Political & Economic Theories

Question 1

Conservatism

Answer 1

• Edmund Burke
• people should respect tradition and way of past
• essay “reflections on the revolution in france” foundation for conservative ideology
• upper class should be leaders of society

Question 2

Authoritarianism

Answer 2

• rights of government take precedence over rights and freedoms of individual
• allows for no opposition
• military and police used to maintain obedience
• is found on both left and right of spectrum

Question 3

Anarchism

Answer 3

• advocates society where government is unnecessary
• enforced control is undesirable
• william godwin - government impedes improvement
• Proudhon - 1st to call himself an anarchist
• Peter Kropotkin - codified anarchism into a set of beliefs

Question 4

Libertarianism

Answer 4

• advocates individual freedom and no government intervention
• people should do what they want as long as they don’t infringe others rights
• Ayn Rand in her novels “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged”

Question 5

Liberalism

Answer 5

• traced to John Locke
• government should be limited , only protect rights and safety
• T.Jeffs saw government as enemy of individual freedom
- supported Laissez - Faire Capitalism

Question 6

Democratic Socialism

Answer 6

• advocates political democracy and social ownership of means of production

Question 7

Socialism

Answer 7

• government must take active role in economy

* production and distribution of goods is owned collectively by centralized government

Question 8

Fascism

Answer 8

• right wing nationalist ideology with a totalitarian structure
• believes world is divided into good or evil
• typically in countries with little history of democracy

Question 9

Communism

Answer 9

• advocating society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs