How to evaluate in the ideologies question

Getting your head around the concept of evaluating is difficult. The best tip is to remember that two sides of an argument are not always equal.

Let’s consider the following example, whereby the question is ‘How far do conservatives agree about the economy?’

You have spent a paragraph arguing that neo conservatives think that there should be a free market with no government intervention. On the other hand, One Nation conservatives disagree and believe that markets are volatile and so government intervention is required.  The level of agreement is therefore not clear. You have presented two sides of an argument but not actually answers the question, ‘how far do they agree’.

It is your job to evaluate to determine the extent of agreement. On balance is there more or less agreement.

For example, an imagine you are writing a paragraph as follows:

How far do conservatives agree about the need for state intervention in the economy?

Traditional conservatives would argue that state intervention is not required and that the little platoons of Burke would intervene when help was needed. New Right conservatives would agree that little state intervention should be taken. For example, Ayn Rand wanted a free market state that did not intervene in the economy. On the other hand, One Nation conservatives are far more interventionist. Theresa May said that she would intervene to prevent the ‘worst excesses of capitalism’. 

Here we have two different views presented. In fact, one side of the debate (that there should be no or limited intervention) is held by two groups of conservatives, whereas the idea that they should intervene is held by just one group, the One Nation.

But on balance, in reality (not in ideology), which view is dominant within conservatives? For example, Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson are free marketeers, not One Nation conservatives. Despite this, they intervened to launch COVID furlough payments and to give gas subsidies to households in the UK. Therefore, it is fair to say, that on balance, most conservatives would intervene in the economy and not leave an unregulated free market because the consequences for not doing so would be too great.

Similarly, if the paragraph is:

How far do conservatives agree about the need for the state to ensure law and order.

In this paragraph you are likely to say that Traditional and One Nation conservatives both advocate a role for the state in ensuring law and order whereas the New Right want a ‘night watchman’ state whereby the state really is more hands off and gives more freedom to people.

Here, the evaluation would be that the view of the New Right is a minority one. In fact, even the New Right want strong law and order because they feel that it will help to ensure that the negative consequences of market forces (social instability/riots) can be contained. Therefore, there is almost total agreement on the role of the state on law and order.

DO NOT SUMMARISE WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID. THINK! WHAT IS THE MOST LIKELY POSITION TAKEN BY EACH GROUP. YES, THEY MAY BELIEVE IN SOMETHING, BUT WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY DO IN PRACTICE.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, PROVE IT WITH EVIDENCE, AN EXAMPLE OF CONSERVATIVE POLICY.