A little long but while I (and others) are waiting on Ian to hit, for your reading pleasure.

IMO most conservatives today probably view the 10 listed by the Heritage as the standard.

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7 Core Principles of Conservatism

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1. Individual Freedom
2. Limited Government
3. The Rule of Law
4. Peace through Strength
5. Fiscal Responsibility
6. Free Markets
7. Human Dignity

MikeJohnson

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THE PILLARS OF MODERN AMERICAN CONSERVATISM

The first pillar of conservatism is liberty
The second pillar of conservative philosophy is tradition and order
The third pillar is the rule of law
The fourth pillar is belief in God
InterCollegiateStudiesInstitute

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Ten Conservative Principles

First, the conservative believes that there exists an enduring moral order. That order is made for man, and man is made for it: human nature is a constant, and moral truths are permanent.
Second, the conservative adheres to custom, convention, and continuity
Third, conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription
Fourth, conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence
Fifth, conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety
Sixth, conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability
Seventh, conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked
Eighth, conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism
Ninth, the conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions
Tenth, the thinking conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in a vigorous society

Russell Kirk gets a little deep here

KirkCenter

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Defining the Principles of Conservatism

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Some of these major principles include:

*The federal government is instituted to protect the rights bestowed on individuals under natural law. It exists to preserve life, liberty and property — a mission that includes not only protecting the sanctity of life but defending freedom of speech, religion, the press and assembly, and the right of individuals to be treated equally and justly under the law, and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
*The federal government’s powers should be limited to only those named in the U.S. Constitution and exercised solely to protect the rights of its citizens.
*Government functions best when it is closest and most accountable to the people and where power is shared between the federal government and the states.
*Individuals and families make the best decisions for themselves and their children about health, education, jobs and welfare.
*America’s economy and the prosperity of individual citizens are best served by a system built on free enterprise, economic freedom, private property rights and the rule of law. This system is best sustained by policies that promote general economic freedom and eliminate governmental preferences for special interests, including free trade, deregulation, and opposing government interventions in the economy that distort free markets and impair innovation.
*Tax policies should raise the minimum revenue necessary to fund only constitutionally appropriate functions of government.
*Regulations should be limited to those that produce a net benefit to the American people as a whole, weighing both financial and liberty costs.
*Judges should interpret and apply our laws and the Constitution based on their original meaning, not upon judges’ own personal and political predispositions.
*America must be a welcoming nation — one that promotes patriotic assimilation and is governed by laws that are fair, humane and enforced to protect its citizens.
*America is strongest when our policies protect our national interests, preserve our alliances of free peoples, vigorously counter threats to our security and interests, and advance prosperity through economic freedom at home and abroad.

Heritage

Thoughts