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Core ideologies
This topic covers the three core political ideologies required for AQA A-Level Politics: liberalism, conservatism and socialism. It examines their views of human nature, the individual, freedom, the state, society, the economy, equality and authority, as well as the differences between classical and modern liberalism, traditional conservatism and the New Right, and revolutionary socialism and social democracy. Prescribed thinkers provide evidence for ideological arguments. Students should distinguish an ideology from a political party, compare internal strands accurately, relate thinkers to wider principles and evaluate whether ideological values remain coherent when applied to contemporary political questions. Strong A-level responses should define the relevant political concepts, distinguish institutions and actors, use precise evidence and explain the consequences of the argument. Evaluation should test an alternative interpretation, consider the limits of the evidence and reach a judgement that answers the exact command word rather than repeating a general topic description.
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Objectives
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Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
AqaA LevelPoliticsPaper 3 Political ideas
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Liberalism10 objectives
- Understand the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for liberalism.
- Analyse and evaluate debates about the nature of liberalism.
- Analyse and evaluate core liberal ideas and values concerning the individual and freedom.
- Analyse and evaluate classical liberalism and modern or progressive liberalism.
- Relate John Locke's natural rights, liberty, individualism and fiduciary power of government to liberal thinking on human nature, the state, society and the economy.
- Relate John Stuart Mill's criticism of hedonism, freedom, integrity, self-respect and distinction between self-regarding and other-regarding actions to liberal thinking.
- Relate John Rawls's concept and principles of justice to liberal thinking.
- Relate Thomas Hill Green's self-development, role of the state and negative and positive freedom to liberal thinking.
- Relate Mary Wollstonecraft's equality and rights, revolution controversy, criticism of aristocracy and republicanism to liberal thinking.
- Relate Betty Friedan's equal rights and involvement in US Civil Rights and feminist movements to liberal thinking.
Conservatism9 objectives
- Understand the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for conservatism.
- Analyse and evaluate debates about the nature of conservatism.
- Analyse and evaluate core conservative ideas and values concerning government, the free market and the individual.
- Analyse and evaluate strands of conservative thinking from traditional conservatism to the New Right.
- Relate Thomas Hobbes's account of human nature, laws of nature, sovereign power, the individual and self-protection to conservative thinking.
- Relate Edmund Burke's anti-Jacobinism, Whig principles and responses to the American and French Revolutions to conservative thinking.
- Relate Michael Oakeshott's defence of tradition, criticism of rationalism and Politics of Faith versus Politics of Scepticism to conservative thinking.
- Relate Ayn Rand's opposition to collectivism and statism, ethical egoism and individual rights to conservative thinking.
- Relate Robert Nozick's limited state and justification of wealth inequalities arising from freely exchanged contracts to conservative thinking.
Socialism9 objectives
- Understand the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for socialism.
- Analyse and evaluate debates about the nature of socialism.
- Analyse and evaluate core socialist views and values concerning Marxism, class analysis and the fundamental goals of socialism.
- Analyse and evaluate differing views and tensions within and between revolutionary socialism and social democracy.
- Relate Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's class analysis, class struggle and dialectical materialism to socialist thinking.
- Relate Rosa Luxemburg's account of revolution, capacity of the masses, spontaneity and party-oriented class struggle to socialist thinking.
- Relate Beatrice Webb's co-operative movement, co-operative federalism and co-operative individualism to socialist thinking.
- Relate Anthony Crosland's criticism of Marxism and nationalisation and his values of personal liberty, social welfare and equality to socialist thinking.
- Relate Anthony Giddens's rejection of traditional socialism and Third Way combination of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies to socialist thinking.
Key terms
political ideology and prescribed argumentLiberalism focusDebates about the nature of liberalism focusCore liberal ideas and values concerning the individual and freedom focusClassical liberalism and modern or progressive liberalism focusRelate John Locke's natural rights, liberty, individualism and fiduciary power of government focusRelate John Stuart Mill's criticism of hedonism, freedom, integrity, self-respect and distinction focusRelate John Rawls's concept and principles of justice to liberal thinking focusRelate Thomas Hill Green's self-development, role of the state and negative and focusRelate Mary Wollstonecraft's equality and rights, revolution controversy, criticism of aristocracy and focuscivil-rights protection and campaigningRelate Betty Friedan's equal rights and involvement in US Civil Rights and focus
Exam tips
- Liberalism Politics exam tip 1: Use a precise political example to support each developed point. Apply this to understand the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for liberalism..
- Liberalism Politics exam tip 1: Use a precise political example to support each developed point. Apply this to analyse and evaluate debates about the nature of liberalism..
Common mistakes
- Liberalism Politics mistake 1: Add a competing viewpoint, test it with political evidence, explain its limit and reach a substantiated judgement. Keep AO1, AO2 and AO3 distinct.
- Liberalism Politics mistake 1: Add a competing viewpoint, test it with political evidence, explain its limit and reach a substantiated judgement. Keep AO1, AO2 and AO3 distinct.
Practice preview
- What is the strongest basis for judging prescribed concepts terminology liberalism — the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for liberalism? Use the relevant political concepts and evidence from Liberalism.
- Which interpretation should a candidate challenge when discussing prescribed concepts terminology liberalism — the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for liberalism? Use the relevant political concepts and evidence from Liberalism.
- How should the argument about prescribed concepts terminology liberalism — the meaning of the prescribed key concepts and terminology for liberalism? Use the relevant political concepts and evidence from Liberalism.
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