Traditional, one-nation and New Right conservatism | Edexcel A-Level Politics
Updated: 2 days ago
For Specification 9PL0
Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time:Â 55 to 65 minutes
These Traditional, one-nation and New Right conservatism A-Level Politics revision notes explore the major divisions within conservative thought. You will compare traditional and one-nation conservatism before examining the New Right as a combination of neo-liberal and neo-conservative ideas. The central challenge is to understand both agreement and disagreement within conservatism, particularly over human nature, society, the state, the economy and political change. This builds directly on human imperfection, paternalism and libertarianism.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Explain the defining features of traditional conservatism.
Explain how one-nation conservatism updates traditional conservatism in response to capitalism.
Explain the New Right as a combination of neo-liberal and neo-conservative ideas.
Distinguish neo-liberalism from neo-conservatism.
Compare conservative views of human nature, society, the state, the economy and change.
Evaluate the extent to which agreement or disagreement is more significant within conservatism.
Revision Notes đź“š
Traditional, one-nation and New Right conservatism A-Level Politics revision
Conservatism is not a single, completely unified body of ideas.
The Edexcel specification identifies three important conservative strands:
Traditional conservatism, committed to hierarchical and paternalistic values.
One-nation conservatism, an updating of traditional conservatism in response to the emergence of capitalism.
The New Right, which combines neo-liberal and neo-conservative ideas.
The New Right itself therefore contains two distinct elements:
neo-liberalism, principally concerned with free-market economics and atomistic individualism;
neo-conservatism, principally concerned with the fear of social fragmentation, strong law and order and public morality.
Understanding these distinctions is essential because Political Ideas questions often require you to judge the extent of agreement and disagreement rather than simply describe each strand.
The three strands at a glance
Area | Traditional conservatism | One-nation conservatism | New Right |
Basic character | Hierarchical and paternalistic | Updates traditional conservatism in response to capitalism | Combines neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism |
Society | Organic | Organic | Neo-liberalism stresses atomistic individualism |
Human nature | Human imperfection | Human imperfection | Neo-liberalism places greater emphasis on rational individualism |
Paternalism | Authoritarian paternalism | Social obligation and noblesse oblige | Rejected particularly by neo-liberalism |
Change | Cautious and pragmatic | Cautious and pragmatic | More ideological and potentially radical |
Economy | Not based on neo-liberal free-market individualism | Adaptation to capitalism | Neo-liberal emphasis on free markets |
Morality and order | Authority and hierarchy important | Order and social cohesion important | Neo-conservatism stresses law, order and public morality |
The most important examination skill is to turn these differences into direct comparisons.
Traditional conservatism
The specification defines traditional conservatism through its commitment to hierarchical and paternalistic values.
Traditional conservatism therefore draws heavily on ideas already studied in pragmatism and tradition and human imperfection and organic society.
Its central assumptions include:
human beings are imperfect;
society is organic;
hierarchy is natural;
authority comes from above;
paternalism can be justified;
tradition is valuable;
change should be cautious rather than radical.
These ideas reinforce one another.
Traditional conservatism and human imperfection
Traditional conservatives believe that humans are psychologically, morally and intellectually imperfect.
This contributes to support for authority because individuals cannot always be trusted to make wise decisions entirely for themselves.
The relationship is:
Human imperfection
↓
individual judgement is limited
↓
need for order and stability
↓
hierarchy and authority
↓
paternalistic government
Traditional conservatism therefore has a relatively pessimistic understanding of human nature.
Thomas Hobbes can be used to support this aspect of conservatism because the specification associates him with human beings as needy, vulnerable and easily led astray and with the importance of order.
You will develop this thinker link in Hobbes, Burke and Oakeshott.
Traditional conservatism and organic society
Traditional conservatives take an organic view of society.
Society is regarded as an interconnected whole rather than simply a collection of independent individuals.
This supports both:
hierarchy, because different parts of society occupy different positions;
authority, because those in higher positions can exercise legitimate leadership.
Traditional conservatives therefore reject the idea that society should necessarily be reorganised around completely autonomous individuals.
Traditional conservatism and hierarchy
Hierarchy is the conservative belief that society is naturally organised into fixed tiers.
According to the Edexcel glossary, an individual's position within this hierarchy is not based simply on individual ability.
Hierarchy is regarded as contributing to an ordered society by creating:
defined positions;
clear responsibilities;
authority;
stability.
