Political Ideas for A Level - Liberalism - Socialism - Conservatism - Multiculturalism - Nationalism

Aug 6, 2026

This textbook introduces key political ideologies and explains how to study them for A Level Government and Politics. It clarifies the meaning of “ideas” versus “ideologies” and links each topic to four dominant course themes: human nature, the state, society, and economy. Chapters systematically cover liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism, multiculturalism, and ecologism, including origins, core ideas, major types, internal tensions, and current conclusions, with guidance on using appropriate vocabulary and thinker knowledge.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages347

Reading Time14 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Liberalism

Conservatism

Socialism

Nationalism

Multiculturalism

Ecologism

Index

The Publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce copyright material. Acknowledgements p.181 , Cristina Odone,‘Immigrants love this country more than we do’, Daily Telegraph, 10 August 2011; p.186 , Trevor Phillips,‘White liberals have speeded segregation in the UK. The great struggle now is to reverse it’, Daily Telegraph, 5 December 2016; p.209 , Carolyn Merchant, interviewed in California Monthly, 2002. Photo credits Photos reproduced by permission of: p.9 Ian Dagnall/Alamy Stock Photo; p.11 North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy Stock Photo; p.26 matteogirelli/Fotolia; p.27 Georgios Kollidas/Fotolia; History collection 2016/ Alamy Stock Photo; p.41 Bob Daemmrich/Alamy Stock Photo; p.44 pixs:sell/Fotolia; p.45 (top) Stephen Mulligan/Fotolia; p.45 (bottom) Gang/Fotolia; p.56 GL Archive/Alamy Stock Photo; p.68 colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo; p.69 dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo; p.78 Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy Stock Photo; p.82 dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo; p.95 age fotostock/Alamy Stock Photo; p.97 vkilikov/Fotolia; p.104 World History Archive/Alamy Stock Photo; p.108 Keystone Pictures USA/Alamy Stock Photo; p.110 Jeff Morgan 12/Alamy Stock Photo; p.120 Cultura Creative (RF)/Alamy Stock Photo; p.129 Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo; p.136 Tetra Images/Alamy Stock Photo; p.144 jeremy suttonhibbert/Alamy Stock Photo; p.156 Janine Wiedel Photolibrary/Alamy Stock Photo; p.165 Peter Cavanagh/Alamy Stock Photo; p.174 Sam Pantakhy/Stringer; p.175 PA Wire/PA Images; p.184 WENN Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo; p.186 Xinhua/Alamy Stock Photo; p.188 Sergejs Duncs/Fotolia; p.198 Mats Lindberg/Alamy Stock Photo; p.207 John Devlin/Alamy Stock Photo. Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Orders: please contact Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4SE. Telephone: (44) 01235 827720. Fax: (44) 01235 400454. Email [education@bookpoint.co.uk](education@bookpoint.co.uk) Lines are open [from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m](from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m). , Monday to Saturday, with a 24-hour message answering service. You can also order through our [website:](website: www.hoddereducation.co.uk)[ www.hoddereducation.co.uk](website: www.hoddereducation.co.uk) ISBN: 978 1 4718 89516 eISBN: 978 1 4718 89530 © Richard Kelly, Neil McNaughton and Eric Magee 2017 First published in 2017 by Hodder Education, An Hachette UK Company Carmelite House 50 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0DZ [www.hoddereducation.co.uk](www.hoddereducation.co.uk) Impression number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Year 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or held within any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Typeset by Aptara, Inc. Printed in Italy A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Get the most from this book Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Liberalism Introduction: a pervasive ideology The origins of liberalism The core ideas of liberalism Different types of liberalism Tensions within liberalism Conclusion: liberalism today Chapter2 Conservatism Introduction: the ‘politics of maintenance’ The origins of conservatism The core ideas of conservatism Different types of conservatism Tensions within conservatism Conc

FAQs

What does the course mean by “ideas” and “ideologies”?

The introduction explains that “ideas” and “ideologies” must be understood clearly and distinguished from political policies.

What four themes should answers consider across the course?

The course is divided into four dominant themes: human nature, the state, society, and economy.

How are each ideology chapters structured?

Each chapter covers origins, core ideas, different types, tensions within the ideology, and a conclusion on how it looks today.

Aug 6, 2026

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