2.1 - The Functions and Features of Political Parties

Question 1

What type of democracy is the UK?

Answer 1

Representative

Question 2

Where do right-wing policies come from?

Answer 2

• Liberal and Conservative idealogy, including a liberal focus on the importance of limiting excessive government, keeping taxation low and protecting individual liberty.
• Emphasis is placed on law and order, strong defense (army, police etc.) and national sovereignty.

Question 3

Where do left-wing policies come from?

Answer 3

• Emphasis on the importance of a fair and equal society through positive state intervention.
• Higher taxes on the wealthy, extensive welfare provision and greater state influence on the economy.
• Socially progressive, and favours an internationalist approach to global problems.

Question 4

What is consensus politics?

Answer 4

Many philosophical and policy similarities between the main political parties, therefore leading to the opposition supporting some government policies.

Question 5

What is adversary politics?

Answer 5

The main parties are divided by fundamental philosophical and policy differences.

Question 6

What is Butskellitism?

Answer 6

When a party that is traditionally politically leaning adopts the policies of the other wing.

Hugh Gaitskell and R.A. Butler, Labour CotE and Tory CotE respectively came together to reach full employment and a mixed economy.

Question 7

What is a mandate?

Answer 7

If a party wins an election they can claim the right to implement their policies as laid out in their manifesto.

Question 8

Who is a clear example of Butskellism?

Answer 8

Tony Blair under New Labour.

Question 9

What are the differences between the Conservatives and Labour party in reference to manifesto creation?

Answer 9

• In the Labour Party, a National Policy Forum consults with party members over policy development.
• Conservatives are more likely to have a manifesto drawn up by senior party members rather than party members.

Question 10

What is a ‘doctor’s mandate’?

Answer 10

The government is able to propose measures not included within its manifesto in response to changing political circumstances.

Question 11

In what ways do political parties help democracy?

Answer 11

• Without parties it would be very difficult to establish a government as each individual would be separate from others.
• Political parties develop their political programmes through discussion.
• Without political parties, voting in elections would be more complicated because voters would no longer be able to associate a candidate with a manifesto.
• Opposition parties can hold a government accountable.

Question 12

In what ways do political parties hinder democracy?

Answer 12

• Reduction in voter choice as voters must associate themselves with one manifesto, despite that manifesto not 100% representing their beliefs.
• MP’s of a party are not able to represent their own beliefs as they must represent the views of the party (to a certain extent).
• The almost tribalism between parties creates confrontational and negative approaches towards government.
• Political parties give excessive power to the party membership.
• The way that main political parties benefit from massively disproportionate funding ensures that they can monopolise political decision making.

Question 13

How are political parties funded?

Answer 13

• £2 million is allocated to each of the major parties in policy development grants.
• Short money (named after Labour politician Ted Short) is allocated to opposition parties relative to how many seats they have. (£800k is given to the Leader of the Opposition)
• Cranborne money (named after Conservative peer Lord Cranborne) subsidises the work of scrutiny carried out by opposition parties in the HoL.

Question 14

What do policy development grants allow parties to employ?

Answer 14

Policy advisers

Question 15

What do subsidies cover?

Answer 15

Anything outside of campaigning and election expenses.

Question 16

How are campaigning and election expenses funded?

Answer 16

By party members, along with individual backing from benefactors.

Question 17

What are some problems with current funding systems?

Answer 17

The Conservative party is massively advantaged as they receive huge donations from business men who see a Tory government as in their best interests.
The Labour party has a close relationship with the trade unions, and so receives a lot of funding from there.
Other minority parties are severely disadvantaged.

Question 18

What did the Trade Union Act 2016 change in terms of Labour party income?

Answer 18

A new union member must now ‘opt-in’ if they wish their membership fee to go to the Labour party.

Question 19

What did the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000 provide?

Answer 19

Greater transparency and fairness.

An independant electoral commission is established to monitor how much money politcal parties spend on campaigns.
The amount a political party can spend in any constituency is capped at £30k.
Political parties must declare any large donation (above £5k) to the electoral commission.
A party cannot receive donations from non-UK citizens.

Question 20

Should the state fund political groups? (Yes)

Answer 20

• The vast discrepancy in income across parties gives an incredibly unfair advantage to the Conservative party.
• Controversies surrounding benefactors (‘cash for honours’ in which reports alleged that Tony Blair elevated donors to the HoL)

Question 21

Should the state fund political groups? (No)

Answer 21

• In a free democracy, people should be free to spend money on whatever they wish.
• From a philosophical standpoint, state funding suggests that parties are somehow ‘servants of the state’.
• If you fund one group, you must then fund them all, which leads to funding of extremist groups such as the BNP.

Question 22

What is libertarian?

Answer 22

Tends to mean you are more tolerant of people’s behaviour / lifestyle choices.

Question 23

What is authoritarian?

Answer 23

You tend to be much less tolerant of people’s individual behaviours. You tend to be more strict against people’s behaviours as a result.

Question 24

What is protectionism?

Answer 24

Protects the domestic economy from foreign competition through tariffs.

Question 25

What is a tariff?

Answer 25

An added tax.