The conservative shift toward illiberalism is a reaction to progressive illiberalism in America. It's not just that conservatives, and conservative views, are not present in Silicon Valley, academia, the entertainment industry, the news media, or even corporate leadership. Those institutions have become actively hostile and antagonistic to right-of-center views. Thus, conservatives have retreated to the last institution in American society where they still have a significant presence, which is government, a place where Republicans still routinely have more or less half of the power.