Traditional conservatism therefore sees social inequality differently from an ideology committed to removing hierarchical distinctions.
Traditional conservatism and paternalism
Traditional conservatives support an authoritarian interpretation of paternalism.
Paternalism means benign power exercised from above by the state in what it regards as the interests of the people.
For traditional conservatives:
the state knows what is best
↓
individuals may be unable to make the best decisions for themselves
↓
people should accept direction from legitimate authority
This interpretation follows directly from human imperfection and hierarchy.
Paternalism is therefore not an isolated traditional conservative belief. It is the political consequence of a wider view of human beings and society.
One-nation conservatism
Edexcel defines one-nation conservatism as an updating of traditional conservatism in response to the emergence of capitalism.
This definition is particularly important.
One-nation conservatism does not simply reject traditional conservatism. It retains many traditional conservative principles while adapting them to changing social and economic circumstances.
This makes one-nation conservatism closely connected with conservative pragmatism.
What does one-nation conservatism retain?
One-nation conservatives broadly retain ideas such as:
human imperfection;
organic society;
hierarchy;
authority;
paternalism;
pragmatism;
cautious change.
The 2024 mark scheme identifies significant agreement between traditional and one-nation conservatives over organic society, pragmatism and human imperfection.
This means the distinction between traditional and one-nation conservatism should not be exaggerated.
One-nation conservatism is better understood as an adaptation of traditional conservatism rather than its complete replacement.
One-nation conservatism and capitalism
The key point of development is capitalism.
One-nation conservatism updates traditional conservative ideas in response to the social circumstances created by the emergence of capitalism.
This is an example of conservative pragmatism:
society changes
↓
existing conservative arrangements face new pressures
↓
conservatism adapts
↓
traditional principles are preserved in an updated form
This connects directly to change to conserve.
Conservative adaptation is justified when change is necessary to maintain wider social order and stability.
One-nation paternalism
One-nation conservatism gives paternalism a particular emphasis.
Rather than focusing only on obedience to authority, it stresses the obligation of the wealthy towards those who are unable to look after themselves.
This is expressed through noblesse oblige.
Noblesse oblige means the duty of the wealthy and privileged to look after those who are less fortunate.
The reasoning is based on organic society:
Society is interconnected
↓
social groups depend upon one another
↓
wealth and privilege create responsibilities
↓
the better-off have obligations towards the less fortunate
↓
social cohesion is protected
One-nation paternalism therefore combines hierarchy with responsibility.
Traditional versus one-nation paternalism
Traditional paternalism | One-nation paternalism |
More explicitly authoritarian | Greater emphasis on responsibility |
Authority knows what is best | Wealth and privilege carry obligations |
Individuals should accept direction from above | The better-off should assist those unable to look after themselves |
Rooted in hierarchy and human imperfection | Rooted strongly in organic society and noblesse oblige |
Both remain forms of paternalism.
The difference is primarily one of emphasis, not complete ideological opposition.
The New Right
The New Right represents a major challenge to much of traditional conservatism.
Edexcel describes its emergence as challenging much of what conservatism had traditionally stood for.
The New Right is not one completely unified philosophy.
Instead, it is the marriage of two elements:
neo-liberalism;
neo-conservatism.
These elements agree in some areas but also create an important internal tension within the New Right itself.
Neo-liberalism
Neo-liberalism is principally concerned with:
free-market economics;
atomistic individualism.
It represents the libertarian side of the New Right.
Neo-liberalism values:
liberty;
autonomy;
individual choice;
individual responsibility;
free markets;
limited economic intervention by the state.
The specification connects libertarianism specifically with neo-liberalism, describing it as seeking to maximise autonomy and free choice, particularly in the economy.
Neo-liberalism and atomism
One of the clearest differences between neo-liberalism and earlier conservative strands concerns society.
Traditional and one-nation conservatives support organic society.
Neo-liberals support atomism.
Atomism is the belief that society consists of self-interested and self-sufficient individuals.
The contrast is fundamental:
Organic conservatism | Neo-liberal atomism |
Society is an interconnected whole | Society consists of individuals |
Individuals exist within social relationships | Individuals are self-interested and self-sufficient |
Hierarchy and obligations are important | Autonomy and choice are important |
Can justify paternalism | Encourages rejection of paternalism |
This distinction has repeatedly featured in Edexcel assessment material as a major area of conservative disagreement.
