Hoorcollege 9: The New Left and Green Parties

Question 1

Why the rise of the new left in 1960s instead of social democracy?

Answer 1

The rise of social democracy and the WWII compromise (Keynesian welfare state) made it so the left became less attractive for younger voters due to:
1. View that this was deradicalisation of the left
2. Saw this as a sign to play electoral politics/becoming a catch-all party
3. They became too conservative
4. They were too material in terms of growth
5. They were too hierarchical

Question 2

What did the younger voters do?

Answer 2

Started to rework what it meant to be left. Students discovered radical politics. They placed themselves between the SU and the West. they had the feeling SD parties were too quick to accept the idea of SU vs the West. They were critical of capitalism, but also of SU (sort of third way). They discovered Marxist humanism which focused on the alienation and role of the individual in society. Agency and action was more prominent.

Question 3

Important worldwide events for the rise of the new left

Answer 3

1. Hungarian revolution
2. Czechoslovakia revolution
3. Civil rights movements in USA
4. and 2. reformed capitalism from within and made communism more humane. 3. fostered a general feeling of not excluding among colour and race. Hypocrisy of US installing democracy in Europe etc whilst theirs is not good.

Question 4

New left thinking

Answer 4

1. Politicisation of education due to more younger people going to university. The education was seen as inadequate due to overload of the system. Also seen as extremely hierarchical (old white men)
2. 1. Ties into larger idea of politicising every day life, critique of WWII compromise and general post war era.
3. Activism to demand a less hierarchical society

Question 5

New left and left-libertarianism

Answer 5

1. Sceptical of all forms of state.
2. Individual and freedom are key.
3. Left-wing ideas of capitalism, equality, justice and strong individualism.
4. Bottom-up rather than top-down.
5. Based on social cooperation.
6. Differs from right-libertarianism in critique of capitalism and idea of private property.

Question 6

What changed in society because of the rise of the new left?

Answer 6

1. Bigger focus on post-material issues due to increasing wealth, welfare state, growth of mass education and expansion of the middle class.
2. Focus on autonomy changed and challenged the allegiance model (idea that allegiance to democracy is necessary for it to succeed). Post-materialists displayed higher levels of interpersonal trust, solidarity and efficacy but were dissatisfied with the political system. It was a shock for western democracies.

Question 7

Fragmentation of the new left

Answer 7

Many became more radical because they felt they were not radical enough in trying to get rid of imperial western capitalist state, some of them became terrorists. Some also became less political due to radicalisation of others and joined mainstream politics.

Question 8

Rise of green left in 1980s

Answer 8

Due to fragmentation in new left. Could take two routes:
1. formation of green parties
2. transformation of communist parties

Question 9

Context of rise of green left in 1980s

Answer 9

1. Much larger discussion about limits to growth (oil/economic crisis).
2. Mainstream people, IOs, scientists increasing awareness of climate issues.
3. Broader idea of needing to do something about the planet.
4. Discussion about nuclear power and nuclear weapons (protecting of the west for communist power, height of Cold War).
   This all comes together in larger context where new left people want to participate more mainstream and form new green parties.

Question 10

Two types of green parties

Answer 10

1. Green environmentalists: Focus on sustainability, conservation, more limited on social issues.
2. Eco-socialists: fusing new left politics with green politics. More focused on ecological crisis, left wing notions of power, exclusion and equality, alternative and more direct forms of participation.

Question 11

German Greens program

Answer 11

1. Finite natural resources
2. Survival of the planet, so need to change power relations/culture –> structural critique
3. Critique of capitalism and socialism: both were caught up in a productivist ethic and had a focus on decentralisation.
4. Focus on power and equality, feminism, sexual orientation and multiculturalism
5. New forms of democracy: more direct, decentralisation of party and state, revolving leadership, personal life becomes political

Question 12

Success of left in the 80s

Answer 12

1. Were able to grow due to advanced industrialisation and welfare state and more educated voters
2. Grew when left was in power and when nuclear warfare was an issue
3. Attracted younger voters, women, higher educated and new middle class due to post-materialism, opposition to bureaucratic welfare state and new left-libertarian views

Question 13

Is the left still that radical now?

Answer 13

1. Scaled back on grass roots and focus more on liberalism
2. Accepted more of a market economy
3. Environment still very important
4. Remained more multicultural
5. Became more realistic as they became more office seeking

Question 14

Success of left now

Answer 14

1. Success is in the higher educated, women, young, urban and culturally open voters.
2. Created a new dilemma for socdem parties
3. Politicised immigration and environment

Question 15

More left groups since greens

Answer 15

1. Green left: about environment, culture and social justice
2. Old radical left: social justice, anti-globalisation and sometimes environment
3. Populist radical left: the same but populist