> Conservatives have a uniquely American small-government ideology.

No. Unless you think that defense spending is not part of the government. This is per capita spending by year:

https://www.mercatus.org/sites/default/files/Chart1-Spending...

Actually, George W Bush signed the spending bills for 2009. But the central point remains that conservatives (Republicans) hold no claim to fiscal conservatism.

> hold no claim to fiscal conservatism.

You can say they act inconsistently with their claims but it's another thing to say they never even claim it. I think they do often claim this.

I think we're misunderstanding each other. Yes, of course conservatives claim fiscal conservatism. But when I say they hold no claim, it's an almost archaic phrase meaning yeah, they can say it but don't actually own the claim.

Bluntly, according to their record, conservatives are not fiscal conservatives. They just dress that way.

Sure. So, it's part of their ideology. That's what I was saying.