National Review facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Review

National Review cover for August 30, 2010
Editor-in-Chief	Rich Lowry
Categories	Editorial magazine, American conservatism
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	E. Garrett Bewkes IV
Total circulation (2022)	75,000
Founder	William F. Buckley Jr.
First issue	November 19, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-11-19)
Company	National Review, Inc.
Country	United States
Based in	New York City, New York, U.S.
Language	English
ISSN	0028-0038

National Review is an American magazine that focuses on conservative ideas. It shares news and opinions about politics, society, and culture. The magazine was started by writer William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Today, Rich Lowry is its editor-in-chief.

Since it began, National Review has been very important in shaping conservative thinking in the United States. It helped define what it means to be conservative and became a leading voice for the American right.

History of National Review

How the Magazine Started

William F. Buckley Jr., the founder and first editor of National Review, pictured in 1985

Before National Review was founded in 1955, conservative thinkers in America were not very organized. They had similar ideas but no strong way to share their voices together.

In the 1950s, many magazines and newspapers were already conservative. However, a young man named William F. Buckley Jr. wanted to create a new, strong voice for conservative ideas. His father had become rich from oil, so Buckley had money to help start his project.

He worked with an experienced editor named Willi Schlamm. Together, they spent two years raising money to start their own weekly magazine. It was first going to be called National Weekly, but they changed the name to National Review.

Founding the Magazine

On November 19, 1955, Buckley's magazine officially began. Buckley brought together many different writers. These included traditional thinkers, Catholic writers, and people who believed in libertarian ideas. Some writers had even been Communists before and then became strongly anti-Communist.

One important person was Whittaker Chambers, a former editor who had once been a Communist spy. He became a senior editor at the magazine.

Buckley wrote about the magazine's purpose:

National Review "stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no other is inclined to do so."

This meant the magazine wanted to challenge popular ideas and slow down changes it disagreed with.

National Review wanted to make conservative ideas respected. At the time, many intellectuals thought conservative ideas were not very well-thought-out. Buckley believed that liberal ideas had taken over the intellectual world. He wanted his magazine to fight against that.

The Goldwater Years

In the early 1960s, National Review strongly supported Barry Goldwater for president. Buckley and others from the magazine played a big part in his 1964 presidential campaign. The magazine helped spread Goldwater's conservative vision across the country.

During this time, Buckley and his editor Frank Meyer promoted an idea called fusionism. This meant that different types of conservatives, like libertarians, should work together. They believed this would help them fight against common opponents.

Buckley also used the magazine to decide who was truly "conservative" and who was not. He attacked groups like the John Birch Society and politicians like George Wallace. He wanted to make the conservative movement more respected.

For example, Buckley worked to remove anti-Semitism (hatred of Jewish people) from the conservative movement. He did not allow people with such views to work for National Review.

Supporting Ronald Reagan

After Goldwater lost the election in 1964, National Review continued to support the conservative movement. This movement increasingly looked to Ronald Reagan as a leader. Reagan was a longtime reader of National Review. He became well-known during Goldwater's campaign.

National Review supported Reagan when he challenged President Gerald Ford in 1976. They also supported his successful election campaign in 1980.

In the 1980s, the magazine supported ideas like tax cuts and a strong military. It also supported President Reagan's foreign policy against the Soviet Union. The magazine often criticized the welfare state (government programs that help people). It later supported changes to welfare programs in the 1990s. The magazine also regularly criticized President Bill Clinton.

What National Review Believes

National Review includes many different conservative viewpoints. It has writers who are paleo-conservatives (older style conservatives) and neo-conservatives (newer style conservatives). It also has writers who support the Tea Party, religious people, and those who believe in libertarian ideas.

All these writers share a common goal: they want to critique liberal ideas. They do this in a thoughtful and respectful way. The magazine has been called "the bible of American conservatism."

The Trump Era

In 2015, National Review published an article called "Against Trump." It called Donald Trump a politician who changed his views often. The magazine announced it was strongly against his campaign for president. Even after Trump was elected in 2016, the magazine's editors continued to criticize him.

However, some writers for National Review had different views on Trump after he won. Some, like Victor Davis Hanson, supported him. Others, like editor Ramesh Ponnuru, continued to criticize him. These different opinions made National Review very lively for readers.

The Biden Era

When Trump announced he would run for president again in 2022, National Review regularly wrote articles against his campaign.

National Review Online

National Review Online (often called "N.R.O.") is the popular website version of the magazine. It has a digital version of the magazine. It also has new articles daily from National Review writers and conservative blogs. The online version is called N.R.O. to tell it apart from the printed magazine. It offers free articles, which sometimes have different content from the print magazine.

The website posts new content every day. This includes opinion articles from conservative, libertarian, and neoconservative writers. It also features news stories.

The site has two main blogs:

• The Corner is where the site's editors and writers post short comments. They discuss the news and issues of the day.
• Bench Memos shares news and comments about legal topics and judges.

Even Markos Moulitsas, who runs the liberal website Daily Kos, has said he reads the blogs on N.R.O. He thinks their writers are the best in the conservative blog world.

National Review Institute

The National Review Institute (N.R.I.) was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1991. Its goal is to develop new ideas and educate people about conservative principles. It also helps new leaders in the conservative movement.

How the Magazine is Funded

Like most political magazines in the United States, National Review does not have much corporate advertising. The magazine gets its money from subscriptions (people paying to read it). It also receives donations and holds fundraising events across the country. The magazine even sponsors cruises where its editors and writers give talks.

Buckley once said that the magazine had lost about $25 million over 50 years. This shows how hard it can be to run a magazine like this.

Presidential Primary Endorsements

National Review sometimes supports a candidate during the primary elections. The editors have said their main rule is to choose "the most conservative viable candidate." This idea is known as "The Buckley Rule." Buckley said he would support "the most right, viable candidate who could win."

Here are some candidates National Review has supported:

Editors and Writers

The magazine's editor-in-chief is Rich Lowry. Many writers for National Review also work with other conservative groups. Famous guest writers have included Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Peter Thiel, and Ted Cruz.

Current Writers

Here are some of the people who write for National Review magazine or its website:

Past Writers

Many well-known writers have contributed to National Review over the years:

See also

In Spanish: National Review para niños