How a Magazine Built the American Right and Defined Its Boundaries for Decades

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1955 by William F. Buckley Jr., National Review transformed a fragmented collection of conservative thinkers into a cohesive movement. By championing fusionism and purging extremist elements, the publication became the intellectual heartbeat of the American right, navigating decades of political shifts while maintaining its distinct, often contrarian, voice.

Before 1955, American conservatism lacked a unified public platform. William F. Buckley Jr., backed by family wealth from Mexican oil, sought to change this by launching a weekly journal. He assembled a diverse editorial board, including traditionalists, libertarians, and former communists like Whittaker Chambers. The magazine’s mission was to challenge the prevailing liberal orthodoxy of the era, which intellectuals like Lionel Trilling claimed was the sole tradition in circulation. Buckley famously described the magazine’s role as standing against the tide of history, urging society to pause and reconsider its trajectory.

A central pillar of the magazine’s strategy was 'fusionism,' an effort to unite disparate conservative factions—such as libertarians and social traditionalists—to combat common opponents. This process involved defining the boundaries of the movement by excluding groups deemed unworthy, including antisemites and the John Birch Society. While some historians argue that Buckley’s efforts to distance the magazine from figures like Robert Welch were calculated to retain rank-and-file support while appearing to purge extremism, the magazine’s influence on the Republican Party remained profound. It played a pivotal role in the rise of Barry Goldwater and later became a staunch supporter of Ronald Reagan.

The magazine has navigated significant financial and ideological challenges throughout its history. Buckley once noted that the publication lost approximately $25 million over its first 50 years, relying on subscriptions, donations, and events to remain operational. In the modern era, the magazine has continued to influence discourse through its online presence, National Review Online, and the National Review Institute, founded in 1991. Despite internal tensions—most notably regarding its adamant opposition to Donald Trump since 2016—the magazine remains a central forum for conservative debate, hosting a wide spectrum of contributors who critique prevailing liberal policies with analytical rigor.

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