Neo-liberalism and human nature
Traditional and one-nation conservatives emphasise human imperfection.
Neo-liberalism places much greater emphasis on the ability of individuals to pursue their own rational interests.
This matters because different views of human nature produce different views of government.
Traditional reasoning
Humans are imperfect → authority is necessary → paternalism can be justified
Neo-liberal reasoning
Individuals should exercise choice → autonomy should be maximised → paternalism should be limited or rejected
This is therefore not simply a disagreement about economic policy. It begins with a deeper disagreement about the individual.
Neo-liberalism and the economy
Neo-liberalism is especially concerned with free-market economics.
Its emphasis on economic liberty supports limited government interference in people's economic choices and businesses.
The Edexcel political parties glossary similarly describes neo-liberals as supporting a free-market approach and rolling back the state in people's lives and businesses.
This places neo-liberalism in tension with one-nation paternalism.
A one-nation conservative may accept action from above to preserve social cohesion, whereas neo-liberals are more concerned that government intervention can restrict individual autonomy.
Rand and Nozick
The specified thinkers Ayn Rand and Robert Nozick are especially useful when discussing neo-liberal conservatism.
Rand is associated in the specification with:
rational self-interest;
freedom;
laissez-faire capitalism.
Nozick is associated with:
libertarianism;
self-ownership.
These thinkers can therefore be used to support arguments about atomism, autonomy and economic liberty.
They are developed further in Rand and Nozick.
Neo-conservatism
Neo-conservatism is the second component of the New Right.
Unlike neo-liberalism, it is principally concerned with:
the fear of social fragmentation;
being tough on law and order;
public morality.
Neo-conservatism therefore has a much more authoritarian emphasis.
Fear of social fragmentation
Neo-conservatives fear the breakdown of social order and cohesion.
This gives them some common ground with older forms of conservatism.
Traditional conservatives also value:
social stability;
authority;
order.
However, the New Right combines this concern for order with neo-liberal economic and individual freedom.
That creates a central tension within New Right conservatism.
Law and order
Neo-conservatives support a strong approach to law and order.
This reflects concern that society requires clear rules and authority if social fragmentation is to be prevented.
The 2021 Edexcel mark scheme identified law and order as an important area of possible agreement between one-nation conservatism and the New Right, with both recognising the importance of order within society.
Public morality
Neo-conservatism also emphasises public morality.
This connects with anti-permissiveness.
Anti-permissiveness means rejecting the idea that individuals should simply make their own moral choices on the assumption that there is no objective right and wrong.
Neo-conservatism therefore argues for greater moral authority than neo-liberal individualism might initially suggest.
Neo-liberalism versus neo-conservatism
Students must be able to distinguish these two elements clearly.
Neo-liberalism | Neo-conservatism |
Concerned principally with free-market economics | Concerned principally with social fragmentation |
Atomistic individualism | Social order |
Individual autonomy | Authority |
Free choice | Law and order |
Economic liberty | Public morality |
Seeks to limit economic state intervention | Accepts a strong state in maintaining order and morality |
Libertarian emphasis | Authoritarian emphasis |
A useful memory aid is:
Neo-liberalism = freedom
Neo-conservatism = order
This is simplified, but it identifies the central distinction demanded by the specification.
The tension inside the New Right
The New Right combines ideas that can pull in different directions.
Neo-liberalism seeks to maximise individual liberty and choice.
Neo-conservatism seeks to protect order and public morality.
This creates an obvious tension:
How can individuals be maximally free while also being subject to strong moral and social authority?
The Edexcel specification does not require students to eliminate this contradiction. Instead, recognising it helps explain why the New Right itself contains ideological tensions.
The New Right can therefore support:
a relatively restricted state in the economy;
a much stronger state in law, order and public morality.
This is why describing the New Right simply as believing in a "small state" is too simplistic.
Conservative divisions over human nature
Human nature is one of the clearest areas of disagreement.
Traditional and one-nation conservatism
Both emphasise:
psychological imperfection;
moral imperfection;
intellectual imperfection.
Humans need stability, authority and guidance.
Neo-liberal New Right
Neo-liberalism places greater emphasis on:
rational self-interest;
individual autonomy;
self-reliance;
free choice.
The 2024 mark scheme identifies this as a fundamental disagreement between traditional and one-nation conservatism on one side and particularly neo-liberal New Right thinking on the other.
Comparison
Traditional/one-nation:Â humans are imperfect, so society and authority help provide order.
