REVISIONIST SOCIALISM

Question 1

What was revisionist socialism sent out to do

Answer 1

To revise marx’s view that socialism in incompatible with capitalism and it requires revolution

Question 2

What are the 3 variations of revisionist thinking

Answer 2

Classical revisionism

Social Democracy

Third Way

Question 3

A classical revisionist thinker

Answer 3

Bernstein

Question 4

What did bernstein note

Answer 4

He noted that the conditions of working class was steadily improving under capitalism and little evidence that history as unfolding as marx said it would

Question 5

What did bernstein then argue for

Answer 5

That if overseen by a socialist government, capitalist economies could provide a greater improvement to workers conditions, with capitalism’s worst features contained

Question 6

What would the widen of the franchise do for socialism

Answer 6

as more working class voters, more likely for socialist government

Question 7

Bernstein shared the belief in gradual parliamentary road to socialism with who

Answer 7

Fabian society

Question 8

How did bernstein and the fabian society differ in their views

Answer 8

Bernstein didn’t believe that capitalism and socialism could work together

Question 9

What was the most important form of revisionist socialism

Answer 9

After mid 1900’s - Social democracy

Question 10

What was social democracy far away from

Answer 10

Marx and lenin

Question 11

What did crossland argue

Answer 11

The reformed capitalism prescribed by keynes had guaranteed full employment and steady economic growth - capitalism was no longer vulnerable to peaks and troughs and could be relied upon to finance a richer, fairer and classless society

Question 12

What did social democrats say about socialism

Answer 12

It was not just about common ownership

Question 13

What other ways did social democrats put forward instead of common ownership to get greater equality

Answer 13

Ending unequal forms of secondary education with 11-plus exams

Question 14

Was there differences between british social democrats and continental social democrats

Answer 14

YES - crossland was against a europe-wide economic policy whereas others supported the prospect of a federal europe

Question 15

What is the most recent form of revisionist socialism

Answer 15

Third way

Question 16

What UK governments followed the | Third way

Answer 16

Brown and blair’s labour govs

Question 17

What was Gidden’s desire

Answer 17

To “triangulate” social democracy’s wish or more equality with a capitalist economy that was less keynesian and more neo-liberal

Question 18

What was another aim of gidden’s for parties

Answer 18

To reconcile the task of socialist parties seeking office with an electorate that was increasingly economically liberal

Question 19

How did gidden’s try to get more votes for socialist parties

Answer 19

Urged modern leftists to go with the flow, encouraging further privatisation and deregulation - modern way of boosting economy and having more gov spending for equality

Question 20

What did greater equality of opportunity require

Answer 20

Required more inequality of outcome - unequal outcomes went hand in hand with increasing rates of economic growth

Question 21

What did blair manage to do for equality of opportunity

Answer 21

Get clause IV out of labour

Question 22

What was the third ways argument for capitalism

Answer 22

“intensely relaxed about people getting filthy stinking rich… just as long as they pay their taxes”

Question 23

What did critics such as benn say about the third way

Answer 23

It represented little more than paternalistic conservatism

Question 24

What did happen for new labour versus conservatives

Answer 24

Rise in public spending more than a tory government would

39% of GDP in 1997 and 47% in 2010

Question 25

Third way also placed much more emphasis on what

Answer 25

Cultural and political equality, reflecting the more diverse society

Question 26

What measures did third way use to redistribute political influence

Answer 26

Devolution and HRA