One of the less-examined divisions among conservatives concerns the government's role in fighting poverty. Libertarians, anti-federalists, and some neoconservatives believe, essentially, that the poor shall always be with ye. National crusades against poverty, they think, are doomed to frustration. On the other side of the fence are compassionate, national greatness, empowerment, and opportunity-type conservatives. They contend that poverty can be ameliorated but that liberal solutions don't work.

the big idea