Conservatism around the world seems to be suffering from some sort of nervous breakdown. This takes different forms in different countries as we would expect from a political disposition that stresses the local, the practical, and the traditional. Still, the breakdown seems to be more acute in the English-speaking world than in continental Europe and elsewhere. It also exhibits certain common features.

Let me begin with an acute example: “mainstream” conservative parties in all countries for the last thirty years have shunned nationalist voters and the causes that arouse them from immigration to anti-supra-nationalism. This has resulted in the rise of third parties and political entrepreneurs specializing in such issues. Examples include the National Front in France, the People’s Party in Denmark, the Freedom Party in Austria, the National Alliance in Italy, One Nation in Australia, the Reform Party in Canada, Ross Perot in the United States, UKIP and the British National Party in Britain, the late Pim Fortuyn’s party in Holland, and New Zealand First.

In some cases these parties have become an important and seemingly permanent part of the political scene and entered government. They have done so in Austria and Italy; in others they have been marginalized by shrewd conservative leaders, such as John Howard in Australia, who dealt with their issues to entice back their voters. In almost all cases, however, such parties have divided the Right, at least temporarily, and allowed the Left to slip into power.

In some cases left-wing