State Flashcards
Introduction - Themes
- Important of the State
- Government by Consent
- The Economy
Introduction - Argument
Whilst all liberals subscribe to a mechanistic theory of the state and believe it to be a necessary force for social stablity and to protect individual freedom, they disagree over the extent to which the state should intervene in the lives of individual
Importance of the State - Agree - Point
Both recognise the importance of the state to promote individual freedom and to prevent harm
Importance of the State - Agree - Example
John Locke believed in a state of nature there would be clashes because of egotistical individualism, as a result the state is necessary to quell the selfish nature of individuals
Importance of the State - Disagree - Point
- Classical liberals relate their belief of negative freedom onto the state and argue for a minimal state
- Modern liberals, with their view of positive liberty, argue there should be more of an enabling state
Importance of the State - Disagree - Example
(Classical)
- There is an assetion of the ‘Nightwatchman approach’
- John Locke argues that the state would be fragmented with dispersed powers
- John Stuart Mill devided his ‘Harm Principle’
Importance of the State - Disagree - Example
(Modern)
Betty Friedan argued the importance of an enabling state in order to enforce social equality. She argued that women were significantly disadvantaged and progress was only possible by legal equality brought about by the liberal state
Government by Consent - Agree - Point
All branches agree that the necessary state must be a state by consent within the confines of a social contact based upon a constitution. Both believe that the rational nature of humans means they are capable of deciding who governs them
Government by Consent - Disagree - Point
- Classical liberals believed it should be a limited franchise given to property owners
- Modern liberals are suppported by universal suffrage
Government by Consent - Disagree - Example
(Classical)
John Stuart Mill argued that government by content would be compromised if the wishes of some were overwhelmed with the wishes of the many - he feared a democratic state would lead to the ‘tyranny of the majority’
Government by Consent - Disagree - Example
(Modern)
John Rawls saw universal suffrage and representative democracy as important in promoting greater social and economic equality. He argued that this was more consistent with government by consent
Economy - Agree - Point
Both classical and modern liberals agree that the state does need to play some role in overseeing the workings of the economy
Economy - Disagree - Point
- Classical liberals argued that there should be limited state involvement and thus take a laissez-faire approach
- Modern liberals feel that the state has to play more of role in order to enable individuals to achieve thier potential - keynesian economics
Economy - Disagree - Example
(Classical)
Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ argued that the invisible hands of market force had limitless capacity to enrich society and the individuals within it. The wealth aquired would ‘trickle down’ to the rest of the population
Economy - Disagree - Example
(Modern)
They have adopted the view of John Maynard Keynes - capitalism that requires regular state management to ensure full employment. This means they have adopted very different policies including high tax and welfare state
