Editing Republican Party (United States) (section)

==== Conservatives ====
{{Main|Conservatism in the United States}}
{{see also|Cultural conservatism|Fiscal conservatism|Movement conservatism|Neoconservatism|Social conservatism}}
[[File:Conservative Gallup 8-10.svg|thumb|Percent of self-identified [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]] by state as of 2018, according to a [[Gallup, Inc.|Gallup]] poll:<ref name="Jones 2019">{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Jeffrey M.|date=2019-02-22|title=Conservatives Greatly Outnumber Liberals in 19 U.S. States|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/247016/conservatives-greatly-outnumber-liberals-states.aspx|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-27|website=Gallup|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222171445/https://news.gallup.com/poll/247016/conservatives-greatly-outnumber-liberals-states.aspx |archive-date=February 22, 2019 }}</ref>
{{legend|#b70000;|45% and above}}
{{legend|#e02727;|40–44%}}
{{legend|#ed6262;|35–39%}}
{{legend|#ed9191;|30–34%}}
{{legend|#ffb8b8;|25–29%}}
{{legend|#ffe3e3;|24% and under}}
]]
Ronald Reagan's presidential election in [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]] established Reagan-style [[Conservatism in the United States|American conservatism]] as the dominant ideological faction of the Republican Party until the election of Donald Trump in 2016.<ref name="Arhin-2023"/><ref name="Smith-2021"/><ref name="Biebricher-2023"/><ref name="Ward 08-26-22"/><ref name="Punchbowl Old GOP"/><ref name = "Kight Feb142024"/><ref name="wsj.com"/><ref name="Gerstle2022" /> Trump's 2016 election split both the GOP and larger conservative movement into [[Factions in the Republican Party (United States)#Trumpists|Trumpist]] and [[Never Trump movement|anti-Trump]] factions.<ref name ="Johnson-McCray-Ragusa 2018">{{Cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Lauren R.|last2=McCray|first2=Deon|last3=Ragusa|first3=Jordan M.|date=January 11, 2018|title=#NeverTrump: Why Republican members of Congress refused to support their party's nominee in the 2016 presidential election|journal=Research & Politics|language=en|volume=5|issue=1|doi=10.1177/2053168017749383|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Swartz2022">{{Cite journal |last1=Swartz |first1=David L. |date=27 May 2022 |title=Trump divide among American conservative professors |journal=[[Theory & Society]] |language=en |volume=52 |issue=5 |pages=739–769 |doi=10.1007/s11186-023-09517-4 |issn=1573-7853 |doi-access=free |pmid=37362148 |pmc=10224651 }}</ref> Demographically, the party has lost majority support from white voters with college degrees, while continuing to gain among voters without college degrees.<ref name="Lost Their"/><ref name="Polarization by education"/><ref name="cambridge.org"/>

