Compare: Democracy Flashcards
5
Describe the similar factors that create a 2-party dominance in the US and UK
- FPTP means that 3rd parties enjoy little success
- Competing ideologies and factions within broad church parties
- Expense of campaigns → main parties more easily able to control funding
- Main lobby groups/pressure groups aligned with major parties
- Many MPs/Congress members simply re-elected in safe seats
3
Describe the similarity in party system in the US and UK
- National legislatures both dominated by major 2 parties
- FPTP, campaign expense and co-optation of policies leads to limited influence for 3rd party
- 3rd parties can have ‘spoiler effect’ by splitting vote
3
Describe the difference in party system in the US and UK
- Greater 3rd party influence in UK - coalitions and supply-and-confidence
- Federalism entrenches two-party dominance in US vs devolution allows for regional smaller parties in UK
- Defections lead to smaller parties gaining legislative representation in UK (e.g. Reclaim) v rare in US due to local primaries (e.g. Strom Thurmond switched from Dem to Rep in 1964)
3
Describe the similarity in internal unity between US and UK parties
- Ideological breadth of parties feeds into factionism
- All parties recently embroiled in intraparty debate over specific issues and direction of party
- Development of partisanship has masked internal divisions in both parties (e.g. Brexit, Kavanaugh)
2
Outline disunity over party direction in the US and UK
- Both Lab/LD and Democrats influenced by figures pulling party to left - Corbyn and Sanders
- Both Con and Rep influenced by figures pulling party to right - Liz Truss and Trump/Cruz
4
Describe the differences in internal unity between US and UK parties
- Party controls candidate selection for constituency seats in UK vs local primaries allows voters control over who is nominated in US
- Stronger whip system in UK → stronger party discipline in voting
- Patronage powers in UK vs inelligibility clause in US
- Smaller 3rd party representations leads to greater ideological disunity in US parties
This card is just to get me thinking
Policy profiles of each party in US and UK
Ensure I have examples for Con/Lab and Rep/Dem
- Social welfare
- Education
- Defence
- Environment
- Economy
- Immigration
3
Describe similarities in campaign finance between the US and UK
- Recent controversies in both US and UK (Obama campaign fined $375k over violating federal laws surrounding donation disclosure in 2013)
- Reform to law has proven a challenge in both nations
- Can be of great consequence to results
2
Describe differences in campaign finance between the US and UK
- Substantially greater regulation in UK - PPERA 2000 and Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Act 2014
- Much lower election cost in UK
3
Describe the similarities in party funding between the US and UK
- Both have aspects of state funding: ‘short money’ and Policy Development Grant (UK) ; ‘matching funds’ (USA)
- Similar advocacy for state funding: greater third-party access, reduce role of lobbying, reduce cost of elections
- state funding does little to aid 3rd parties
2
Describe ‘matching funds’ (USA)
- Govt matches donations party recieves dollar for dollar if it acts within certain spending limits
- Recent presidential candidates from both parties have found it more lucrative to ignore limits and therefore ‘matching funds’
3
Describe differences in party funding between the US and UK
- State funding more effective in UK - ‘short money’ and ‘policy development grant’
- Overall level of party funding much lower in UK
- 3rd parties enjoy greater funding in UK
3
Outline the difference in 3rd party funding in the UK and US
- UK 2019 GE: Brexit Party £4.2m vs Labour £5.6m
- US 2020 Presidential election: Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian) raised $3m vs over $1bn spent by both Biden and Trump campaigns
3
Describe the similarities between interest group methods in the US and UK
- Can both access legal routes, especially SC (e.g. Liberty B&B case)
- Both access points at multiple levels - growing due to devolution in UK
- Both utilise NVDA and lobbying methods
6
Describe the differences between interest group methods in the US and UK
- Entrenched understanding of SCOTUS makes it a more attractable proposition for US interest groups through amicus curie briefs/bringing cases vs Parliament remains sovereign in UK → targeting Parliament a more effective route
- Cannot submit amicus curie briefs in UK
- Much stricter lobbying rules in UK
- US more able to form closer links with exective agencies through ‘iron triangles’ vs most have outsider status in UK
- US interest groups more likely to form PACs to influence elections/legislative actions vs resort to traditional methods in UK
- US interest groups less restricted in campaining tools: campaigning during elections, donations to individuals or parties
