BPG-Thatcherism

Simple Structure: What did Thatcherism have in common with previous forms of Conservatism?

outline Thatcherism. ideology- neo-liberal economy, strong state, statescraft and pursuit of office. Policies-attacked trade unions, economics, social policy of moral rejuvenation, Beveridge vs bourgeoise values cause of poverty. Population-working families

Define Thatcherism

an ideology, compare to one nation and post-war consensus, ideas of Thacther but also thinktanks and jounalists and Keith Joseph

Define Conservatism

While Conservatism is difficult to define, it can be characterised by its prioritisation of statecraft, its traditionalism, its adaptability and its suspicion of ideology, favouring pragmatic politics.

Thatchers Philosophy

neo-liberal economics, compare to non-ideological, Oakshott

Gamble Principle underlying conservatism

. As Gamble highlights, the principle underlying Conservatism is that ‘political calculation, the pursuit of office and the management of power’ are to be prioritised over ideology.

Bulpitt why adopt aspects of neoliberalism in thatcherism

a tool to depoliticise the economy, in response to Heath’s failures in economic policy, monetarism unsuccessful as just shifted debate to other metric.

miners strike as evidence of strong state. legislation details

Thatcher’s first trade union bill was introduced in 1980, which, although it ‘restricted picketing and defined tighter limits for the closed shop’, was mostly criticised by other Conservatives for being too modest.8 Thatcher passed two further pieces of legislation in 1982 and 1984. The first restricted the immunities of trade unions, while the second required trade unions to hold a secret ballot before calling a strike.9 In response to the 1984-1985 miners’ strike, despite high costs to the government, Thatcher refused to concede

Thatcherism cause of and solution for poverty

cultural factors, middle class have different values. solution is to ‘extend bourgeois value system downwards’, embourgeoisement

Thatcher avoided class-based rhetoric, instead referring to…

instead referring to ‘ordinary working families’ and a vision of ‘a new popular constituency’ which built on the One Nation tactic of adopting the language of unity rather than class.

who argued class cleavages replaced by public-private cleavage

Dunleavy and Husbands

Who created the 7 elements of Conservatism pamphlet

Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon

What are the 7 elements of Conservatism

Individual Reason and Human Nature, Organic Society and Orderly Change, Grounded liberty and rule of law, The limited role of the state, The prosperous economy, Respect for property, The Nation

where do English Conservatives get negative view of human nature?

bible original sin and Hobbes

who termed the Conservative view of human nature ‘politics of imperfection’?

Anthony Quinton

Role of community in Conservatism

community tool to pass on values through generations, creates stability

why do Conservatives want slow, non-radical change

low risk, human fallibility so cannot make radical abstract change, trust knowledge of many generations rather than individuals, need some change to allow learning from generations.

Thatcherism on Community

focus on families, not risk averse as wants to radically change hearts and minds

what neo-liberal view on the people and the state did Thatcher adopt

direct relationship between people and state, opposed to local government

what is grounded liberty

practical not abstract, eg liberty to buy own home, to work and not be restricted by unions.

reasons conservatives prefer free market to government markets- limited economic role of state

fallibility of individuals, public choice theory, allocative efficiency

public choice theory

economic view of politics, people act in their own interests-suspicion of individual, prefer free market to government market.

idea of Property owning democracy

MP Noel Skelton in 1920, protect property rights from democracy

hegels justification for property ownership

needed for self-realisation, to live your life, need your own space.