COMPARATIVE POLITICS ELECTORAL AND PARTY SYSTEMS

Question 1

Similarities in US and UK over FPTP system

Answer 1

Both use majoritarian electoral systems that result in 2 party’s

Question 2

Similarities in US and UK over two-party dominance

Answer 2

both countries have disproportion elections

2015- snp won 56/59 seats but 50% of the vote
1984 - reagan won 59% of the votes and 97% of the ECV’s

Question 3

Similarities in US and UK over regular elections

Answer 3

both countries used to have fixed with UK having fixed-terms act and us in constitution

Question 4

Similarities in US and UK over use of direct democracy

Answer 4

Both countries make use of direct democracy with referendums

Question 5

Similarities in US and UK over focus on electoral campaigns

Answer 5

both countries focused on shortcomings and attacking opposition

2019 - Johnson calling corbyn “siding with our enemies”

2016 - Trump “crooked Hillary”

Question 6

differences in US and UK over FPTP

Answer 6

Uk uses other systems in regional elections

Uk also has ended with minority governments

Question 7

differences in US and UK over two-party dominance

Answer 7

greater in the US

UK has regional parties with snp winning 56 seats in 2015

Question 8

differences in US and UK over regular elections

Answer 8

Uk has passed The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 so no fixed elections

Even before snap elections called 2017, 2019

Question 9

differences in US and UK over Direct democracy

Answer 9

UK - Used for major constitutional change - national

USA - Only state wide, has more options like ballot initiatives

Question 10

differences in US and UK over election campaigns

Answer 10

More vicious in the USA with attack ads - None in the UK

Uk more about pledges and manifestos

In UK may missed a tv debate, unthinkable to do in the USA

Question 11

similarities in US and UK over factions in parties

Answer 11

Both countries have factions

Momentum in labour ERG in conservatives

QANON in republicans Blue dog in democrats

Question 12

similarities in US and UK over conservative vs liberals

Answer 12

Each of the main parties in us and uk can be labeled liberal or conservative

Tory/Republican - low taxes, limited gov, immigration

Labour/democrats - Rights, wealth to poor, green policy

Question 13

similarities in US and UK over internal rebellions

Answer 13

Both parties have internal rebels

Uk - Torys vs may brexit

US - democrats vs obamacare

Question 14

similarities in US and UK over keeping fptp

Answer 14

all parties in favour of keeping it as it wins them power

Question 15

differences in US and UK over factions

Answer 15

Different issues for factions

UK - brexit

US - immigration and how conservative on social and gun issues

Question 16

differences in US and UK over liberal vs conservatives

Answer 16

UK parties always been opposite ideologically, US polarisation recent

Conservatives more socially progressive with NHS and Abortions compared to republicans

Democrats more central than labour

Question 17

differences in US and UK over internal rebellions

Answer 17

A lot more in US as party unity is poor

Question 18

differences in US and UK over keeping FPTP

Answer 18

Labour and conservatives do compete in other voting systems in the regional elections

Question 19

differences in US and UK over independents

Answer 19

More prominent in usa with Perot

But still no chance of power like UK

Question 20

differences in US and UK over media attention for 3rd parties

Answer 20

USA has less opportunity for high-level media attention

UK has had tv broadcasts for third parties - also part of some tv debates

Question 21

differences in US and UK over ballot laws

Answer 21

NO laws for getting on ballot in UK

USA can be hard to actually get on the ballot

Question 22

differences in US and UK over third party extremist accusations

Answer 22

In USA most third parties seen as extremist

In uk lib-dems are centralist

Question 23

differences in US and UK over electoral systems

Answer 23

UK has other electoral systems - A proportional system for the European elections

Question 24

differences in US and UK over Choice

Answer 24

In USA the primaries system gives voters greater choice over candidates

Question 25

differences in US and UK over regional parties

Answer 25

NO tradition in the USA

In uk there is with sinn fein and DUP and SNP

Question 26

Similarities in UK and US over party finance

Answer 26

Too much money from individual donator’s

Fears of buying influence

Debate over state funding parties

Question 27

differences in US and UK over amount of money on elections

Answer 27

14bn in 2020 president race

21M for 2019 general election

Question 28

differences in US and UK over courts

Answer 28

Party financing is defended by the USSC and the 1st amendment under the Citizens united case

Question 29

differences in US and UK over campaign finance regulation

Answer 29

USA has a let less regulations compared to the UK

Uk’s political parties, elections and referendums act 2000 still hold strong

Question 30

differences in US and UK over pressure groups

Answer 30

PAC’s spend a lot of money in US campaign that aren’t a thing in the UK

Question 31

Structural arguments for elections

Answer 31

Parties in US weaker and decentralised

Greater range of views in US parties

USSC role in deciding policy over campaign finance VS Uk being done via legislation

Question 32

Rational arguments for elections

Answer 32

Different types of voting systems in uk effects voter behaviour

Opportunity of ballot initiatives give more power to pressure groups

many individuals who want to influence an election or policies use PAC’s

Question 33

Cultural arguments for elections

Answer 33

Stronger tradition of third parties in the Uk - SDP 26% of votes 1984

Longstanding involvement of pressure groups in US politics

Much bigger scale of expenditures on elections in the USA