To what extent is Liberalism the dominant ideology in British politics? The term liberalism is generally associated with ideas such as liberty and equal rights. Associated with it are ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections and human rights. The UK government incorporates all the key aspects of liberalism in to their own organisation such as the fact that Britain comes from a constitution and the laws and rights of citizens are drawn from it. Liberalism was drawn from the age of enlightenment in which many religious restrictions were broken in order for meritocracy to strive which allowed individuals to strive on their own basis.
However, the New Right incorporates neo-liberalism, which is a moderation of liberalism that supports free market economics and the minimal role of the state. But it also incorporates neo-conservatism which contrasts from neo-liberalism as it has a strong stance on law and order and the authoritarian state, focusing on nationalism. Firstly the New Right can be said to internally coherent in a political sense and in terms of the compatibility of its goals. All members of the New Right are capable of accepting a strong but minimal state as neo-conservatives believe in an authoritarian strong state in which they prevent excessive freedom due to their view on human nature, but not excessive state so there is not a dependency culture created. The neo liberals also believe that there should be minimal state but in an economic sense, and this is in order to allow capitalism to flourish without excessive restraints and laws imposed on business, and this is to encourage competition in the market to improve efficiency and profit.
I would argue that this decision would suggest continuity as opposed to change within the political system as it was a way for the Government to seem more liberal. By introducing these individuals, the Tory Party saw an introduction of tolerance for new ideas and possibly even a new perspective. This alone can be argued as a reason for 1822 being a turning point; however the reforms these men progressed to introduce could initiate a wider view upon the argument. Liberal economic reforms that were put in place are the Reciprocity of Duties Act 1823, the relaxation of trade restriction and Robinson’s desire to reduce domestic duties. These all promoted free trade, hence attempting an improvement within the economy.
In fact Conservatism has often been described as chameleon like, in that it changes its appearance according to the dominant political environment at a given time. In the 19th century, when liberalism was its main opponent, conservatism adopted an organic vision of society, seeing it as a living entity and expecting people to demonstrate a sense of responsibility towards each other. When socialism came to the forefront, conservative changed course and began to emphasise the virtues of free markets and individualism to combat collectivist ideas. Such an adaptable movement cannot be described as ideological in nature. It is common to view conservatives as two strands of government the ‘wets’ and the ‘dry’s’, wets are seen to be more collectivist and believe in a greater role of government, such as planning or intervention, whereas dry’s are more neo-liberal,
Discuss how democratic Britain became during the period 1830-1918 Britain underwent significant social and political changes from 1850-1918 and these changes resulted in the government and country becoming more democratic. The years before the first world war saw a huge change in Britain. The country became much more modernized and urbanized and this change in Britain put a strain on old aristocratic constitution. It was a time when citizens were becoming increasingly aware of the lack of democracy within the country. This essay plans to analyse and explain the extension of the franchise from 1830 and to asses whether Britain was fully democratic by 1918.
Origins of American Democracy G. Democracy's Origins in Popular Protest: The Influence of the Reformation and the Enlightenment H. The Modern Political Philosophy of Hobbes and Locke I. The Creation of the United States as an Experiment in Representative Democracy V. Political Culture and American Values J. Liberty K. Equality L. Capitalism xxv. Key concept of capitalism is property i) Ex: business, home, farm, material
In this essay will be argued that John F. Kennedy believed in a bottom-up model of government following the school of Locke. The bottom up view sees institutions directed from the lower levels, emerging from the social customs, traditions, beliefs and values of individuals within a society, with the written law only formalizing what is already mainly shaped by the attitudes of individuals. The top down view of institutions sees them as controlled, directed, organized from the top, determined by laws written by political leaders. Locke, in his Second Treatise of Government (1690), presents a liberal theory of government. All men are free and equal.
For Woodrow Wilson, only a democratic republic could be a genuine nation-state. Wilson also argued that the nation-state is capable of upholding peace and international order because nation-states would naturally respect the sovereignty of their neighbours. Furthermore, conflict would cause disorder within, so there is an inward motivation as well. This belief in the natural peacefulness of nation-states leads liberal nationalists to the belief that internationalism and nationalism are compatible concepts. Internationalism is the theory or practice of politics based on global cooperation.
Political ideas and beliefs in UK politics are based on either left wing or right wing politics. Left wingers generally support social welfare and economic intervention i.e. the Labour party. Right wingers support a free market or unregulated capitalism i.e. the Conservatives.
By combining the doctrines of government by consent and constitutionalism, modern liberals have found a way of reconciling effective government with the right and freedoms of both the individual and intermediate groups. This effects the policies of the other mainstream parties as it provides a more secure relationship within society leading the other parties to follow this. Classical liberals are largely inspired by the philosophy of John Stuart mill. Mill described the scope of liberty as “absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific moral or theological….” Mill believed that freedom would maximise human progress by promoting innovations, creativity and self-fulfilment. This shows that Mill saw humans as creative individuals thus leading to an interest of tolerance as a political virtue i.e.