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A Level Politics - Component 1 > 5. Conservatism > Flashcards

5. Conservatism Flashcards

1
Q

What is considered to be the core key value of Conservatism?

A

Pragmatism

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2
Q

What is pragmatism?

A

Rejects theory and ideology in favour of practical experience

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3
Q

What approach to society does pragmatism suggest?

A

To be flexible with decisions made on the basis of what works

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4
Q

Why do Conservatives favour pragmatism?

A

They understand that humans lack intellectual ability to fully comprehend complex realities in the world, so radical theories and ideas for change are often dismissed

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5
Q

What are the two strands of Conservatives that are associated with pragmatism?

A

Traditional & One-Nation

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6
Q

What are the five main subsections of Conservatism?

A

Traditional
One-nation
New Right
Neoliberal
Neoconservative

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7
Q

Who are the five Conservative thinkers?

A

Thomas Hobbes
Edmund Burke
Michael Oakeshott
Ayn Rand
Robert Nozick

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8
Q

What is the Conservative approach to change?

A
  • It should be gradual and slow
  • ‘Change to Conserve’
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9
Q

What is the link between Conservatism & tradition?

A

They maintain that tradition makes up the wisdom of the past, and also provides society & the individual with a strong sense of identity

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10
Q

What is the Conservative view on Human nature?

A

They believe humans are flawed & naturally selfish

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11
Q

How does the Conservative view on Human nature affect policy?

A

They believe in a tough stance on law & order
Foreign policy should be based on security rather than harmony & cooperation
Self-interest is a more powerful motive than altruism

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12
Q

What is Atomism?

A

The idea that society is made up of self-interested & self-sufficient individuals

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13
Q

What do Conservatives think about society?

A

People cannot exist without society - humans have to accept social obligations in order to be part of any society

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14
Q

What is organicism?

A

The idea of an organic society or state, where all the parts work together to ensure the ‘body’ is healthy

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15
Q

How does Conservatism reflect the idea of organic society?

A
  • Every part has a purpose and it shouldn’t be changed at will
  • Is based on natural needs, not those devised by theorists
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16
Q

What underpins the conservative belief in organic society?

A

Heirarchy and Authority

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17
Q

How do Conservatives justify heirarchical inequality?

A

Those that are the most advantaged bear the greatest social responsibility.

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18
Q

What is Paternalism?

A

The idea that the people at the top have a duty to look after the people below them

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19
Q

What was the old form of Paternalism?

A

Nobles & aristocrats were in government & tried to help those beneath them in societal structure

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20
Q

What is the new form of Paternalism?

A

The Mixed Economy & Welfare State

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21
Q

What are the two types of paternalism?

A

Soft - the people gave consent
Hard - Paternalism is forcefully imposed

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22
Q

What is Libertarianism?

A

A political philosophy that advocates minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens, as its primary role is to protect individual rights

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23
Q

What type of economics goes against Libertarian economics?

A

Keynesianism

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24
Q

What is the biggest threat to an economy according to Liberal economics?

A

Inflation

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25
Q

What are the two mian arguments against the welfare state used by Liberals?

A

State welfare programmes create dependency culture
Policies to redistribute wealth go against the right to property ownership

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26
Q

What is Traditional Conservatism?

A

A strand that originated in the late 18th century as a response to the Enlightenment & the French Revolution

27
Q

What do Traditional Conservatives beleive about human nature?

A

Heirarchy is necessary, as people do not have the same abilities as each other, so society should reflect this as a functional necessity

28
Q

What do Traditional Conservatives believe about the state?

A

It should follow noblesse oblige, the idea that those in positions of authority were best placed to make decisions for the good of society as a whole

29
Q

What do Traditional conservatives believe about Society?

A

It follows an organic structure, where every part is an organ that works together to form the whole

30
Q

What did One-Nation Conservatism attempt to be?

A

The middle way between the hard right and the soft right

31
Q

Who founded One-Nation Conservatism?

A

Benjamin Disraeli

32
Q

What do One-Nation Conservatives believe about the economy?

A

It can be mixed, with an active welfare state
Laissez-faire capitalism

33
Q

What do One-Nation Conservatives beleive about the state?

A

Capitalism would lead to societal splits between rich and poor

34
Q

What is the New Right?

A

A subsection of Conservatism that saw a surge in the 1970s & 80s

35
Q

Who were the two main proponents of the New Right?

A

Margaret Thatcher & Ronald Reagan

36
Q

What were the two distinct ideologies that make up the New Right?