The party's [[The Establishment#United States|establishment]] conservative faction has since lost its influence.<ref name="Biebricher-2023">{{Cite journal |last1=Biebricher |first1=Thomas |date=October 25, 2023 |title=The Crisis of American Conservatism in Historical–Comparative Perspective |journal=Politische Vierteljahresschrift |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=233–259 |language=en |doi=10.1007/s11615-023-00501-2 |issn=2075-4698 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Arhin-2023">{{Cite journal |last1=Arhin |first1=Kofi |last2=Stockemer |first2=Daniel |last3=Normandin |first3=Marie-Soleil |date=May 29, 2023 |title=THE REPUBLICAN TRUMP VOTER: A Populist Radical Right Voter Like Any Other? |journal=[[World Affairs]] |language=en |volume=186 |issue=3 |doi=10.1177/00438200231176818 |issn=1940-1582 |doi-access=free |quote= In this article, we first illustrate that the Republican Party, or at least the dominant wing, which supports or tolerates Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda have become a proto-typical populist radical right-wing party (PRRP).}}</ref><ref name="Punchbowl Old GOP">{{Cite news |last1=Desiderio |first1=Andrew |last2=Sherman |first2=Jake |last3=Bresnahan |first3=John |date=February 7, 2024 |title=The end of the Old GOP |language=en-US |work=[[Punchbowl News]] |url=https://punchbowl.news/article/the-end-of-the-old-republican-party-senate-conference/ |access-date=February 8, 2024 |archive-date=February 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207114758/https://punchbowl.news/article/the-end-of-the-old-republican-party-senate-conference/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  Many conservatives critical of the Trumpist faction have also lost influence within the party.<ref name="Not Coming to Milwaukee">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/rnc-bush-quayle-pence-cheney-romney.html|title=Guess Who's Not Coming to Milwaukee? Bush, Quayle, Pence, Cheney or Romney|date=July 16, 2024|website=The New York Times|first1=Adam|last1=Nagourney|access-date=September 17, 2024|archive-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916130252/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/rnc-bush-quayle-pence-cheney-romney.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> Former Representative [[Liz Cheney]] was removed from her position as Republican conference chair in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] as retaliation for her criticism of Trump in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-vote-to-oust-rep-liz-cheney-from-leadership-2021-5|title=Republicans oust Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership over her opposition to Trump and GOP election lies|website=Business Insider|date=May 12, 2021}}</ref> and was defeated by a pro-Trump primary challenger in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Enten |first=Harry |date=August 24, 2022 |title=Analysis: Cheney's loss may be the second worst for a House incumbent in 60 years |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/politics/liz-cheney-worst-defeat-house-incumbent/index.html |access-date=August 24, 2022 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> [[Mitt Romney]], the Republican presidential nominee in [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]], chose not to run for re-election in the [[2024 United States Senate election in Utah|2024 U.S. Senate election in Utah]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Riley Roche |first=Lisa |date=May 16, 2024 |title=Sen. Mitt Romney says his views are tiny 'chicken wing' of GOP |url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/05/16/mitt-romney-msnbc-biden-trump-president-vote-pardon/ |access-date=May 16, 2024 |work=Deseret News |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jason-chaffetz-mitt-romney-utah-senate-primary-challenge|title=Jason Chaffetz says he's open to challenging Mitt Romney in Utah Senate primary|website = Washington Examiner|date=February 16, 2021}}</ref> Trump's first vice president [[Mike Pence]] has since distanced himself from Trump, and chose not to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Likewise, Trump decided not to have Pence as his Vice President again, instead choosing JD Vance.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 7, 2023 |title=Mike Pence Tears into Donald Trump at 2024 Campaign Launch |language=en-GB |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65839793 |access-date=June 13, 2023 |quote=[Pence] added that Mr. Trump's actions on 6 January should disqualify him from returning to power. 'I believe that anyone who puts themselves over the constitution should never be president of the United States,' he said. 'And anyone who asked someone else to put them over the constitution should never be president of the United States again.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 7, 2023 |title=Pence says he won't endorse Trump in 2024 race |language=en-US |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4535253-pence-says-he-wont-endorse-trump-in-2024-race/ |access-date=March 15, 2024 | quote='In each of these cases Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years,' Pence said. 'And that's why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign.'}}</ref>

The party still maintains long-time ideologically conservative positions on many issues.<ref name="Aratani-2021">{{cite news |last1=Aratani |first1=Lauren |title=Republicans unveil two minimum wage bills in response to Democrats' push |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/26/republicans-minimum-wage-bills-senate |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814230535/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/26/republicans-minimum-wage-bills-senate |archive-date=14 August 2021 |quote=In keeping with the party's deep division between its dominant Trumpist faction and its more traditionalist party elites, the twin responses seem aimed at appealing on one hand to its corporate-friendly allies and on the other hand to its populist rightwing base. Both have an anti-immigrant element.}}</ref> Traditional modern conservatives combine support for free-market economic policies with [[social conservatism]] and a hawkish approach to foreign policy.<ref name="Devine-2014" /> Other parts of the conservative movement are composed of [[fiscal conservatism|fiscal conservatives]] and [[deficit hawk]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coates|first=David|year=2012|title=The Oxford Companion to American Politics|volume=2|page=393|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-976431-0}}</ref>

