ubertuber,
I don't know if you are aware of the origins of the terms "left" and "right" wing parties. Here's a synopsis:
The terms owe their origins to the manner in which the members of the French National Assembly of 1789 physically located themselves in the building.
The "right" wing members were from the nobility and sat on the right side of the assembly. They formed the First Estate and were in support of the King controlling issues.
The "left" wing members were from the Third Estate and consisted of revolutionaries--they wanted to turn control of such issues over to the people.
This historical perspective of the terms indicates that your "understanding of conservatism equating to less governmental power" is incorrect and may be, as you state, the cause of the confusion.
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"The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann
"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman
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