Anthony Crosland Flashcards
Main work
The Future of Socialism 1956
Crosland’s view on ownership
Public / common ownership had gone too far, public ownership was never the aim of socialism but rather a way of achieving it.
The true objective is equality, which can be achieved in a managed capitalist economy.
Crosland’s view on the impact of Keynesian economics
Capitalism has been changed by Keynesian economics (which encourages gov spending over gov saving)
Keynesian economics = state-managed capitalism
Became standard in Western Europe post-1945
Due to Keynesian principles, Crosland’s argued advanced societies could afford permanent economic growth and full employment, without needing any severe extensions of public ownership.
Constant growth = expansion of welfare state = destroyed inequality + advanced socialism
Crosland’s view on the impact of socialism on society
Economic change caused less polarisation between employers + employees, and ‘indefinitely more complex than Marx could ever have imagined’
Argued ‘new classes’, such as managers, perspectives would be different to traditional workers. A middle ground.
Crosland’s mixed economy
Comprises of private enterprise and ownership + key services and a small number of state-owned industries
Such a mixed economy was created under the 1945-51 Labour government under Attlee
Future of socialism = more public spending + better public services rather than more public ownership
Crosland’s view on the impact of education on inequality
Views expressed in later works: ‘The Conservative Enemy’ + ‘ Socialism Now’
New state education (known as comprehensive education) is a new one-size-fits-all school which caters for all in society
These schools would break down all divisions greater than public ownership would, whilst ensuring equality of opportunity
Perused this ideas while Secretary of Education (1965-67), which made comprehensive education the norm by the time he died in 1977