Neo-liberal:Â individuals should be free to pursue their own interests and exercise choice.
The disagreement over human nature therefore creates further disagreements about society and the state.
Conservative divisions over society
Traditional and one-nation conservatives take an organic view of society.
Neo-liberals take an atomistic view.
This is arguably one of the deepest divisions within conservatism.
Traditional and one-nation position
Society:
exists as a connected whole;
creates security;
supports hierarchy;
creates obligations between its members.
Neo-liberal position
Society:
consists of individuals;
should maximise individual autonomy;
should not unnecessarily restrict individual choice.
The 2019 examiner report specifically identified the distinction between organicism and atomistic individualism as something strong candidates explained clearly.
Conservative divisions over paternalism
Paternalism also creates significant tensions.
Traditional conservatives
Accept an authoritarian paternalism based upon the idea that those in authority know what is best.
One-nation conservatives
Accept paternalism particularly through obligations upon the wealthy to assist those less fortunate.
Neo-liberals
Reject paternalism because it conflicts with individual liberty, autonomy and responsibility.
This creates a clear ideological spectrum:
Traditional authority → one-nation social obligation → neo-liberal autonomy
Conservative divisions over the state
Conservatives are not simply divided between wanting a "large state" and a "small state".
This is too crude.
The role of the state depends partly on what the state is doing.
Traditional conservatism
Authority and paternalism can justify an active role in maintaining an ordered society.
One-nation conservatism
Government may fulfil paternalistic responsibilities in the interests of cohesion.
Neo-liberalism
Seeks less state intervention, particularly within the economy.
Neo-conservatism
Supports a stronger state where necessary to enforce:
law and order;
public morality;
social stability.
This explains a key New Right combination:
economically more libertarian + socially more authoritarian
The 2022 examiner report noted that stronger candidates recognised this contrast within the New Right, while weaker answers sometimes oversimplified conservative views into a basic "large state versus no state" debate.
Conservative divisions over the economy
Economic ideas create another divide.
Neo-liberalism is explicitly committed to free-market economics.
One-nation conservatism, by contrast, developed as an adaptation of traditional conservatism to the emergence of capitalism.
Both therefore operate in the context of capitalism, but their attitudes towards government responsibility differ.
The 2021 mark scheme identifies an area of agreement between one-nation and New Right conservatives in their support for capitalism and private property, while also identifying disagreement because one-nation paternalism can justify greater intervention whereas neo-liberalism opposes unnecessary interference with the free market.
This gives students an excellent example of partial agreement.
They can agree over the broad economic system while disagreeing about how freely it should operate.
Conservative divisions over pragmatism and change
Traditional and one-nation conservatives value pragmatism.
They tend to:
favour experience;
be suspicious of abstract ideological schemes;
support gradual adaptation;
favour change where necessary to conserve.
The New Right has a more ideological quality.
The 2024 mark scheme contrasts the pragmatic, flexible approach of traditional and one-nation conservatives with a New Right agenda capable of favouring more radical change.
Radical means favouring drastic political, economic or social change.
This creates an interesting irony.
Conservatism traditionally values caution towards change, yet part of the New Right can favour major changes when attempting to establish its preferred economic arrangements.
Comparison
Traditional and one-nation | New Right |
Pragmatic | More ideological |
Flexible response to circumstances | Stronger commitment to particular principles |
Gradual change | Can favour more radical change |
Tradition and experience | Neo-liberal free-market principles and neo-conservative moral principles |
This disagreement goes to the heart of what it means to be conservative.
Areas of agreement within conservatism
It is important not to write as though the strands disagree about everything.
Exam questions require balance.
Agreement between traditional and one-nation conservatives
This is particularly strong.
Both broadly support:
organic society;
human imperfection;
pragmatism;
hierarchy;
authority;
paternalism;
cautious change.
The 2024 mark scheme specifically identifies agreement over organic society, pragmatism and human imperfection.
Agreement between one-nation and the New Right
Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme identifies possible agreement over:
the existence of a state;
law and order;
capitalism and property.
However, the reasoning behind these positions may differ.
This is valuable AO2.
Two conservative strands can reach a similar conclusion for different ideological reasons.
