2.2 - Established Political Parties Flashcards
What are the established political parties?
Conservatives
Labour
Liberal Democrats
What are the minority parties in the UK?
SNP
Plaid Cymru
UKIP
Green
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
What is traditional conservatism?
During the British Civil War, royalist supporters of the monarchy, the CoE and land-owning aristocracy resisted giving parliament greater influence and resisted giving the public greater freedom of worship.
Why did traditional conservatism exist?
People were fearful that going against the status quo would lead to violence and destabilisation.
What did Thomas Hobbes write in ‘Leviathan’?
He had a very negative view on human nature, and believed that a strong government was necessary to control its citizens and to resist dangerous innovation.
He suggested anarchy would ensue, violence would be endemic, and “the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.
During the time of traditional conservatism, what else what going on in the world?
The French Revolution.
Why was the French Revolution a problem for Traditional Conservatives?
The egalitarian principles of the French Revolution were completely opposed to traditional conservatism.
Sum up Traditional Conservatism.
Closely associated with the monarchy and CoE.
The party is aware of humanity’s potential for ‘mob rule’, so tries to have a solid government to prevent this.
What are the main principles of traditional conservatism?
Property
Authoritarianism
Pragmatism
Tradition
Stability
What followed traditional conservatism?
One-nation conservatism
What does one-nation conservatism involve?
The Tory party should protect and advance the interests of the whole nation.
It is much more inclusive and progressive than traditional conservatism.
Who concieved one-nation conservatism?
Benjamin Disraeli.
What did Disraeli warn against?
Britain becoming ‘Two Nations’, split between the rich and the poor.
How did Disraeli see society?
As an organic body, in which stability and prosperity could only be achieved through all classes not putting their selfish interests above the other.
How did ‘one-nation’ conservatism effect the Conservative party?
They became more successful as they reached out to more working class support.
His principles became adopted by the party, and led to them becoming the most vote-winning political party.
What followed ‘one-nation’ conservatism?
New Right
Why was one-nation conservatism dropped in favour of New Right policies?
The idea of one-nation was being undermined by large-scale industrial unrest.
Why is the New Right interesting from a policy view?
It combines neo-liberalism with neo-conservatism.
Who was the main driver of the New Right?
Margaret Thatcher.
What principle is the New Right based on from an economic standpoint?
They believe the economy best regulates itself with as little government interference as possible.
Businessmen and businesswomen best generate income, not the government.
What did classical economist Adam Smith say on the free market?
He referred to the ‘invisible hand of the market’.
Keep taxation low to provide people with greater financial control over their lives.
Reduce inflation and interest rates to encourage investment.
Discourage ‘dependancy cultures’ due to a too extensive welfare state.
Limit the influence of trade unions.
In what ways is the New Right influenced by neo-conservatism?
Discouraging alternative lifestyles with threaten the status-quo as basis for social harmony.
Giving the government extensive powers to fight crime and disorder.
Protecting the national interest with a strong defence policy.
Emphasising the nation state as the ultimate source of the citizen’s security (EU is against the idea of neo-conservatism)
What followed the New Right movement?
Current Conservatism.
What was a powerful criticism of Margaret Thatcher during her Prime Ministership?
The Conservative Party had focused far too much on free-market principles, allowing society to divide itself (a far cry from the idea of one-nation conservatism)
What are the main principles of current conservatism?
Combine elements of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.
Have a more tolerant attitude towards alternative lifestyles.
Have a renewed focus on ‘one-nation’ inclusivity.
How did the conservatives remain committed to neo-liberalism?
George Osborne cut the top level tax from 50p to 45p.
Pledged to cut corporation tax to 17% by 2020
Pledged to increase the threshold at which top rate tax is paid by £50k.
Increasing the personal tax allowance to £12500.
Tory CotE pursued ‘austerity measures’ to reduce the budget deficit.
How did the conservatives remain committed to neo-conservatism?
2017 pledge to cut immigation to under 100,000 a year.
Strong national security policy (Trident Nuclear Deterrent)
An expansion to the Snooper’s Charter.
Opposition to further reform of the HoL.
The Conservative emphasis on the central importance of state meant that Euroscepticism increased as a result.
How did the conservatives remain committed to one-nationism?
David Cameron had an emphasis on a ‘Big Society’, with the introduction of a National Citizenship Qualification.
Commit the Conservatives to supporting gay marriage.
A national living wage was introduced by George Osborne.
May described Joseph Chamberlain as one of her political heroes.
May established a new department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, giving the government an increased ability to stimulate industrial growth.
Who is Joseph Chamberlain?
A self-made businessman who was one of the great social reformers of the late nineteenth century.
Who is the Labour party traditionally for?
The working-class.
What is Old Labour?
The version of labour closely associated with left-principles of positive intervention to create a more equal society through:
Higher tax on the wealthy
Nationalisation
Generous welfare provision
When was the Labour Party established?
1900
Why was the Labour Party established?
To represent the interests of the working class.
What is a common misconception about Old Labour?
That they were a Marxist party. They never actually supported the complete revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist free market.
They contained some Marxists, but were not in and of themselves a Marxist party.
What was Labour traditionally?
A compromise between democratic socialism and social democracy.
What are the two differing opinions within Democratic Socialists?
Webb: the capitalist state will eventually be replaced by a socialist state as the working class gain more power.
Crosland: the capitalist state will be reformed changing existing capitalist structures.
What is at the core of Labour’s socialist idealogy?
The idea of collectivism.
What is collectivism?
We achieve more by working together for the common good than by competing in our own interests.
What have Labour governments traditionally done in order to create a more just and fair society?
Nationalisation.
Redistributive Taxation
Supporting an extensive welfare state
Fostering close links with trade unions to protect the interests of workers.
Who was the first PM of a majority Labour government?
Clement Attlee.
When was the first majority Labour government established?
1945 - 1951
What is Clement Attlee’s government most famous for?
The establishment of the National Health Service.
