Evaluation
Edexcel A-Level Politics 9PL0
Democracy and Participation
Political Parties
Electoral Systems
Voting Behaviour and the Media
Liberalism
Conservatism
Socialism
The Constitution
Parliament
The Prime Minister and the Executive
Relations Between the Branches
AnarchismNon-core
EcologismNon-core
FeminismNon-core
MulticulturalismNon-core
NationalismNon-core
The US Constitution and FederalismUSA
US CongressUSA
Topic overviewThe structure of Congress and congressional electionsThe distribution of powers within CongressRepresentation: incumbency and influences on how members voteThe legislative process and gridlockOversight and relations with the presidencyChecks on the other branches, and debates about Congress
The US PresidencyUSA
The US Supreme Court and Civil RightsUSA
Topic overviewThe living Constitution and originalismJudicial review, appointments and the current CourtJudicial activism, restraint and public policyHow effectively the Supreme Court protects rightsThe limits of Supreme Court rights protectionAffirmative action: successes and failuresRacial rights campaigns, voting rights and representationImmigration reform and equality
US Democracy and ParticipationUSA
Comparative Theories and the UK-US ComparisonUSA
Topic overviewComparing the UK and US legislatures: structure and powersComparing the UK and US legislatures: strengths and approachesComparing the executives: powers and selectionComparing the executives: accountability and approachesComparing the Supreme Courts: powers and appointmentsComparing rights protection and interest group litigationComparing party systems and party ideasComparing campaign finance and pressure groupsApplying the three approaches to democracy and participationComparative theories: rational, cultural and structuralComparing the UK and US constitutions
The State and GlobalisationGlobal
Global Governance: Political and EconomicGlobal
Global Governance: Human Rights and EnvironmentalGlobal
Topic overviewInternational law and human rights institutionsHumanitarian intervention and the Responsibility to ProtectEnvironmental governance: the UNFCCC and the IPCCThe effectiveness of international law and international courtsDeep and shallow green ecology and the tragedy of the commonsInternational environmental agreements from Rio to ParisGlobal civil society and NGOs
Power and DevelopmentsGlobal
Topic overviewDifferent types of power: hard, soft and structuralGreat powers, superpowers and emerging powersPolarity and the changing world orderSystems of government and their consequences for global orderThe development and spread of liberal economies, the rule of law and democracyHow power and developments address contemporary global issues
Regionalism and the European UnionGlobal
Topic overviewRegionalism: forms and growthRegionalism, sovereignty and levels of integrationNAFTA, the USMCA and the African UnionThe Arab League and ASEANThe treaties that built the European UnionEU institutions and enlargementEconomic and Monetary Union and the euroSupranationalism, intergovernmentalism and the drivers of integrationThe EU's political and economic influenceThe EU's military influence and normative powerHow regionalism addresses conflict, poverty and rightsThe limits of regionalism in resolving global issues
Global Comparative TheoriesGlobal
Anarchism
- 7 subtopics
- 21 things to know
- Component 2
- Component 2 option, chosen from five
What Anarchism covers
Covers the ideology that rejects the state outright: the moral case against political authority, the claim that order arises without it, the split between collectivist and individualist traditions, and the thinkers from Stirner to Goldman.
Where it is assessed
Component 2
One non-core political idea, of which a student sits one of five.
Check the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗The 7 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Anarchism: core ideas and the rejection of the stateRecall questions on anti-statism, autonomy, altruism and direct action, and on why anarchists hold the state to be immoral and corrupting.Open →
- Liberty, order and the anarchist economyRecall questions on why anarchists hold liberty to be essential to human nature, how the strands differ on liberty and human nature, the claim that anarchy is order, anarchist views of the economy, and the utopian dimension and the criticism it draws.Open →
- Collectivist and individualist anarchism comparedRecall questions on how the two traditions read human nature differently and what each concludes about ownership and exchange.Open →
- Types of collectivist anarchismRecall questions on anarcho-communism, mutualism and anarcho-syndicalism, and on what distinguishes each from the others.Open →
- Types of individualist anarchismRecall questions on anarcho-capitalism and egoism, what would replace the state under each, and why they are classed as individualist.Open →
- Stirner and ProudhonRecall questions on Stirner's egoism, the Union of Egoists and insurrection, and on Proudhon's mutualism and rejection of both property and collectivism.Open →
- Bakunin, Kropotkin and GoldmanRecall questions on Bakunin on the state and collectivisation, Kropotkin on mutual aid, and Goldman on why reform and political participation are futile.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Evaluation
How do the two anarchist traditions divide?