Areas of disagreement within conservatism
The most important divisions include:
Issue | Main division |
Human nature | Human imperfection versus greater neo-liberal confidence in rational individual choice |
Society | Organicism versus atomism |
Paternalism | Authority and social obligation versus individual autonomy |
State | Paternalistic role versus neo-liberal restriction, alongside neo-conservative authority |
Economy | Greater willingness to adapt/intervene versus free-market neo-liberalism |
Change | Pragmatism and gradualism versus a more ideological and potentially radical New Right |
Morality | Neo-liberal freedom versus neo-conservative anti-permissiveness |
The strongest conclusion is therefore rarely that conservatives "all agree" or "all disagree".
Instead, agreement and disagreement vary according to the issue being considered.
A framework for judging the extent of conservative unity
For an essay, ask three questions.
1. Which strands agree?
Traditional and one-nation conservatism are generally much closer to one another than either is to neo-liberalism.
2. How fundamental is the disagreement?
A disagreement about human nature or the nature of society is especially significant because it influences views about the state, economy and paternalism.
3. Is the New Right itself united?
Not completely.
Neo-liberalism prioritises individual and economic freedom.
Neo-conservatism prioritises authority, morality and order.
Recognising this internal New Right tension allows much stronger evaluation than treating the New Right as one completely consistent strand.
The most important overall tension
The broadest contrast can be represented like this:
Traditional and one-nation conservatism
Human imperfection
↓
organic society
↓
hierarchy and authority
↓
paternalism
↓
pragmatic and cautious change
Neo-liberal New Right
Rational self-interest and autonomy
↓
atomism
↓
individual choice
↓
rejection of paternalism
↓
free-market economics
Neo-conservative New Right
Fear of social fragmentation
↓
need for authority
↓
law and order
↓
public morality and anti-permissiveness
The New Right therefore combines an economically libertarian strand with a socially authoritarian strand.
That combination is central to understanding both the strength and the tension of New Right conservatism.
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
This topic has been particularly important in Edexcel Political Ideas assessment. A 2024 Paper 1 question asked candidates to consider whether there was more agreement than disagreement within conservatism, while the 2021 paper directly compared the New Right and one-nation conservatism.
Examiner hint:Â Structure essays around themes, not separate descriptions of each strand.
The 2019 examiner report found that a "storytelling" structure, with one section on traditional conservatism, another on one-nation conservatism and another on the New Right, was less effective. Stronger responses compared agreement and disagreement within the same paragraph.
A stronger paragraph structure is:
Theme: society
Traditional and one-nation conservatives agree on organic society whereas neo-liberals favour atomism → explain why → use thinkers → judge whether this disagreement is fundamental.
Examiner hint:Â Make your answer strand-driven, not thinker-driven.
The 2022 report explicitly advised that Political Ideas responses should lead with the conservative strands, using thinkers to exemplify them. Responses that merely compared individual thinkers without connecting them to traditional, one-nation or New Right conservatism were less effective.
Examiner hint:Â Do not treat traditional and one-nation conservatism as exactly the same.
Examiners have identified over-simplification where students grouped these strands together without recognising that one-nation conservatism updates traditional conservatism.
They share important principles, but they are not interchangeable labels.
Examiner hint:Â Distinguish neo-liberalism from neo-conservatism.
The strongest 2019 responses recognised the different elements within the New Right rather than discussing it as one entirely cohesive position.
This distinction is especially useful when discussing the state:
neo-liberalism seeks economic liberty and less intervention;
neo-conservatism supports authority in law, order and morality.
Examiner hint:Â Analyse agreement as carefully as disagreement.
The 2021 examiner report found that students generally handled differences between one-nation conservatism and the New Right better than their areas of consistency.
A balanced answer needs both.
Examiner hint:Â "To what extent" requires a judgement of degree.
The 2022 report noted that AO3 was often weaker because students identified similarities and differences without judging whether one was greater or more significant than the other. Evaluation should continue throughout the essay rather than appearing only in the conclusion.
Examiner hint:Â Use at least two specified conservative thinkers.
Political Ideas marking guidance states that answers which fail to refer to at least two specified thinkers cannot progress beyond Level 2. The specified conservative thinkers are Hobbes, Burke, Oakeshott, Rand and Nozick.
Other relevant figures may be useful, but they do not replace this requirement.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Writing three separate mini-essays on the conservative strands
Why this is incorrect: It encourages description instead of comparison and makes AO2 and AO3 difficult to develop.
How to improve:
Organise by themes such as:
human nature;
society;
state;
economy;
change.
Compare the strands directly within each theme.
