3.3.1.1.1 Liberalism: core ideas, classical and modern liberalism Quiz: AQA Politics, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What is the core liberal value concerning the individual?

   • Freedom of the individual, with the state's role limited to protecting that freedom
   • Equal distribution of property among all members of society, enforced by the state
   • Obedience to tradition and the authority of the church, which give order to social life
   • Collective welfare of the community, which takes priority over the freedom of any single person

2. Which best distinguishes classical from modern liberalism?

   • Classical liberalism rejects individual rights, while modern liberalism is based on the divine right of rulers
   • Classical liberalism supports collective ownership of land, while modern liberalism supports private monarchy
   • Classical liberalism favours state ownership of industry, while modern liberalism opposes all forms of public welfare
   • Classical liberalism favours a minimal state and free markets, while modern liberalism accepts state action for welfare

3. What is meant by 'human nature' in classical liberal thought?

   • Humans are naturally co-operative and need no political institutions to live together peacefully
   • Humans are naturally sinful and must be controlled by a strong authority to prevent conflict
   • Humans are rational and self-interested, capable of pursuing their own good when left free
   • Humans are wholly shaped by social class, with no capacity for independent rational thought

4. Which concept is central to liberal views on the economy?

   • Collective ownership of the means of production, held by workers in co-operative enterprises
   • Guild systems that regulate the prices and wages of each trade under royal supervision
   • Central planning by the state, which allocates resources to meet the needs of the whole community through detailed ministerial targets
   • Free markets, with limited state interference, in the belief that competition promotes prosperity

5. Which is a key liberal argument for limited government?

   • Government is needed to remove all differences of wealth, which requires a permanent state of control
   • Government is naturally incapable of making any decisions, so it should be limited to ceremonial duties
   • Government should be controlled by a single religious body that guarantees moral order in society
   • Power tends to be abused, so it must be constrained through rights and the rule of law

6. What does 'negative freedom' mean in liberal thought?

   • Freedom from the obligation to pay taxes to any government at any level in the country
   • Freedom to achieve one's full potential through the active support of the state in every area
   • Freedom to vote in elections, which is the only freedom that the state is obliged to protect
   • Freedom from interference by others, including the state

7. What does 'positive freedom' mean in liberal thought?

   • The right to remain free from any state interference, including the provision of public services
   • The right to own property without any restriction on the amount that may be held by one person
   • The right to obey the law without question, which is guaranteed by the state's ceremonial head
   • The capacity to realise one's potential, which may require state action to remove obstacles

8. Which best explains the liberal view of the individual's relationship to the state?

   • The individual has rights prior to the state, and the state exists to protect those rights
   • The individual's rights are determined by tradition, which is the only source of political legitimacy
   • The individual has no rights, because only the community as a whole has moral standing in politics
   • The individual exists only as a member of the state, and rights are granted by the state as it chooses

9. A reformer argues that the state should guarantee education and healthcare so that people can genuinely make free choices. Which liberal tradition does this reflect?

   • Conservatism, which argues that the state should provide welfare in order to preserve traditional social order
   • Modern liberalism, which links liberty with the social conditions needed to make choices effective
   • Classical liberalism, which argues that the state should provide welfare directly to every citizen as a right
   • Socialism, which argues that the state should own all education and healthcare as a collective enterprise

10. Which is the best evaluation of the claim that liberalism protects liberty effectively?

    • The claim cannot be evaluated, because liberty is a concept that has no connection to political institutions
    • The claim has merit, but critics argue that formal freedom without material resources may leave some individuals unable to exercise choice
    • The claim is false, because liberalism has never protected any individual freedom in any historical period
    • The claim is true in every respect, because liberal freedoms cannot be limited by any state under any circumstance

11. Which feature is most associated with modern (new) liberalism's view of the state?

    • A state whose powers are confined to foreign affairs, with no role in domestic social policy
    • A state that owns all major industries and sets the prices of every good sold to the public
    • An enabling state that intervenes to address poverty, education and health so individuals can exercise their freedom
    • A night-watchman state limited to defence, policing and the enforcement of private contracts, with no public services of any kind

12. Which principle is central to liberal views on toleration?

    • Minority beliefs should be suppressed, so that the stability of the majority is protected at all times
    • Individuals should be free to hold and express diverse beliefs, provided they do not harm others
    • Only the views approved by the state should be expressed in public life, to maintain social order
    • Beliefs must conform to the established church, so that the moral order of society is preserved

13. Why do liberals generally support a free press?

    • It allows the public to scrutinise power and hold government to account
    • It removes the need for elections, since the press can decide which party should govern the country
    • It ensures that the state controls the content of all broadcasting, so that news is always accurate
    • It guarantees that all newspapers report the same official view on every matter of public policy

14. Which concept describes the liberal ideal of equality?

    • Equality before the law and equality of opportunity, rather than equality of outcome
    • Equality of rank, in which every citizen holds the same hereditary title and status in society
    • Equality of land ownership, in which all territory is divided equally among the population at birth
    • Equality of outcome, in which the state ensures that every citizen receives identical income and property

15. Why do liberals generally support the rule of law?

    • It allows the ruler to make new laws at any time, which keeps the state flexible and responsive
    • It limits the courts to ceremonial duties, so that the executive can decide every matter of justice
    • It protects individuals from arbitrary power by applying the same rules to rulers and citizens alike
    • It requires citizens to obey all decrees of the monarch without question, to preserve order in society

16. What does liberal support for markets rest on?

    • The belief that markets are immoral, and should be restricted to a small number of licensed trades
    • The belief that the state must set all prices, so that workers are protected from exploitation by owners
    • The belief that competition and voluntary exchange tend to benefit consumers and promote prosperity
    • The belief that property should be held in common by all members of the community as a whole

17. Which is an example of a classical liberal policy?

    • Free trade with low tariffs and an independent judiciary that protects contracts and property
    • A religious test for public office holders, so that those who govern share the moral views of the state
    • Compulsory state pensions for all citizens, regardless of their income or their savings in life
    • Nationalisation of the railways and the coal mines, so that key industries serve the whole nation

18. Critics of modern liberalism argue that expanding state welfare can erode which value?

    • The right to vote, since welfare programmes are funded by a tax that removes the franchise from citizens
    • Free speech, since welfare programmes always require the state to censor all public criticism of them
    • Individual responsibility, by encouraging dependence on state provision rather than self-reliance
    • The rule of law, since welfare programmes remove the need for courts to decide any dispute at all

19. Which liberal principle is most directly challenged when a government closes a newspaper for publishing criticism of its policy?

    • Collective ownership of the means of production, which requires all businesses to be run by workers
    • The right to private property, which protects an owner's ability to sell or rent their premises
    • Parliamentary sovereignty, which requires the government to obey the decisions of the House of Commons
    • Freedom of expression

20. A town bans religious gatherings held in private homes. Which liberal principle is most directly challenged?

    • Collective responsibility, which requires all citizens to contribute to the common good of the town
    • Freedom of conscience and the right to private association
    • Obedience to tradition, which requires citizens to follow the customs established by their community
    • Equality of outcome, which requires that all households receive identical public services

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