HC3 Conservatives Flashcards
Conservatism in 19th century
like liberal parties: limited loose organisation
- elite/cadre parties
Support upper +middle class
+ property owners + rural support
+ religious voters.
- light ideology
light ideology
limited links with civil society
6 core features of conservatism
- tradition
- human imperfection
- organic society
- hierarchy
- authority
- property
tradition in conservatism
the insitutions and pracices of past have been tested by time, and should be preserve for the benefit of the living and generations to come.
They also beleive tradtion generates sense of idenity for society and individual.
it proveds people with a sense of belonging
change is uncertain and insecure.
human imperfection in conservatism
Conservatives see human beings as morally imperfect, selfish and greedy.
–> need for strong government, tough criminal justice regimes
the world is too complicated for humans to understand
abstract ideas are incomprehensible and high-sounding political principles, like equality + social justice are dangerous
They provide a blueprint for reform –> leads to more suffering rather than less
Organic society in conservatism
There is a natural order in society.
Inidividuals get a place and role. Social equality is rejected and seen as undesirable and unachievable.
There is a natural inequality among individuals, which leads to natural aristocracy: leaders vs followers.
Autority in conservatism
Autority develops naturally and not due to social contract.
ARises from need to ensure that children are taken cared for.
autority is necessary for security, support and guidance.
there are limitations to autority: not based on social contract bu ton natural responsibilities
Property in conservatism
- is seen to provide security in an uncertain and unpredictable world.
Caution in management of money is virtue in itself. - Respect property of others: law + order
- Respect law, authority + social order
- Seen as extension of individuals personality
- The socialist belief of common property is seen as way to create a soulless and depersonalised society.
Property is important to society
Conservatives in 20th century
Decline of conservative parties
Overtaken by mass and catch-all parties
Some do survive as cadre parties (kaderpartij)
Some make transition to more mass party
British conservatism post WWII
Changed from elite to catch all party
Party of continuity: party of family, law and order, tradtional nationalism, private property.
Development of welfare state.
Conservatives not opposed due to paternalism –> helping less fortunate through hierarchy
WWII welfare state compromise
After WWII welfare state compromises.
This happened due to the WWII + economic parties on left and right were nervous about state of democracy.
The state needed to do more
The Right gave left welfare state: in turn for market economy = compromise
Keynesian economics
State needs to play active role in state spending
Economic changes post WWII that are important for conservatism1
Economic Crisis 1970
Growth slows down and inflation lead to stagflation.
Oil crisis (1973 OPEC and oil embargo as result of the Yom Kippur War (Arab-Israeli War))
Old solutions were not working
Rise of neo-conservatism
Thatcher and Reagan.
Old conservatives in the party start to criticise the politcal economic order as it was, and the way conservatism adapted itself to Post-war period
Thatchers ideas
( Market liberal–> ‘‘I am a 19th century liberal’’
* Market is rational’’
* Supply will meet demand.
* True competition will allow profitable businesses to survive
* Prices and wages will find value in the market
* Full attack on welfare state
Not so much bad economy, but nationalization policies: too much state, too much intervention into the economy
Neo-conservatism and welfare state
Dangerous because it gives the impression that government could solve problems.
It is based upon a specific point in history and post-war boom gave impression that state planning worked
–> creates culture of dependency and increase of debts and deficits.