Mistake: Saying traditional and one-nation conservatism are identical
Why this is incorrect: One-nation conservatism is specifically an updating of traditional conservatism in response to capitalism.
How to improve: Explain both continuity and change. It retains organic, hierarchical and paternalistic ideas but adapts them pragmatically.
Mistake: Saying all conservatives support organic society
Why this is incorrect: Traditional and one-nation conservatives support organic society, whereas neo-liberalism is associated with atomistic individualism.
How to improve: Use organicism versus atomism as one of your clearest direct comparisons.
Mistake: Treating the New Right as entirely neo-liberal
Why this is incorrect: The New Right combines neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.
How to improve:
Remember:
neo-liberal = free markets and atomism;
neo-conservative = social order, law and morality.
Mistake: Saying the New Right wants no state
Why this is incorrect: Neo-liberalism seeks less economic intervention, but neo-conservatism supports strong authority in law and order and public morality.
How to improve: Always explain which function of the state you are discussing.
Mistake: Assuming New Right freedom and New Right authority fit together without tension
Why this is incorrect: Individual autonomy can conflict with anti-permissiveness and moral authority.
How to improve: Recognise that tension within the New Right itself. This creates excellent AO2 and AO3 material.
Mistake: Only discussing disagreement
Why this is incorrect: Political Ideas questions require balanced consideration of both sides.
How to improve: Identify agreement too, especially traditional and one-nation agreement over organicism, pragmatism and human imperfection.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Edexcel assesses Core Political Ideas in Paper 1 through a 24-mark extended-response question. The shorter tasks below build the knowledge, comparison and evaluation skills needed for that question.
Question 1
Define neo-liberalism within New Right conservatism. (2 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer / mark scheme:
Award credit for identifying:
its principal concern with free-market economics;
atomistic individualism.
Question 2
Explain one difference between traditional and one-nation conservatism. (4 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer / mark scheme:
A developed response could explain that:
traditional conservatism is committed to hierarchical and paternalistic values;
one-nation conservatism updates traditional conservatism in response to capitalism;
one-nation paternalism places particular emphasis on the obligation of the wealthy to assist those unable to look after themselves.
Credit other valid distinctions supported by the specification.
Question 3
Explain two differences between neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer / mark scheme:
Students could explain:
neo-liberalism centres on free-market economics, whereas neo-conservatism centres on preventing social fragmentation;
neo-liberalism stresses atomistic individualism and autonomy, whereas neo-conservatism stresses authority;
neo-conservatism focuses on law and order and public morality, whereas neo-liberalism places greater emphasis on individual and economic choice.
Question 4
A New Right conservative argues:
"People should be free to make their own economic choices, but society also requires firm laws and clear standards of public morality."
Analyse the tension within New Right conservatism shown by this statement. (8 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer / mark scheme:
Students should identify:
economic freedom as neo-liberal;
individual choice as libertarian;
firm law as neo-conservative;
public morality as neo-conservative and anti-permissive;
the tension between maximising personal autonomy and enforcing social or moral authority;
the way the New Right can therefore support a weaker economic role for the state alongside a stronger role in maintaining order.
Question 5
Compare one-nation conservatism with the New Right in their approaches to society and the state. (8 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer / mark scheme:
Relevant comparison includes:
one-nation conservatism supports an organic society;
neo-liberalism supports atomism;
one-nation conservatism accepts paternalistic obligations;
neo-liberalism rejects paternalism in favour of autonomy;
both may value order;
neo-conservatism supports law and order and public morality;
the New Right therefore contains some points of contact with one-nation conservatism as well as substantial disagreements.
Higher-level responses should compare throughout rather than explaining each strand separately.
Question 6
To what extent is there more agreement than disagreement within conservatism? (24 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
AO1: Knowledge and understanding
Relevant material may include:
traditional conservatism;
one-nation conservatism;
New Right conservatism;
human imperfection;
organic society;
hierarchy and authority;
paternalism;
pragmatism;
atomism;
libertarianism;
neo-liberalism;
neo-conservatism;
law and order;
public morality;
anti-permissiveness;
relevant specified thinkers.
AO2: Analysis
Areas of agreement may include:
traditional and one-nation conservatism both support organic society;
both share human imperfection;
both favour pragmatism and cautious change;
one-nation and New Right conservatism can agree on capitalism;
conservative strands can share concerns about order and the need for a state.
