutional theoristCharles A. Fried19352024legal scholar and former juristRichard John Neuhaus19362009founder of First ThingsJohn Kekes1936philosopherDaniel N. Robinson1937–2018philosopher and psychologistPeter Kreeft1937–philosopherWalter E. Williams1938–2020author, columnist, and economics professorJames Kurth1938 political scientistLeon Kass1939–philosopher and bioethicistNicholas Capaldi1939–philosopherDavid Horowitz1939–2025Writer, activist and founder of the David Horowitz Freedom CenterArthur Laffer1940economistHadley Arkes1940political scientistVirgil Nemoianu19402025literary critic, essayist, and philosopherGeorge Will1941–columnist for the Washington PostDraper, Robert. "How Donald Trump Set Off a Civil War Within the Right-Wing Media." The New York Times. 29 September 2016. 21 May 2017.Elizabeth Fox-Genovese1941–2007historianEdwin Feulner19412025founder of The Heritage FoundationPaul Gottfried1941political philosopher and historianPaul Weyrich1942–2008president of The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved on December 05, 2017.Angelo Codevilla1943–2021international relations theorist and philosopherClaes G. Ryn1943political philosopherCharles Murray1943political scientistScott Soames1945philosopherGeorge H. Nash1945historianGonzalez, "Conservatism's Historian".Joseph Sobran1946–2010writer for National ReviewGrimes, William. "Joseph Sobran, Writer Whom Buckley Mentored, Dies at 64." The New York Times. 1 October 2010. 6 July 2020.William S. Lind1947–military authorDonald T. Critchlow1948–historianVigen Guroian1948–theologianGlenn Loury1948–economistCharles Krauthammer1950–2018public intellectualPeggy Noonan1950–columnist for The Wall Street JournalLarry Schweikart1951–historianWilfred M. McClay1951historianPeter Augustine Lawler1952–2017political scientist and philosopherBill Kristol1952–former editor of The Weekly StandardHarnden, Toby. "The most influential US conservatives: 60-41." The Telegraph. 13 January 2010. 23 May 2017.Jennifer Roback Morse1953–economist, writer, and activistRoger Kimball1953–art critic and editor of The New CriterionVictor Davis Hanson1953–classicist and military historianCarol Swain1954–Former political science professor at Vanderbilt UniversityL. Brent Bozell III1955–Activist, writer, Media Research Center founderDaniel Bonevac1955–philosopherTerry Teachout19562022drama critic, biographer, and playwrightGrover Norquist1956president of Americans for Tax ReformRobert P. George1969legal scholar and political philosopherJames Hankins1955historianPatrick Allitt1956historianHeather Mac Donald1956political commentatorRobert C. Koons1957philosopherJohn J. DiIulio Jr.1958political scientistAndrew Stuttaford1958journalist and editorMark Bauerlein1959literary critic and senior editor of First ThingsR. R. Reno1959theologian, political philosopher, and the editor of First ThingsDinesh D'Souza1961–author and filmmaker"President Trump granted a full pardon Thursday to conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and said he was strongly considering clemency for other celebrity felons." Rucker, Philip, et al. "Trump pardons conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, suggests others also could receive clemency." Washington Post. 31 May 2018. 22 June 2018."President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to issue a pardon to Dinesh D'Souza, a prominent conservative commentator and filmmaker who was convicted of making an illegal campaign contribution." Breuninger, Kevin and Tucker Higgins. "Trump will pardon conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, who was convicted of campaign finance violation." CNBC. 31 May 2018. 16 October 2018.Jonathan Turley1961legal scholar and writerAndrew Schlafly1961Conservapedia founder, lawyer and Christian conservative activist Frank Luntz1962political consultant and pollsterKevin R. C. Gutzman1963historian and constitutional scholarDavid Tse-Chien Pan1963literary scholarPatrick Deneen1964political theoristYoram Hazony1964political theorist and philosopherElizabeth Price Foley1965legal scholar and bioethicistJohn Yoo1967legal scholar and former government officialJohn Yoo, (2024). Can Originalism Be Moral?Keith E. Whittington1968political scientist and legal scholarChristopher Tollefsen1968philosopherEdward Feser1968political philosopherAdrian Vermeule1968legal scholarRobert P. George1969legal scholar and political philosopherW. Bradford Wilcox1970sociologistMark Regnerus1970sociologistLeigh-Allyn Baker1972actress and pro-life activistYuval Levin1977–political scientist and journalistRazib Khan1977–geneticist and science writerRoss Douthat1979columnist for the New York TimesStephen E. Sachs1980legal scholarWilliam Baude1982legal scholarGladden Pappin1982political theoristCharlie Kirk19932025Founder and President of Turning Point USA, author and political commentator

Politicians, office holders, and jurists