AO1: All liberals agree with citizens having a political voice and freedoms under a democratic system based on consent, as opposed to authoritarianism or dictatorship. AO2: All liberals prefer democracy to authoritarianism or dictatorship, extending political rights to individuals, with regular free and fair elections. AO3: We can conclude that all liberals believe political freedom and personal choice, based on democracy, is both compatible with and essential for a free society. AO1: Equally there is clear unity in liberalism over the concerns about democracy advancing group control over the individual. AO2: It is a common fear amongst liberals that too much decision making based on the majority can override individual freedom, and lead to the tyranny of the majority. AO3: All liberals are therefore concerned that democracy can threaten individual liberty unless based on some form of contract (Locke). AO1: All liberals endorse constitutionalism to mitigate democracy by ensuring separation of powers, and checks and balances. AO2: All liberals are united in the belief that any democratic system must be accompanied by a clear and strong constitutional framework to control democratic power and ensure accountability. AO3: Liberals accept Locke's beliefs that separating and codifying the constitution is essential to preventing the dominance of any one individual or tyranny of the majority.

AO1: Modern liberals and classical liberals disagree about how far democracy can co-exist alongside individual rights and freedoms. AO2: There is disagreement between classical and modern liberals as to how far individual rights and freedoms can be protected under a democracy. Whilst Modern liberals came to a compromise between freedom and democracy, Classical liberals were always concerned about this issue. AO3: We can conclude that whilst this balance is the cornerstone of what is termed 'liberal democracy', liberals continue to disagree on where the balance lies. AO1: Classical liberals feared that mass participation might create social unrest and possible revolt, sometimes favouring a limited franchise, whilst modern liberals see participation as developmental and strengthening social cohesion. AO2: Classical liberals such as Mill, often whilst supporting some extension of the franchise, were initially suspicious of mass democracy as giving power to the uneducated masses could destroy the state and its institutions, destabilising society. In contrast modern liberals are less fearful of the consequences of majority rule, seeing it as developmental and promoting social unity. AO3: We can conclude that there is a tension over whether democracy is the 'best' system, or merely the 'least bad'. AO1: Modern liberals accept a wider scope of democracy, to venture into areas such as social justice, whereas classical liberals emphasise its limited nature. AO2: Classical liberals felt that democracy should operate with a limited state, and therefore be restricted to choosing a government rather than to encourage a greater government role; whereas modern liberals welcome calls from the electorate for greater government involvement. AO3: We can conclude that Modern liberalism's focus on justice, as seen by as seen by Rawls in his Theory of Justice, or in the cause of formal equality and equality of opportunity as advanced by both Wollstonecraft and Friedan, represents a significant departure from Classical liberal ideas.