Areas of disagreement may include:
organicism versus atomism;
human imperfection versus greater neo-liberal confidence in rational self-interest;
paternalism versus autonomy;
pragmatic change versus a more ideological New Right;
differing roles for the state in the economy;
tensions between neo-liberal freedom and neo-conservative authority.
AO3: Evaluation
Students should judge:
whether agreement between traditional and one-nation conservatives is sufficient to claim broad conservative unity;
whether New Right disagreement concerns more fundamental issues such as human nature and society;
whether disagreement within the New Right itself increases ideological division;
whether areas of common concern with order and capitalism outweigh these tensions.
A strong overall judgement could argue that traditional and one-nation conservatism remain substantially united, but the New Right creates fundamental divisions over human nature, society, paternalism and the economy. The depth of these disagreements may therefore be greater than the remaining areas of broad conservative agreement.
Question 7
To what extent does the New Right represent a rejection of traditional conservatism? (24 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
AO1: Knowledge and understanding
Relevant content includes:
traditional hierarchy and paternalism;
human imperfection;
organic society;
tradition and pragmatism;
neo-liberal free markets and atomism;
libertarian autonomy;
neo-conservative law and order;
public morality;
anti-permissiveness;
relevant thinkers including Burke, Oakeshott, Rand and Nozick.
AO2: Analysis
Evidence of rejection:
neo-liberal atomism challenges traditional organicism;
individual autonomy challenges paternalism;
neo-liberal rational self-interest challenges traditional human imperfection;
the more ideological New Right contrasts with traditional pragmatism;
more radical economic change conflicts with traditional caution.
Evidence of continuity:
neo-conservative concerns about authority and order resemble traditional conservative priorities;
both reject social disorder;
public morality and anti-permissiveness are compatible with traditional respect for authority;
the New Right therefore contains both a challenge to and continuation of older conservative principles.
AO3: Evaluation
The key judgement should distinguish neo-liberalism from neo-conservatism.
A strong conclusion may argue that neo-liberalism represents a substantial rejection of traditional conservatism, particularly over society and paternalism, whereas neo-conservatism retains significant traditional concerns with authority, morality and order. The New Right as a whole is therefore better understood as a mixture of rejection and continuity.
Question 8
To what extent are one-nation conservatism and the New Right more divided than united? (24 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
AO1: Knowledge and understanding
Relevant knowledge includes:
one-nation organicism;
noblesse oblige;
paternalism;
pragmatism;
capitalism;
neo-liberal atomism and free-market economics;
neo-conservative law and order;
public morality;
libertarianism;
human nature;
specified conservative thinkers.
AO2: Analysis
Unity may include:
acceptance of a state;
support for social order;
recognition of the importance of law and order;
support for capitalism and private property.
Division may include:
organicism versus atomism;
paternalistic obligation versus neo-liberal autonomy;
human imperfection versus rational self-interest;
willingness to adapt pragmatically versus ideological free-market commitments;
disagreement over the state's economic role.
Students should also distinguish neo-conservative agreement with one-nation concerns about order from neo-liberal disagreements over individualism.
AO3: Evaluation
Strong responses should assess the importance, not merely the number, of similarities and differences.
A defensible conclusion is that areas of agreement over capitalism and order are significant, but disagreements over human nature and the relationship between the individual and society are more fundamental because they underpin further disagreements about paternalism and the role of the state.
Question 9
To what extent are conservatives united in their attitude towards the state? (24 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
AO1: Knowledge and understanding
Relevant content includes:
hierarchy;
authority;
paternalism;
organic society;
human imperfection;
one-nation social obligations;
neo-liberal libertarianism;
neo-conservative law and order and public morality;
thinkers used appropriately to exemplify the strands.
AO2: Analysis
Students could identify agreement that:
a state is necessary;
political order requires authority;
law and order has an important conservative role.
Disagreement can be analysed through:
traditional paternalistic authority;
one-nation paternalistic responsibilities;
neo-liberal restrictions on economic intervention;
neo-conservative support for a strong role in morality and law and order.
The strongest analysis should avoid presenting this simply as "big state versus small state".
AO3: Evaluation
Students should judge whether differences concern the existence of the state or primarily its appropriate functions.
A strong judgement might argue that conservatives share substantial agreement that a state is necessary for order, but disagree significantly about how far it should intervene and in which areas. The internal contrast between neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism makes complete conservative unity particularly difficult to sustain.
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