Liberalism (Edexcel A Level Politics): Flashcards

Equality of opportunity allows individuals the chance to develop their abilities and talents.

Liberal democracy combines democratic participation with liberal values such as rights, tolerance and the rule of law.

Liberal democracy can risk the tyranny of the majority, where popular opinion undermines individual rights.

Classical liberalism supports a limited 'nightwatchman' state whose primary role is to protect natural rights and maintain law and order.

Negative liberty is freedom from state interference, the belief that individuals should be free as long as they do not harm others, and it is favoured by classical liberals.

Meritocracy is the classical liberal belief that individuals succeed based on their own talent, effort and responsibility rather than birth or social class.

False.

Classical liberals favour a free-market economy with minimal state regulation, believing economic freedom supports individual liberty.

The US Declaration of Independence (1776) reflected the classical liberal belief in natural rights, stating that all men are created equal and have unalienable rights.

Positive liberty is freedom to achieve one's potential, often requiring state support to overcome social and economic barriers, and it is favoured by modern liberals.

Modern liberals accept capitalism but argue for greater economic regulation to prevent exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals.

The enabling state is a state that takes an active role in ensuring equality of opportunity so that all individuals can flourish.

False.

Modern liberalism emphasises positive liberty, while it is classical liberalism that prioritises freedom from the state.

Welfare measures such as the National Insurance Act (1911) reflect social justice, the modern liberal belief that the state should provide welfare so that individuals can develop their abilities.

The reforms are an example of modern liberalism because they created an enabling state that intervened in welfare and health to promote positive liberty, helping individuals achieve genuine freedom rather than simply limiting the state.

The reforms are associated with Herbert Asquith, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill.

Natural rights are the rights to life, liberty and property that individuals possess simply because they are rational human beings.

Locke argued that government authority is legitimate only if it is based on the consent of the governed.

False.

Locke argued that natural rights existed before government and must be protected rather than granted by the state.

The social contract is Locke's idea that government is legitimate only when citizens consent to it in exchange for protection of their natural rights, and they retain the right to withdraw that consent.

Wollstonecraft argued that women are rational individuals and are therefore entitled to the same natural rights as men.

John Stuart Mill is best known for the harm principle, which states that individuals should be free to act unless their actions harm others.

Mill supported tolerance and freedom of expression because open debate is necessary for rational decision-making and helps refine truth through discussion.

The difference principle is Rawls's idea that social and economic inequalities are only acceptable if they benefit the most disadvantaged members of society.

Rawls used the veil of ignorance as a thought experiment to demonstrate fairness.

True.

Rawls argued a just society must guarantee equal basic liberties for all citizens, which he called the greatest equal liberty principle.

'The problem that has no name' is Betty Friedan's term for the deep dissatisfaction women felt because society assumed their fulfilment should come solely from marriage and childcare.

Friedan argued that genuine freedom for women requires both formal legal equality and state-supported opportunities such as childcare and equal employment rights.