New Right

Question 1

1

Answer 1

Differences in wealth reflect differences in ability and effort. Like cream, the talented and hardworking rise to the top. The poor are poor because they lack talent, or do not work hard. The New Right believe society is a meritocracy; equal opportunities exist for all and an individual’s income and wealth results from their hard work and ability. Some rich people have a particular talent or ability that enables them to generate wealth.

Lowering taxes means that the rich can get richer by keeping more of what they rightfully earn, and cutting benefits means that the talent less and idle get the poverty they deserve

Question 2

Trickle down theory

Answer 2

This maintains that if individuals are allowed to generate as much wealth as possible, without government restrictions, such as high taxes, ‘red tape’ and rules and regulations, then eventually the wealth of the rich will benefit the less well-off groups in society in the form of employment and business opportunities.

The New Right claim that this trickle down can be seen in the improvement in wealth distribution in the last 20years, with more people now owning their own homes, shares and private pensions

Question 3

A03

Answer 3

As the gap between the rich and poor is continually increasing today, there is not much evidence of the trickle-down theory taking place. The ONS calculates that a third of UK population lived in relative poverty at some point in the last 5 years.

The real value of benefits has fallen eg cuts income support, housing benefit and child benefit.
However, the government intervenes with support when the wealth of the richest classes in society is threatened. For example, without government support many banks would have collapsed in 2008 and ruined the wealth assets of many rich people