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WalesPolitics

Political Concepts and Theories (A2 Unit 3)

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the core ideas of conservatism, and how do its traditional and New Right strands differ?

Conservatism: its core ideas of tradition, human imperfection, pragmatism, organic society and property, and the differences between traditional conservatism and the New Right.
A WJEC A2 Unit 3 study of conservatism: its core ideas of tradition, human imperfection, pragmatism, the organic society, hierarchy and property, and the key differences between traditional conservatism and the New Right, including neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.
13 min answer →

What do the key political concepts of power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty mean, and how do they relate?

Key political concepts: power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty, their meaning and types, and how they relate to rights, equality and the state.
A WJEC A2 Unit 3 study of the key political concepts: the meaning of power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty, Weber's types of authority, the distinction between legal and political sovereignty, and how these concepts relate to rights, equality and the state.
13 min answer →

What are the core ideas of liberalism, and how do its classical and modern strands differ?

Liberalism: its core ideas of the individual, freedom, the state, rationalism and equality, and the differences between classical and modern liberalism.
A WJEC A2 Unit 3 study of liberalism: its core ideas of individualism, freedom, the limited state, rationalism, tolerance and equality of opportunity, and the key differences between classical liberalism and modern liberalism.
13 min answer →

What are the core ideas of nationalism, and how do its different types vary?

Nationalism: its core ideas of the nation, self-determination, identity and sovereignty, and the differences between liberal, conservative, expansionist and anti-colonial nationalism.
A WJEC A2 Unit 3 study of nationalism: its core ideas of the nation, national self-determination, national identity and sovereignty, the distinction between civic and ethnic nationalism, and the differences between liberal, conservative, expansionist and anti-colonial nationalism.
13 min answer →

What are the core ideas of socialism, and how do its revolutionary and reformist strands differ?

Socialism: its core ideas of community, cooperation, equality, social class and common ownership, and the differences between revolutionary socialism, social democracy and the third way.
A WJEC A2 Unit 3 study of socialism: its core ideas of community, cooperation, equality, social class and common ownership, and the key differences between revolutionary socialism (Marxism), social democracy and the revisionist third way.
13 min answer →