Comparative Politics - Political parties

Question 1

Comparing political parties - the US party system

Answer 1

• Mostly consists of a two party system in which parties are divided on a ideological divide, and each party falls into either the Liberal / progressive party and the conservative party and so they are ideologically distinct
  Conservatives and Republicans generally share ideology as do Democrats and Labour
• There are internal differences within the parties, with many in the US operating on a spectrum of ideals rather than a consistency in policy line - some Republicans for example are more conservative than others, and so the party system despite being made of two parties actually consists of a range of ideologies from both main party ideas
• The electoral system heavily supports this party system, and so they support it as it allows maintenance of their dominance of politics, and so the electoral system maintains the 2 party system and the 2 party system maintains the electoral system
• The main Republican divides are arguably foreign policy and trade, and how far to expand/reduce the reach of federal government, and therefore the budget deficit
  Republicans are less socially progressive on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage
• No Republican would favour a ‘socialised healthcare system’
• The democrat party and more moderate and centrist → republicans it to the right of the conservatives and democrats remain more to the right than labour
  US parties are only recently ideologically based and distinct
• Party unity in the legislature is lower in the USA but parties in Congress are becoming increasingly unified, with no House Republicans and only 2 House Democrats breaking party ranks in the Trump impeachment vote
• Due to the size and diversity of the USA, the dominance of the central or national party is weak; primaries also contribute to weakened central control over local state parties

Question 2

Comparing political parties - The UK Party System

Answer 2

• Could be described as an international coalition, covering a range of views.
• Differences are usually ideologically (Conservative v Labour)
• Parties are accurately labelled as Conservative v Labour due to the distinction of separate ideologies - The issues that create divides and tensions within the parties on either side of the Atlantic differ considerably
• Parties exhibit internal party rebellions
• Operates a multi-party system which consists of two main parties and then other parties which still have influence within Commons

Question 3

US Party factions

Answer 3

US Party factions:
- Democrats
- Republicans
- Independents
- Reform
- Libertarian
- Socialist
- Natural Law
- Constitution Party
- Green Party

Factions of the Democrat party:
- Progressive / Liberal Democrats
- Moderate Democrats
- Conservative Democrats
- Blue Dog Democrats

Factions of the Republican party:
- Moderate Republicans
- Fiscal conservatism
- Social Conservatives
- Tea Party

Question 4

UK Political party factions - UK parties and Conservative factions

Answer 4

UK political parties:
- Conservative
- Labour
- Liberal Democrats
- Green
- DUP
- Plaid Cymru
- Sinn Fein
- SNP

Conservative factions:
- Traditionalists
- Thatcherites
- Buskalites
- One Nation
- Cambridge Mafia
- Liberal Conservatives
- Cowboy Conservatives

Question 5

UK Political party factions - Labour Factions

Answer 5

Brownism
- Less enthusiastic about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and dounatin roles
- More keen on the role of the state
- Less critical of Labour’s links to the unions

Blairism
- Investment into public services
- Support for stronger law enforcement powers
- Education as mean to encourage social mobility

Labour First
- Right wing labour group

New Labour
- Developed to regain trust from the electorate
- Portray departure from their traditional socialist policies

Labour for the Common Good
- Parliamentary group set up during the 2015 leadership election
- Moderate group which aims to bring together Blairites and Brownites to counteract the Corbynite wing

Consensus
- Launched to combat factionalism in the party
- Aims to bring all wings of the party together to build a consensus on key policy issues

Progress
- Independent group
- Founded as a Blairite pressure group
- Committed to the New Labour agenda
- Aimed to promote radical and progressive policies recognising that the centre of the party has shifted

Socialist Workers Party
- Revolutionary Trotskyite socialist party committed to transforming Parliament and the country
- Urged Corbyn to pursue a far-left agenda