Consensus and Adversarial Politics
The contrast between periods of broad agreement between major parties on key policies (consensus) and periods of sharp ideological conflict (adversary politics).
Real World
The post-war consensus saw both Labour and the Conservatives maintain the NHS and nationalised industries until Thatcher's 1979 election victory, which introduced privatisation and anti-union legislation that Labour eventually accepted under Blair's 'Third Way' — creating a new, centre-ground consensus.
Exam Focus
When asked to 'assess', always contrast a specific consensus era example against a specific adversarial one to earn AO2 marks.
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