Conservatism | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
Conservatism
- 77 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Paper 3: the three core ideologies, all compulsory
- Paper 3
Human imperfection, organic society and the authority of tradition, running through traditional and one-nation conservatism to the New Right and the tension inside it between free markets and social order..
It covers human Imperfection in Conservative Thought, organic Society and Paternalism, traditional, One-Nation and New Right Conservatism, the New Right: Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Conservatism, hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott and rand and Nozick.
Sample questions from Conservatism
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Human Imperfection in Conservative Thought
Why does intellectual imperfection make conservatives distrust grand theories?
Show the answer
Human reason cannot grasp the complexity of society, so plans built on abstract principle are likely to do more harm than the problems they set out to solve. -
Human Imperfection in Conservative Thought
What is empiricism, and why do conservatives prefer it to rationalism?
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Empiricism grounds knowledge in observation and experience; conservatives prefer it because tested practice is more reliable a guide than untested abstract reasoning. -
Organic Society and Paternalism
Where do conservatives believe authority comes from?
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It arises naturally from above, from experience and position, in institutions such as the family, the school and the state, and it gives people the guidance and boundaries they need. -
Organic Society and Paternalism
Define anti-permissiveness.
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It is opposition to the idea that people should choose their own morality, on the grounds that shared moral standards are needed to hold society together. -
Traditional, One-Nation and New Right Conservatism
Explain one-nation conservatism.
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It is the tradition, associated with Disraeli, that warned of Britain dividing into two nations of rich and poor and urged social reform by the governing class to bind the nation together. -
Traditional, One-Nation and New Right Conservatism
Name the two elements of the New Right.
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Neo-liberalism, which is a free-market economic doctrine, and neo-conservatism, which is a socially authoritarian moral doctrine. -
The New Right: Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Conservatism
What holds the two halves of the New Right together?
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Both reject the post-war consensus and social democratic collectivism, and both want a state that is strong in defending order and the nation while withdrawing from the economy. -
The New Right: Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Conservatism
Explain what is meant by describing the New Right's ideal as a strong but minimal state.
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The state withdraws from running the economy and providing extensive welfare, but is reinforced in policing, punishment, defence and the assertion of national interests.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Human Imperfection in Conservative Thought | Recall questions on the conservative view of human nature, the three aspects of imperfection and what follows politically from each. | 9 |
| Organic Society and Paternalism | Recall questions on what an organic society means, the institutions conservatives treat as foundations, and paternalism and noblesse oblige. | 17 |
| Traditional, One-Nation and New Right Conservatism | Recall questions on traditional conservatism and its view of society, one-nation conservatism and social reform, and the neo-liberal and neo-conservative elements of the New Right. | 8 |
| The New Right: Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Conservatism | Recall questions on the neo-liberal view of the individual, the concerns of neo-conservatism and the tension between them. | 14 |
| Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott | Recall questions on Hobbes's state of nature and sovereign, Burke's view of revolution, the little platoons, reform and the natural aristocracy, and Oakeshott's critique of rationalism and the politics of faith and scepticism. | 19 |
| Rand and Nozick | Recall questions on Rand's objectivism, egoism and opposition to collectivism, and on Nozick's minimal state, entitlement theory of justice and objection to redistributive taxation. | 10 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,215 questions with their answers.