A level Edexcel Politics

Hey! I do the same course as you and have studied the three ideologies, so I might be able to help explain the basics and try to give some recommendations for you to look at online?

There are three core political ideologies you need to know for Paper 1
- Conservatism
- Liberalism
- Socialism

In the specification for the exam, for each ideology you must know the core ideas and principles, the differing ideas within the ideology, and examples of key political thinkers

Within these ideologies, there are internal divisions, but I'll briefly outline the general ideas of each ideology also:

Conservatism:
Core ideas:
- Right-wing approach to politics
- Tradition - Conservatives like to preserve the traditional institutions in society i.e. the monarchy etc
- Organicism - society should evolve organically, rather than by people trying to change it radically
- Paternalism - those at the top of society (the King, the aristocracy) havea duty to look after people at the bottom of society (but this is limited)
- Pragmatism - a flexible approach to society, decisions are made on the basis of what works e.g. if it works don't change it!
- Human imperfection - humans are incapable of making good decisions in society

Differing views within conservatism:
- Traditional - committed to hierarchy and paternalism
- One-Nation - updating of traditional conservatism in response to the emergence of capitalism
- New Right - the marriage of neo-liberal (free-market economics, individualism) and neo-conservative (tough law and order) ideas

Conservative thinkers:
- Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679 (traditional thinker)
- Edmund Burke 1729-1797 (traditional)
- Michael Oakeshott 1901-1990 (traditional)
- Ayn Rand 1905-1982 (neo-liberal)
- Robert Nozick 1938-2002 (neo-liberal)

Liberalism:
Core ideas:
- Centrist
- Individualism - the primacy of the individual in society over groups
- Freedom - ability to make decisions in your own interests
- State - necessary to avoid disorder, but evil as it can remove freedom
- Rationalism - humans are rational
- Equality - individuals are of equal value
- Liberal democracy - democracy the balances will of people with limited government

Differing views within liberalism:
- Classical - individual freedom is best achieved with a limited state
- Modern - reaction against free-market capitalism - freedom needs state intervention

Liberal thinkers:
- John Locke 1632-1704 (classical thinker)
- Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-97 (classical)
- John Stuart Mill 1806-73 (classical)
- John Rawls 1921-2002 (modern)
- Betty Friedan 1921-2006 (modern)

Socialism
Core ideas:
- Left-wing
- Collectivism - collective human effort is of greater value to the economy and to society than individuals alone
- Common humanity - individuals cannot be understood without reference to society
- Equality - same as liberalism, but role of the state is larger
- Social class - group of people who have the same socioeconomic status
- Workers' control - workers' control over the economy and state

Differing views within socialism:
- Revolutionary - socialism can only come by the overthrow of existing societal structures
- Social democracy - wishes to humanise capitalism in the interests of social justice
- Third Way - middle-ground route to socialism and free-market capitalism

Socialist thinkers:
- Karl Marx 1818-83 and Friedrich Engels 1820-95 (revolutionary thinkers)
- Beatrice Webb 1858-1943 (social democracy)
- Rosa Luxemburg 1871-1919 (revolutionary)
- Anthony Crosland 1918-77 (social democracy)
- Anthony Giddens 1938- (Third Way)

I hope this is somewhat helpful! For more help I would recommend subscribing the Pre-Chewed Politics online (or perhaps ask your school if they could?) as this online resource is super helpful.

Meanwhile these may help?:
https://www.stokenewingtonschool.co.uk/asset/2209
https://www.tutor2u.net/politics/reference/a-level-politics-study-note-listing-core-political-ideas-liberalism
https://www.tutor2u.net/politics/reference/a-level-politics-study-note-listing-core-political-ideas-conservatism
https://www.tutor2u.net/politics/reference/a-level-politics-study-note-listing-core-political-ideas-socialism

Hope this is helpful!

THANK YOU SO MUCH. So sweet of you to do, thank you. How are you getting on with the rest of the course?

It's okay!!! Anything helps I'm finding the US Politics part the most difficult I think because American politics just seems so complicated How about you?

I have found US politics more straight forward than UK politics. I think the codified constitution makes everything more matter-of-fact and easier to understand personally.

So my class has only just been told that there are three political ideologies to learn as part of paper 1 (Conservatism, Liberalism and Socialism)😭Reading through notes on my own I’m struggling to understand, especially the difference in the internal divides of the ideologies, I don’t suppose anyone knows any good websites or podcasts or videos that could explain this?
The amount content for politics seems absolutely ridiculous, especially for paper 3 global politics and now this too!