A

Neoliberalism & Neoconservatism

37
Q

What does the New Right say about the state?

A

Minimal intervention in both economic & social affairs

38
Q

What does the New Right say about society?

A

We should attack ‘permissive’ social attitudes (the idea that people can make their own moral choices)

39
Q

What does the New Right say about the economy?

A

Market-led, minimal state intervention in the economy, reject Keynesianism

40
Q

What were some examples of New Right policy?

A
  • Section 28 in 1988 - ‘don’t say gay’ (permissive social attitudes)
  • Privatised the state-controlled industries (free-market capitalism)
41
Q

What is Neo-Liberalism?

A

An ideology that promotes the free market economy.
Mainly the work of economists such as Milton Friedman

42
Q

What are the three threats to the free market according to Neo-Liberals?

A

Monopolies, inflation, and government intervention

43
Q

What is the Neo-Liberal stance on the economy?

A

It should be completely free from government intervention, and entirely free-market

44
Q

What is the Neo-Liberal stance on the state?

A

It should stay out of the economy & out of people’s lives

45
Q

What is the Neo-Liberal stance on society?

A

Advocates atomistic individualism - people are rational and self-interested.
Beleives welfare states create dependency culture

46
Q

What is Neo-Conservatism?

A

A reactionary ideology, formed against the reforms, ideas, and permissive attitudes of the 60s

47
Q

What is the Neo-Conservative stance on the economy?

A

Free-market & low state intervention

48
Q

What is the Neo-Conservative stance on society?

A

Permissive attitudes lead to social fragmentation - we need to re-impose authority & respect in society

49
Q

What is the Neo-Conservative stance on the state?

A

Its role is to keep law & order - greater police power & harsher punishment are needed to tackle crime & public disorder

50
Q

What disagreement is there amongst Conservatives regarding the state?

A

One-Nation Conservatives beleive it to be a neutral arbiter whose primary role is to preserve social order
New Right has both authoritatarian & liberal ideas, in that it should stay out of the economy but it needs to impose social order with strong powers.

51
Q

What disagreement is there among Conservatives regarding the economy?

A

All conservatives favour free-market & private enterprise. However, One-Nation Conservatives advocate low levels of the welfare state & interventionism , whereas all other types of Conservative don’t

52
Q

What disagreement is there among Conservatives regarding society?

A

Traditional & One-Nation Conservatives have an organic view of society. In contrast, Neo-Liberals see society as a makeup of indivudal, self-interested beings

53
Q

What disagreement is there among Conservatives regarding human nature?

A

Most Conservatives see humans as selfish & imperfect. Neo-Liberals think people can be self-sufficient due to rationality, but all Conservatives still agree that idealistic systems won’t work in reality

54
Q

What were the ideas of Thomas Hobbes?

A
  • People are needy and vulnerable, and without a strong government, the world would descend into chaos
  • People cannot be trusted with freedom, so the state should be an absolute authority ruling over them
55
Q

What type of Conservatism most closely links with Hobbes’ ideas?

A

Traditional

56
Q

What were the ideas of Edmund Burke?

A

Change should be undertaken slowly, and with great caution, as tradition should be protected.
Traditional institutions represent the wisdom passed down through generations, but change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just something that needs to be undertaken slowly and with care

57
Q

What type of Conservatism most closely links with Burke’s ideas?

A

Traditional Conservatism

58
Q

What were the ideas of Michael Oakeshott?

A
  • Actions of government should be guided by pragmatism, as ideology often oversimplifies what are, in reality, very complex issues.
  • The pragmatic approach can deliver what is in the best interests of the people & will maintain social stability through emphasising moderation
59
Q

What strand of Conervatism most closely aigns with Oakeshott’s views?

A

One-Nation Conservatism

60
Q

What were the ideas of Ayn Rand?

A

People should be entirely selfish, prusuing their own goals above all else. The Economy should reflect this, allowing people to act entirely as they wish, with no state intervention at all

61
Q

What strand of Conservatism most closely links with Rand’s ideas?

A

Neoliberalism

62
Q

What were the ideas of Robert Nozick?

A

Taxes are evil because they amount to a type of forced labour imposed on the individual by the state. People have self-ownership, and should be free to give as much or as little as they choose

63
Q

Which strand of Conservatism most closely reflects the ideas of Nozick?

A

New Right (Neo-Liberalism)

64
Q

What is the phrase coined by Edmund Burke regarding incremental change?

A

Change to preserve

A Level Politics - Component 1 (7 decks)

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