# Most Americans — The Conscience of a Conservative character guide

> Most Americans in The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** most Americans, Americans, some Americans

**First appearance:** 0001-the-conscience-of-a-conservative

## Who they are

The general American public whose values the narrator claims to represent.

## Relationships

### [The Kremlin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/the_kremlin)

_rivalry_

Most Americans are portrayed as being in fundamental opposition to the Kremlin's communist ideology.

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/narrator)

_friendship_

The narrator sees most Americans as the virtuous populace whose conscience he aims to represent.

### [Communism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/communism)

_rivalry_

Communism is presented as a hostile ideology threatening the American way of life.

## In the story

### [The Conscience of a Conservative](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/the-conscience-of-a-conservative)

The general public who are described as misunderstanding conservatism and being misled by both parties.

### [II: The Perils of Power](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/ii-the-perils-of-power)

Mentioned as increasingly alarmed by government overreach and desiring a reversal of the trend.

### [III: States’ Rights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/iii-states-rights)

Referenced as the people of New York, Nebraska, Arizona, and the narrator's own state, who understand the cost of federal aid.

### [IV: And Civil Rights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/iv-and-civil-rights)

Referenced as the people directly concerned with social and cultural problems, who should handle them locally.

### [Freedom for the Farmer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/v-freedom-for-the-farmer)

Mentioned as consumers who pay high prices due to farm subsidies, and as farmers who prefer to stand on their own feet.

### [VII: Taxes and Spending](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/vii-taxes-and-spending)

Described as cynical about politicians' promises of tax reduction and working one-third of their time for government due to taxes.

### [VIII: The Welfare State](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/viii-the-welfare-state)

Most Americans are described as grumbling about excessive spending but not recognizing the long-term threat of welfarism to freedom.

### [X: The Soviet Menace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/x-the-soviet-menace)

Referred to as 'thinking Americans' who know the dire consequences of foreign aid spending.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/most_americans
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters