The Right
The broad political camp built around tradition, order, hierarchy, religion, national identity, and free markets — from moderate conservatives to nationalist populists.
Origin
Same 1789 origin: the king's supporters sat to the right of the National Assembly president. For most of the 19th century 'the right' meant pro-monarchy, pro-church, anti-revolution. It widened in the 20th century to include economic liberalism (free markets) on one branch and nationalism on another, with frequent tension between the two. The contemporary right is a coalition: traditionalist religious voters, free-market business interests, national-populists, and (further out) the far-right of openly ethno-nationalist and authoritarian movements.
Modern usage
The other half of the universal political shorthand. 'The Right,' 'far-right,' 'centre-right,' 'right-wing,' 'alt-right' (a specifically online 2010s-2020s phenomenon). In US politics the right is mostly the Republican Party; in Europe a wider menu (Christian Democrats, conservatives, national-populists). The far-right has been the major political growth story of the 2015–2025 decade across the West.
Tags