Thesis advisor: Stephen Hudson / This paper analyzes the intellectual rift in the contemporary American conservative movement, focusing on the differences of opinion between classical liberals and national conservatives on economic policy and economic philosophy. Given the precipitous economic malaise of the domestic American economy, and the attendant decay of social cohesion and quality of life for many Americans, the paper proposes that domestic manufacturing offers a distinctively important way of life that is inclusive of the largest possible segments of American workers. This paper finds that nations compete as economic actors, and that sovereign nations have an interest in promoting certain economic outcomes, similar to how other market actors participate in the global market. This paper concludes by affirming that on these grounds, America has an interest in pursuing an industrial policy through the tools of law and public policy. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Philosophy.

[pt] A presente tese tem por objetivo estudar o pensamento conservador na contemporaneidade, dando enfoque, assim, ao século XX e ao início do século XXI. Nosso trabalho envolve uma pesquisa qualitativa, a qual aborda diferentes campos do conhecimento, indo desde uma história das ideias até o campo da antropologia política. Apresentaremos uma gama de textos de pensadores conservadores nacionais e internacionais e utilizaremos um amplo aporte teórico para analisá-los. As conclusões encontradas apontam que há elementos recorrentes, mesmo em meio à polissemia do conceito de conservadorismo, em que existe uma relação entre o presente e o passado da tradição. / [en] This thesis aims to study conservative thinking in contemporary times, thus focusing on the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Our work involves qualitative research, which encompasses different fields of knowledge, ranging from political anthropology to the field of history of ideas. We will present a wide range of texts by national and international conservative thinkers. And we will use a broad theoretical framework to analyze them. There are common elements, even in the midst of the polysemy of the concept of conservatism, where there is a relationship between the present and the past of tradition.