It's commonly believed that there are two kinds of conservatives: (1) economic conservatives, and (2) social conservatives. We hear this distinction frequently in American political life, particularly in the media.

As a result, many conservatives tend to identify themselves as either economic conservatives (focusing mainly on economic issues, usually from a free-market perspective), or social conservatives (emphasizing mainly social issues, usually from the perspective of proven tradition).

Alan Keyes, however, transcends such widely-used distinctions.

He considers himself a "moral conservative" — that is, he sees both economic and social concerns from an overriding moral perspective, without which neither realm can be governed wisely.

He further believes that public-policy solutions in both realms center in the same broad moral considerations — and that without such moral emphasis, all elements of society, government, education, and culture tend unavoidably to deteriorate, no matter whether "economic" or "social."

This theme of moral implications that underlie all human problems can be found consistently in all of Dr. Keyes' speeches, writings, and pursuits.

The following is typical of Dr. Keyes' moral perspective:

Most of our costly government welfare programs aim to deal with problems related to the breakdown of moral standards and self-discipline. We will go bankrupt as a nation if we continue trying to pay the ever-increasing costs of society's moral disintegration. We must end government programs like the family-destroying welfare system and sex-education courses that encourage promiscuity. These programs actually hasten the moral breakdown.

Our first priority should be restoring the moral support for the marriage-based, two-parent family.

I think that's vital to the future of the country. I believe that we need to mobilize folks, and get them to think in faith terms, instead of in terms of selfish interest.

I think most of our politics in recent years has been about "vote your money," "vote your pocketbook," "vote your jobs." These are critically important issues — but the truth is, when we think it through, that a lot of the money issues we face are rooted in the fact that we have to spend large amounts of money compensating for our moral defects, for the breakdown of the family structure, the rise in crime and violence, the increases in poverty that come about because of the decline in the family structure.

We're paying a deep, huge cost for the moral weakness of society, and then we act as if that's a money problem. I don't believe it is, and I think we know it's not.

We need to start addressing the real underlying cause of these challenges and to recapture a sense of the moral foundation, so that we can restore the moral discipline, restore the sense of commitment to true family life that then provides the basis for economic strength in our communities, for better performance for our children in our schools, for a greater sense of responsibility on the part of parents toward those children, and so forth and so on. We know that these are the keys to real progress, and it's time we got out and voted like we know.

Consequently, Dr. Keyes defines the role of a national leader in these words:

America's most pressing problems are rooted in the decline of our moral identity. Crime, rampant illegitimacy, the deteriorating environment in many of our schools, and especially the spectacle of national shame that unfolded during the 90's in the Clinton White House, all these can be traced to lack of respect for moral principle.

Since we are in the throes of a national moral identity crisis, we can no longer follow leaders for whom the moral challenge facing this nation is an afterthought. We need leaders who can articulate a principled vision of who we are and aspire to be.

Such words have caused observers like Dr. Ronald Walters, professor of political science at Maryland University, to say, "Keyes has become the voice for moral issues" in the Republican Party.

As a result, "It will be very difficult for Republicans to dismiss him because he has been seen as a legitimate voice for the Christian right," Walters said. (See "Understanding Alan Keyes," Lee Hubbard, New York Beacon, May 17, 2000.)

But even though Alan Keyes can accurately be labeled a "moral conservative" for his recurring focus on America's moral crisis, he himself once told an interviewer,

Actually, when I describe myself, I think first, "I am a Christian." Then I think, "I'm an American." And then somewhere down the line I think, "I'm a Republican." Because the party label is, in some sense, for me, incidental. It is not essential. I am not a Republican because being a Republican is somehow intrinsically good; that would be nonsensical, I think. Parties are instruments. They are tools. Being instruments or tools, they have no intrinsic worth. They have worth only in terms of those things which they help us to realize and achieve in the way of things that are good results for the country, and good results overall in terms of those standards we believe are right and wrong.

He added, parenthetically, "And so, the first things in my life are things that have to do with the duties to God, to country, and to family."

To hear Dr. Keyes speak on the relationship between moral principle and economic and social problems, see his National Press Club speech, delivered Feb. 7, 2000, in Washington, D.C.