Chapter 4

Chapter Summary

We perceive the political world via a complex set of prisms or concepts; they enable us to more clearly understand political ideas. Ideology is a kind of applied philosophy. It can be classified on the right–left continuum, a flawed but still much-used form, and there are alternatives to it. The liberal tradition, based on rights, freedom and representation, developed from the seventeenth century and set the ground rules for political activity during the nineteenth and twentieth. Classical liberalism elevated the market economy, but the New Liberalism, which was concerned to protect society from its excesses, still provides the rationale for the welfare state and the mixed economy.

 John Rawls produced a philosophical defence of liberal political structures, and Fukuyama adduced the theory that liberalism had finally triumphed. However, the faltering of West-ern economies over the past half century has posed new questions to both of these philosophical positions.

Learning Objectives

• To explain the key concepts relevant to the study of political ideas in the UK.
• To clarify the concept of ideology and the way it is classified.
• To trace the transition of liberal ideas from their ‘revolutionary’ inception to accepted orthodoxy.
• To show how classical liberalism developed into new liberalism, the creed that set the social agenda for the next century and embedded the ‘enabling’ or ‘procedural’ values of a democratic society.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 4 quizzes!

Quiz

Question 1

Which branch of government is elected to discuss and pass laws

Executive

Legislative

Judiciary

Supranational

Aristocracy

None

Question 2

British democracy evolved from an absolute monarchy to which style of government today

Parliamentary Monarchy

Presidential Republic

Semi-presidential republic

Federal republic

Oligarchy

None

Question 3

Loyalty to a common ethnicity, within a common territory, all sharing a common history and culture’ refers to which concept

Liberalism

Conservatism

Nationalism

Libertarianism

Democracy

None

Question 4

During which period of British history did both Labour and the Conservatives converge on an ideological consensus

1920s

1990s

2010s

2020s

1950s

None

Question 5

Moving from the traditional left-right political dimension, what new continuum has been emerged in the UK since the Brexit referendum in 2016

Liberal-Illiberal

Infront-Behind

North-South

Open-Closed

Up-Down

None

Question 6

Which century marked the intense emergence of liberal ideas across Europe

19th

17th

11th

20th

21st

None

Question 7

Which British classical liberal philosopher was also elected as an MP and became an advocate for the women’s right to vote

Karl Marx

Margaret Thatcher

John Stuart Mill

Adam Smith

Herbert Spencer

None

Question 8

The three branches of government in a democracy are the legislature, the , and the executive

Question 9

Equality is a two-pronged concept, comprised of ‘equality of ‘ and ‘equality of outcome’

Question 10

Capitalism, private property, and individual rights are policy areas aligned with those on the wing

Time’s up

Discussion Questions

1. The term ‘democracy’ encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices in modern politics. What are some of the core tenants of democracy, and how have these been displayed and/or contested in British politics?
2. The ideas of classical liberalism from the mid-nineteenth century, once viewed as opposing the norms of politics, developed into the new normal by the early twentieth century.  How does the liberal tradition incorporate itself into British politics today?

Weblinks

The World’s Smallest Political Quiz – A tool for identifying one’s ideological position based on libertarian principles. (http://libertarianism.com)

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy – A free online resource providing academic explanations of philosophical ideas. (www.iep.utm.edu)

Pew Research Center – A global research institute offering surveys and analysis on political and social trends. (www.pewresearch.org)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Timelines

Timeline: Developments in Political Ideology

Timeline: Key Philosophical Figures