thatcher: role back of state and public interventions

Question 1

what was Thatcher’s view on State intervention?

Answer 1

committed to some aspects of the state while wanting to roll back others
- free market and strong state
- end keynesianism
- end corporatism
- cut government spending on welfare
- cut direct taxes

Question 2

what was Thatcher’s policy on corporatism

Answer 2

• effectively abandoned from 1979
• seen as undemocratic by her cabinet
• aruged that it stifled innovation and economic growth
• effectivley gave up in an important part of state intervention in economy

Question 3

what was thatchers policy on keynesianism?

Answer 3

• cutting taxes and increasing spending rejected
• seen as leading to high inflation
• however didnt give up entirely iwith many aspects of the government attempting to cut taxes to effeect inflation/interest rates.

Question 4

what was thatcher’s policy on unions?

acts intorduced?

Answer 4

• rejected negotiation as a solution to industrial action
• employment act 1980 - criminalised secondary picketting
• trade union act 1984 - forced all unions to hold a secret ballots to strike.

Question 5

how did thatcher change defense?

Answer 5

• committed to british defense
• 1980 - buying of tridents (nuclear weapons)to deter soviet attacks
• 1982 - falklands operation
• defense spending rose 20% between 1979 - 86

Question 6

how did thatcher role bakc defense spending?

and why?

Answer 6

• fired 18,000 troops
• reduced size of the navy - closed some international dockyards

trident costs were fargreater than anticipated