18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
One Nation conservatism(tap to reveal)- One Nation conservatism says the rich must help the poor - not out of equality, but because a divided society is unstable. Limited welfare and reform are acceptable to keep the country together.Use it: Use One Nation conservatism to show that not all conservatives reject state intervention. Contrast with New Right neo-liberalism. Useful for questions on tensions within conservatism.
Traditional conservatism(tap to reveal)- The oldest form of conservatism: value what has been passed down to us, change things slowly and carefully, and be suspicious of grand political theories.Use it: Use traditional conservatism to contrast with the New Right, which traditional conservatives criticise as just another ideology. Useful for questions on whether conservatism is a coherent ideology.
Anti-permissiveness(tap to reveal)- The view that society needs clear moral rules and that excessive personal freedom in lifestyle choices leads to social breakdown.
Atomism(tap to reveal)- The New Right idea that society is made up of independent, self-sufficient individuals rather than a connected whole.
Authority (Conservative)(tap to reveal)- The idea that people in positions of power deserve respect and obedience, because this order keeps society stable.
Change to conserve(tap to reveal)- The idea that some gradual change is necessary to protect the most important aspects of society, rather than resisting all change.
Dependency culture(tap to reveal)- The New Right argument that too much welfare spending makes people dependent on benefits and stops them from taking responsibility for themselves.
Empiricism(tap to reveal)- The belief that decisions should be based on real experience and evidence, rather than grand theories or abstract ideologies.
Free market(tap to reveal)- An economy where prices and production are set by buyers and sellers without government control, allowing competition to allocate resources.
Hierarchy(tap to reveal)- The Conservative belief that society naturally organises itself into different levels of authority and status, which provides stability.
Human imperfection(tap to reveal)- The Conservative belief that humans are naturally flawed and cannot be trusted with unlimited freedom, which is why authority and tradition are needed.
Invisible hand (Smith)(tap to reveal)- Adam Smith's idea that when individuals act selfishly in a free market, the economy as a whole benefits as if guided by an invisible hand, without anyone needing to plan it.
Laissez-faire(tap to reveal)- The idea that the government should interfere as little as possible in the economy, leaving the free market to operate without restriction.
Market economy(tap to reveal)- An economy where markets, not governments, determine what is produced, how it is produced and who gets it, with prices guiding these decisions.
Middle way (conservative)(tap to reveal)- The idea, associated with Harold Macmillan, that Conservatives should find a middle path between pure capitalism and socialism, supporting a mixed economy and welfare state.
Monetarism(tap to reveal)- The economic theory that inflation is caused by having too much money in circulation, and that governments should control the money supply rather than using spending to manage the economy.
Neo-liberalism(tap to reveal)- The revival of free-market economics from the 1970s onwards, promoting privatisation, deregulation, free trade and cutting the state, associated with Thatcher and Reagan.
Noblesse oblige(tap to reveal)- A French phrase meaning that the wealthy and privileged have a duty to help and protect those less fortunate.