levo

Liberalism

Modern Liberalism and the Continuity Debate

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 3

Overview

Recall questions on how the modern view of society differs, what new liberalism means, and the arguments that it betrays or continues classical liberalism.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Process

Summarise the argument that modern liberalism betrays classical liberalism.

Process

Where do the two strands most clearly divide?

Key term

How does the modern liberal view of society differ from the classical view?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How does the modern liberal view of society differ from the classical view?

    Model answer

    Modern liberals accept that individuals are shaped by their social circumstances and have obligations to one another, rather than seeing society as merely atomised individuals.

  2. 2

    Explain what is meant by 'new liberalism'.

    Model answer

    New liberalism is the late nineteenth and early twentieth century current, associated with Green and his followers, that argued liberty required state action against poverty and ignorance.

  3. 3

    Summarise the argument that modern liberalism betrays classical liberalism.

    Model answer

    Critics say it licenses high taxation, an expanding bureaucracy and paternalism, undermining the negative freedom, self-reliance and small government that liberalism originally defended.

  4. 4

    Summarise the argument that modern liberalism is a continuation of classical liberalism.

    Model answer

    Its supporters say it keeps the same goal of individual self-fulfilment, and simply recognises that in an industrial society freedom requires opportunity as well as the absence of restraint.

  5. 5

    On what fundamentals do classical and modern liberals still agree?

    Model answer

    Both prize the individual, rationality, toleration, constitutional and accountable government, the rule of law, private property and a market-based economy.

  6. 6

    Where do the two strands most clearly divide?

    Model answer

    They divide over the conception of freedom and therefore the size of the state: minimal and negative for classical liberals, enabling and positive for modern liberals.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

The Nature and Sources of the British Constitution
The Structure and Role of Parliament
The Prime Minister and Cabinet
The UK Judiciary

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

The Code.
MinisterialCabinetParliamentary

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AA US court can strike down a hostile law using the constitution.
BA UK court cannot.
CChange must come from persuading legislators.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Veto means formal rejection of legislation.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Liberalism, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.