Process
How do anarchists understand government, and what is their objection to it?
Who and when
According to anarchists, what is the source of spontaneous social order?
Key term
What different methods do anarchists propose for achieving economic freedom?
Who and when
How does mutualism differ from anarcho-communism in its approach to economic organisation?
Who and when
Define anarcho-communism.
Key term
Why did Stirner advocate insurrection rather than revolution or organised political action?
Key term
Why did Bakunin argue the state must be abolished?
Who and when
How did Emma Goldman describe the state, and on what grounds did she reject it?
Who and when
According to collectivist anarchism, what is human nature like when freed from oppressive structures?
Key term
Name the two types of individualist anarchism.
Key term
What is anarcho-capitalism?
Key term
Define collectivisation as understood by anarcho-communists and collectivist anarchists.
Key term
How do anarchists define power, and what is their view of its exercise?
Key term
Why is liberty considered critical to human nature in anarchist thought?
Key term
If humans are freed from oppressive structures, would a collectivist anarchist expect them to compete or cooperate? Explain why.
Key term
Name the three types of collectivist anarchism.
Key term
Define anarcho-capitalism.
Who and when
According to Max Stirner, where does moral authority ultimately reside?
Who and when
What did Bakunin advocate should replace private property?
Take Anarchism further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Individualist anarchism vs Collectivist anarchism
Individualist anarchism: stateless order grounded in personal autonomy. Collectivist anarchism: stateless order grounded in communal cooperation.
Anarcho-capitalism vs Anarcho-communism
Anarcho-capitalism: market exchange replaces state authority. Anarcho-communism: common ownership replaces state and private property.
Egoism vs Altruism
Egoism: self-interest forms the basis of action. Altruism: concern for others forms the basis of action.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How do anarchists define power, and what is their view of its exercise?
Model answer
Power is the capacity to influence or control the behaviour of others. Anarchists view it as inherently corrupting and illegitimate when exercised coercively.
- 2
What does authority mean in anarchist thought, and why do anarchists reject it?
Model answer
Authority is the right to command and demand obedience. Anarchists reject it as incompatible with individual freedom and autonomy.
- 3
How do anarchists understand government, and what is their objection to it?
Model answer
Government refers to the institutions and mechanisms through which political decisions are made and enforced. Anarchists oppose it as an unnecessary imposition on free individuals.
- 4
Define the state as anarchists understand it, and explain why they consider it problematic.
Model answer
The state is the sovereign political entity claiming a monopoly over legitimate force within a territory. Anarchists consider it the primary obstacle to human freedom.
- 5
What is altruism in anarchist thought, and under what conditions do anarchists believe it flourishes?
Model answer
Altruism is the natural human capacity for selfless concern for others. Anarchists believe it flourishes in the absence of state coercion.
- 6
Define autonomy and explain its significance within anarchist philosophy.
Model answer
Autonomy means self-governance and the capacity of individuals to make their own decisions free from external control. Anarchists consider it essential to human dignity.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Anarchism revision questions
- What does Anarchism cover in Edexcel A-Level Politics?
- 7 subtopics: anarchism: core ideas and the rejection of the state, liberty, order and the anarchist economy, collectivist and individualist anarchism compared, types of collectivist anarchism, types of individualist anarchism, stirner and proudhon and bakunin, kropotkin and goldman. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Anarchism organised?
- By the Edexcel 9PL0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Anarchism, 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.
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