What are the most compelling arguments for becoming a conservative or a liberal?

[Socrates]

Conservatism is about going with tried and true methods of governance before jumping to new, experimental, even Utopian methods. American Conservatism believes in equal opportunity, equal justice, individualism and charity. It holds in great reverence the Constitution and it's ideals of limited federal government and natural (individual) rights. Individual rights are those inherent in the people and do not need an outside enabler (like government) to make them work. It also believes in the power and ability of free market principles to make every ones life better. Although these are principles on Conservatism, it is also pragmatic to bend to a certain extent to non-Conservative principles that may already be in place. For instance, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may be over-steps of limited Federal government, but they are willing to live with them and just reform them from the bloated, bureaucratic, wasteful mess they are. Neither would it want to go back to the pure market-driven, exploitative days of the Industrial Revolution. Conservatism has no problem with natural inequity in life, just as long as individuals are not blocked or impeded their rising above those inequities. The implied Constitutional mandate of the proper role of government, being the protection of rights and liberties of it's citizens is the mechanism that support this. This does not guarantee happiness, but it protects their pursuit of it. The individuals abilities is what determines how far they can go. For those who have difficulty, there is charity, even a hand-up from government to a certain extent, but not a handout. Compassion is not measured by how many people government can take care of, but by how many people DON'T have to be taken care of by government, trapped by welfare.

Progressive Liberalism on the other hand, has a somewhat Utopian vision, it believes that any, even all inequities must be removed from life. This requires government involvement and control to "reshape" society. This has the effect of Progressive government simply giving people stuff as well as making it the definer, creator, regulator, rationer of rights; not the individual. All this makes those who don't simply give stuff to people (Conservatives), look "mean", "greedy", "hateful", "uncaring", etc. Conservatives want to do thing that lift all boats, not selected ones.

There is plenty of misunderstanding of policies that Conservatives support. That is often due to Liberals focusing on the superficial, emotional reactions to the issues, measured by how much "stuff is given". Just one example are tax cuts. Supply side (trickle-down) economics that Conservatives support, has worked to revive the economy, even making a booming one, EVERY TIME it's been employed. Policies of Harding, Coolidge, JFK (posthumously), Reagan, Clinton (cap gains tax cut) and Bush are all examples of this working. A tax cut for business and/or job creators (2/3 of all small business and their owners are effected by the high-end tax bracket) act as a shot in the arm, freeing up cash to reinvest in the company, upgrade machinery, hire, buy more raw supplies, etc. All these thing go into productivity. The aggregate effect is to cause horizontal business expansion, creating jobs. It builds off itself.

Conservatives believes in the ability of individuals to go as far as their abilities will take them. This is important in a society of 317 million people. What sounds more sustainable; 317 million people taking care of themselves or one entity trying to take care of 317 million people? Progressive Liberalism is good at providing quick relief by throwing money at the problem. However, they end up making this "help" permanent, either by naiveté or by design, the latter for means of control. Progressive Liberalism does not know how to raise people out of poor conditions, Conservatives do.

Do you have doubts to this? I'm sure you do. You have been surrounded by superficial, emotional rhetoric to bolster Progressive Liberal ideas. Ask questions. See who gives you the most substantial answers.