2024 AQA A-Level HISTORY 7042/1G Component 1G Challenge and
transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
Verified Question paper and Marking Scheme Attached
A-level
HISTORY
Component 1G Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
Thursday 23 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/1G.
• Answer three questions.
In Section A answer Question 01. In
Section B answer two questions.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about:
– 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A
– 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B.
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Extract A
As a result of the wartime experience and the unity of the Churchill coalition, the leaders of both the Labour
and Conservative parties came to adopt roughly similar attitudes towards the post-war economy, embracing
the mixed economy and full employment.
This consensus represented a sort of halfway house between socialism and private enterprise, and showed
both Labour and the Conservatives moving towards the middle ground of politics. In 1947, Sir Stafford 5
Cripps stated that ‘the Budget is the most important instrument for influencing economic policy’. The
situation was no different after 1951, when the general tone of Conservative economic policy was set by
Butler, who was also influenced by Keynes’ ideas. In their basic commitment to full employment, the mixed
economy and an active government role in preventing economic recession, one can detect a fundamental
consensus, which was continued under Macmillan. The consensus worked well: unemployment was below 10
3% during the whole period 1945–64.
Adapted from P Adelman, Britain: Domestic Politics 1939–64, 1994
Extract B
The new Labour administration of 1945 had a clear idea of its objectives. The government embarked on a
major extension of state intervention in the form of nationalisation of key industries. This element of socialist
economic planning proved to be a success in many ways. The government was able to boost exports,
restrain inflation and maintain full employment – achievements which eluded all subsequent governments. By
contrast, in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Conservatives, anxious to keep on the right side of public 5
opinion, promoted consumerism by relaxing credit and lowering taxes. However, annual rates of economic
growth were well behind those of other western countries. The problem lay in the misuse of Keynesian
methods by a succession of Conservative chancellors for political purposes. The first guilty politician in this
series was RA Butler, whose 1955 pre-election giveaway boosted consumer spending, stimulated inflation
and weakened the balance of payments. After the election the economy had to be dampened down – the 10
start of what was to be a damaging stop/go pattern.
Adapted from M Pugh, State and Society, 2008
IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G
, 3
Extract C
Post-war governments had no idea of the complete rebuilding of the national transport system or the massive
modernisation of industry that was needed. Major government spending was already being directed
elsewhere – into housing, into the welfare state, into ways to maintain full employment. Yet building a new
society was not the only wartime fantasy to distract the British from a clear vision of their true post-war
priorities. Their political leaders still took it for granted that Britain stood in the first rank of nation states, and 5
simply could not accept that British power had vanished as a result of the
Second World War. Instead, they were resolved to restore Britain’s traditional world role. The pursuit of this
delusion in the next quarter of a century was to cost Britain in defence expenditure up to twice as much of the
national income as spent by her European industrial competitors. This defence expenditure was a dead
weight on Britain’s sluggish economy and on her fragile balance of payments. 10
Adapted from C Barnett, The Audit of War, 1986
0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three
extracts are in relation to British economic policy in the years 1945 to 1964.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G Turn over ►
transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
Verified Question paper and Marking Scheme Attached
A-level
HISTORY
Component 1G Challenge and transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
Thursday 23 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
• an AQA 16-page answer book.
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
• Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/1G.
• Answer three questions.
In Section A answer Question 01. In
Section B answer two questions.
Information
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
• The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
• You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about:
– 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A
– 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B.
, 2
Section A
Answer Question 01.
Extract A
As a result of the wartime experience and the unity of the Churchill coalition, the leaders of both the Labour
and Conservative parties came to adopt roughly similar attitudes towards the post-war economy, embracing
the mixed economy and full employment.
This consensus represented a sort of halfway house between socialism and private enterprise, and showed
both Labour and the Conservatives moving towards the middle ground of politics. In 1947, Sir Stafford 5
Cripps stated that ‘the Budget is the most important instrument for influencing economic policy’. The
situation was no different after 1951, when the general tone of Conservative economic policy was set by
Butler, who was also influenced by Keynes’ ideas. In their basic commitment to full employment, the mixed
economy and an active government role in preventing economic recession, one can detect a fundamental
consensus, which was continued under Macmillan. The consensus worked well: unemployment was below 10
3% during the whole period 1945–64.
Adapted from P Adelman, Britain: Domestic Politics 1939–64, 1994
Extract B
The new Labour administration of 1945 had a clear idea of its objectives. The government embarked on a
major extension of state intervention in the form of nationalisation of key industries. This element of socialist
economic planning proved to be a success in many ways. The government was able to boost exports,
restrain inflation and maintain full employment – achievements which eluded all subsequent governments. By
contrast, in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Conservatives, anxious to keep on the right side of public 5
opinion, promoted consumerism by relaxing credit and lowering taxes. However, annual rates of economic
growth were well behind those of other western countries. The problem lay in the misuse of Keynesian
methods by a succession of Conservative chancellors for political purposes. The first guilty politician in this
series was RA Butler, whose 1955 pre-election giveaway boosted consumer spending, stimulated inflation
and weakened the balance of payments. After the election the economy had to be dampened down – the 10
start of what was to be a damaging stop/go pattern.
Adapted from M Pugh, State and Society, 2008
IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G
, 3
Extract C
Post-war governments had no idea of the complete rebuilding of the national transport system or the massive
modernisation of industry that was needed. Major government spending was already being directed
elsewhere – into housing, into the welfare state, into ways to maintain full employment. Yet building a new
society was not the only wartime fantasy to distract the British from a clear vision of their true post-war
priorities. Their political leaders still took it for granted that Britain stood in the first rank of nation states, and 5
simply could not accept that British power had vanished as a result of the
Second World War. Instead, they were resolved to restore Britain’s traditional world role. The pursuit of this
delusion in the next quarter of a century was to cost Britain in defence expenditure up to twice as much of the
national income as spent by her European industrial competitors. This defence expenditure was a dead
weight on Britain’s sluggish economy and on her fragile balance of payments. 10
Adapted from C Barnett, The Audit of War, 1986
0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three
extracts are in relation to British economic policy in the years 1945 to 1964.
[30 marks]
Turn over for Section B
IB/M/Jun24/7042/1G Turn over ►