In foreign policy, [[Neoconservatism|neoconservatives]] are a small faction of the GOP that support an [[Interventionism (politics)|interventionist foreign policy]] and increased military spending. They previously held significant influence in the early 2000s in planning the initial response to the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]] through the [[War on Terror]].<ref name="Rathburn 2008" /> Since the election of Trump in 2016, neoconservatism has declined and [[non-interventionism]] and [[isolationism]] has grown among elected federal Republican officeholders.<ref name="New Fusionism" /><ref name="Rucker 2016">{{cite news |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |author1-link=Philip Rucker |last2=Costa |first2=Robert |author2-link=Robert Costa (journalist) |date=March 21, 2016 |title=Trump questions need for NATO, outlines noninterventionist foreign policy |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/21/donald-trump-reveals-foreign-policy-team-in-meeting-with-the-washington-post/ |access-date=February 23, 2024 |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514130954/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/21/donald-trump-reveals-foreign-policy-team-in-meeting-with-the-washington-post/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Dodson-Brooks 2021">{{cite journal |last1=Dodson |first1=Kyle |last2=Brooks |first2=Clem |title=All by Himself? Trump, Isolationism, and the American Electorate |journal=The Sociological Quarterly |date=20 September 2021 |volume=63 |issue=4 |pages=780–803 |doi=10.1080/00380253.2021.1966348 |s2cid=240577549 |issn=0038-0253|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Long-term shifts in conservative thinking following the elections of Trump have been described as a "new fusionism" of traditional conservative ideology and right-wing populist themes.<ref name="New Fusionism"/> These have resulted in shifts towards greater support for [[national conservatism]],<ref>{{cite news |title=The growing peril of national conservatism |url=https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/02/15/the-growing-peril-of-national-conservatism |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=February 15, 2024 |access-date=February 15, 2024 |archive-date=February 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215195332/https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/02/15/the-growing-peril-of-national-conservatism |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[protectionism]],<ref>{{cite news |title=The Republican Party no longer believes America is the essential nation |url=https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/26/the-republican-party-no-longer-believes-america-is-the-essential-nation |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=October 26, 2023 |access-date=February 14, 2024 |archive-date=February 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213131705/https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/26/the-republican-party-no-longer-believes-america-is-the-essential-nation |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[cultural conservatism]], a more [[Realism (international relations)|realist]] foreign policy, a repudiation of [[neoconservatism]], reduced efforts to roll back entitlement programs, and a disdain for traditional checks and balances.<ref name="New Fusionism">{{Cite journal |last1=Ashbee |first1=Edward |last2=Waddan|first2=Alex|date=13 December 2023 |title=US Republicans and the New Fusionism |journal=[[The Political Quarterly]] |volume=95 |pages=148–156 |language=en |doi=10.1111/1467-923X.13341 |s2cid=266282896 |issn=1467-923X }}</ref><ref name=dissolved>{{cite news |last1=Mullins |first1=Luke |title=FreedomWorks Is Closing — And Blaming Trump |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/08/freedomworks-is-closing-and-blaming-trump-00156784 |access-date=8 May 2024 |work=Politico |date=May 8, 2024}}</ref> There are significant divisions within the party on the issues of [[abortion]] and [[same-sex marriage]].<ref name="Cohn2023">{{Cite news |last=Cohn |first=Nate |date=August 17, 2023 |title=The 6 Kinds of Republican Voters |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/17/upshot/six-kinds-of-republican-voters.html |access-date=October 9, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012095530/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/17/upshot/six-kinds-of-republican-voters.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Doherty-2023" />

Conservative caucuses include the [[Republican Study Committee]] and [[Freedom Caucus]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About|date=December 19, 2013 |url=https://rsc-hern.house.gov/about|publisher=Republican Study Committee|access-date=February 14, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111231548/https://rsc-hern.house.gov/about|archive-date=January 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Desilver|first=Drew|date=January 23, 2023|title=Freedom Caucus likely to play a bigger role in new GOP-led House. So who are they?|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/23/freedom-caucus-likely-to-play-a-bigger-role-in-new-gop-led-house-so-who-are-they/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108045953/https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/23/freedom-caucus-likely-to-play-a-bigger-role-in-new-gop-led-house-so-who-are-they/|archive-date=January 8, 2024|access-date=February 14, 2024|website=Pew Research Center|language=en-US}}</ref>