Comparative Politics - Week 6 (Political Parties) Flashcards
what did Edmund Burke describe a political party as
a political party is a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavours, the national interest, upon some particular principles in which they are all agreed
what is an example of the elite or caucus party
the whig party
what period was the mass party in
1930s - 1960s
what is the mass party linked to
social cleavages and one social group e.g. Labour, SPD, SAP, Agrarians in Scandanavia
when did catch all parties emerge
1950s/1960s
what are catch-all parties
where there was more centralised decision-making, a broadened electorate, where office seeking is a main goal
what is an example of an anti-cartel party
Gilstrup’s Progress Party
what do parties allow the electorate to do
be involved in democracy
what do parties do for the elite
they enable ‘competition between elites’
what do parties reduce
information costs for candidates and voters
what do parties promote
policy coordination across a range of issues (in the wider public interest) and prevent politicians from pursuing private goals
what do parties create by reducing the complexity of issues
political stability
what is the responsible party government model of democracy
- parties prevent rival policy agendas (manifestos)
- citizens make a choice about policy by choosing between parties
- citizens judge parties on how well they have acted on their promises
what is the problem with the issues parties promote
they only promote one part of a general will e.g. the private interests of parties’ supporters rather than the common public interest
what can parties create due to competing policies
polarisation and political instability
how do parties influence their politicians
they prevent them from representing their constituents’ interest or making up their own minds
how do Whips negatively parties
carrots and sticks to get MPs to obey
what did Dixon, 1996, say about party whips
whips engaged in ‘blackmail, verbal intimidation, sexual harassment and physical aggression’
what is the cleavage model (Lipset and Rokkan, 1967)
- parties are formed and sustained by social cleavages
- parties are mass-based organisations
- parties appeal to and represent particular social groups
- parties primarily pursue policy and will not compromise policy promises to win/remain in office
what is the strategic actor model (Downs, 1957)
- parties are formed by like-minded politicians
- parties are elite organisations (who would rather not have members)
- parties appeal to pivotal voters
- parties primarily pursue officer and will compromise policy promises to win/remain in office
what is the moderate pluralist (multiparty) system
- competition among more than two parties hence the greater choice of governing alternatives
- coalition formation
- alternating coalitions between left and right
- centripetal competition - ‘centre clustering’
what is the polarised pluralist (multiparty) system
- competition among many more than two parties
- coalition formation
- centre spanning parties/coalition
- centrifugal competition - extremist parties anti-system parties blackmail
advantages of two-party systems
- effective (immediate production of governments after elections)
- accountable (clear accountability if only one party is in government)
- alternation - two main parties alternate in power. Voters influence directly the formation of government. A small shift can cause government change
disadvantages of two-party systems
- non-representative - FPTP under-represents minorities and over-represents large mainstream parties of left right
- moderate policies - all main parties have a chance to govern and thus avoid extreme claims
- discontinuity - decisions are made by the majority with a clear strategy
