the emergence of the new right

Question 1

the new right emerged in the 1970s in reaction to what its proponents perceived as

Answer 1

one nation cons excessive concessions to socialist policies and ideas

Question 2

the new right became associated with and implemented by

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Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in the USA

Question 3

the new right positioned itself as the revival of ‘ true ‘ conservatism arguing that

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one nation cons had strayed to far away from fundamental conservative principles

Question 4

however the new rights philosophy and policy approach can be seen in many ways as alligning more closely with

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classical liberalism
with its emphasis on individual freedom and free market economy

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the new right is a combination of

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neo liberalism and neo conservatism

Question 6

neoliberalism with its roots in classical liberal thought advocates for

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minimal state intervention in the economy emphasis free markers and individual enterprise

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neoconservatism while sharing some principles with traditional conservatism ie focus on traditional values and strong national defence and law and order diverged in its

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approach to social policy and welfare

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important to recognise that the advocates of the new right such as Thatcher and Reagan were both neolibs and neocons at the same time , they supportered

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decreasing the states involvement economically and extending it in the realms of maintaining order and national defence

Question 9

a key departure of the new right from earlier conservative traditions is its support for atomism over an organic view of society , traditional cons viewed society as

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an interconnected evolving organism where each part has a role in the larger whole

Question 10

in contrast the new right perceives society as

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a collection of individuals each pursing their own interests , leading to the best outcomes when allowed maximum freedom without excessive state intervention

Question 11

this perspective by the new right rejects the notions of

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hierarchy and paternalism which are key principles of conservative thought

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the new right supports the view that humans are rational beings in a meritocratic system where individuals succeed based on

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their own efforts and talents that shouldn’t be interfered with

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this perspective (humans are rational ) rejects the human imperfections and support for hierarchy and paternalism which are

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key principles of conservative thoughts

Question 14

unlike traditional and one nation cons which value pragmatism and tradition the new right is more ideologically driven focusing on

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the principles of freedom and individualism

Question 15

the shift to the new right marks a significant transformation in the conservative landscape moving away from the cautious stability focused approach of earlier cons to a

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more dynamic , market driven and individualistic ideology

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thus while the new right maintains some conservative elements its core beliefs and priorities represent a break from

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traditional cons , with many questioning whether they should be considered cons at all

Question 17

neo liberalism is an economic and political ideology that supports laissez faire capitalism ;

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free markets , low public spending , low taxation and minimal government intervention in the economy

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for example Ayn Rand was strongly opposed to the welfare state seeing it as curtailing individual freedom and as a step towards authoritarianism , in her book

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’ the virtue of selfishness ‘ she stated “ the difference between a welfare state and a totalilatarian state is a matter of time “

Question 19

neoliberals posits that private enterprise and open competition are the most efficient ways to produce economic growth whilst also not infringing upon individual freedom thus ,

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laissez faire capitalism is therefore the most efficient and the most moral economic system

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Robert nozick another key neoliberal thinker was opposed to the welfare state and to extensive taxation , he saw both of these as

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dangerously infringing upon individual autonomy and freedom in the name of supporting others

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Robert Nozick in ‘ anarchy , state and utopia ‘ he wrote

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” indviduals have rights , and there are things no person or group may do to them ‘ and ‘ taxation of earnings from labour is on par with forced labour ‘

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neoliberals emphasis on individual autonomy and freedom was influenced by their positive views of humans as

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rational beings and contributed to their support for atomism and opposition to hierarchy and paternalism

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the new rights opposition to paternalism can be seen in Ayn Rands opposition to the concept of personal altruism which she views as

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the moral obligation to place the needs of others above ones own interests

Question 24

Ayn Rand argued that altruism wether done by the individual or the state diminishes

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individual freedom and successes by creating an unhealthy dependence in those who are the recipients of altruistic actions

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in ‘ the virtue of selfishness ‘ Ayn Rand stated

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” the man who attempts to live for others is dependent . he is a parasite in motive and makes parasites of those he serves “

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For Rand the ideal moral pursuit was rational self interest not

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self sacrifice for others

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neoconservatism empahsised the vital role of the state in maintaining order and security both

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domestically and internationally and supported significant state funding to enable this

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this stance was prominent during the Cold War when the perceived threat from the Soviet Union led to

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neocon support for a robust and assertive foreign policy

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neocons within the new right advocated for a strong military and an active international role for their country supporting

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interventions abroad to combat communist influence

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domestically neocons supported a strong state apparatus to ensure law and order reflecting

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a belief of necessity of a powerful government to uphold societal stability

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neocons was also characterised by a cultural and moral dimension advocating for

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anti permissiveness and a return to traditional judeo christian values

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this aspect of neocons was a response to what its proponents saw as the moral and social decay of the 1960s and 70s marked by increasing

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liberalisation in social policies and attitudes especially those related to personal and sexual freedoms

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neocons pushed back against this liberalisation promoting the traditional nuclear family structure and religious values , they viewed these traditional values

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as underpinning the social fabric , many of their views and policies they supported were deeply homophobic

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can be argued that neolibs and neocons are inherently

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incompatible and opposed

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neolibs supports significantly decreasing the size of the state and level state intervention on the other hand Neocons

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support a significant state role in defence and law and order

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it can also be argued that they are

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compatible and work together effectively

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neolib policies , by shrinking state involvement in the economy free up resources and thus these resources

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can then be redirected to defence and law enforcement , aligning with neocons priorities

Question 38

thatcher was an advocate for Neo liberal economics and significantly changed Britains

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economic policy in line with these new right principles when in power

Question 39

one of thatchers most notable actions was the widespread privatisation of state owned industries including

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the British telecom , British Gas and British airways
- intended to reduce state involvement in the economy and increase competition in these sectors

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deregulation was another one of thatchers key aspect of her tenure she removed many of the regulatory controls over industries and the financial sector most notably

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with the “big bang” reforms in Londons financial district in 1986

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thatcher also introduced the right to buy scheme a landmarks housing policy that allowed millions of council hips tenants to purchase their homes at discount this was a cornerstone of thatchers efforts to

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promote property ownership and individual responsibility , fostering a shift towards a more property owning democrat aligning with the new rights emphasis on personal autonomy , privatisation and reduced state intervention

Question 42

during her tenure Thatcher prioritised defence and law enforcement in government spending even in times of broader public sector cutbacks , while funding for various social programs and other areas of

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public spending was reduced , budgets for policing and defence were maintained or increased

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thatchers government took significant steps to curb what it saw as societal permissiveness notably though section 28 which prohibited the

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promotion of homosexuality by local authorities and in schools , reinforcing sexual norms

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it is important to recognise that this was an extremely damaging homophobic policy

Question 45

thatchers government was marked by a firm stance agsint the Soviet Union during the Cold War with a

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very close political alignment with US president Reagan