LIBERALISM QUESTIONS – A2 (UNIT 4)
Short Answers
1. Why do liberals support constitutionalism and consent? (Jan 02)
Constitutionalism is a belief in limited government brought about through external (usually legal) and internal (institutional) checks on the exercise of power.

Consent is the idea that govt power should be based on the agreement of the governed, usually expressed through regular and competitive elections.

Liberals support constitutionalism and consent because they fear that govt may become a tyranny against the individual, based on the assumption that power is inherently corrupting and concentrations of power will lead to absolute corruption. This assumption is rooted in the liberal view of human nature: as individualism implies self- interest, those with power over others are apt to abuse it for their benefit and at the expense of others.

Liberal constitutionalism is expressed through support for various external and internal devices, such as codified constitutions, bills of rights, the separation of powers, federalism or devolution, and so on.
Liberal support for consent is evident in support for electoral democracy in general and, more specifically, sympathy for referendums and proportional representation.

2. Distinguish between negative freedom and positive freedom, and explain the implications of each for the state. (Jun 02)
Negative freedom is the absence of external constraints upon the individual, usually understood as non-interference. It is manifest in freedom of choice and consistent with privacy. Negative freedom implies rolling back the state, because the state as a compulsory and coercive body is by definition an offence against freedom.
Positive freedom can be variously defined as self-mastery, linking freedom to democracy, or as personal growth and self-realisation, the achievement of individual potential.