Component 1- Political Parties Flashcards
What is a party?
A collection of like-minded members (those who share an ideology).
What are the main functions of a political party?
- Selecting candidates
- Providing personnel for government
- Electing a leader
- Formulating policy
- Campaigning
- Representation
How do political parties help representative democracy?
- Couldn’t function without them
- Develops coherent political programmes
- Reduces complications
- Selects suitable candidates
- Allows for accountability
How do political parties hinder representative democracy?
- Reduces voter choice
- Reduces MPs freedom to vote
- Creates factional divide within parties
- Disproportionately funded
- Excessive power given to ruling party membership
How are parties funded?
- £2M is granted to all the main parties for employing policy advisers
- Short money is given to opposition parties (usually £800,000~ for the Leader of the Opposition)
- Cranborne money is given to the House of Lords for scrutiny work
How are parties funded?
- £2M is granted to all the main parties for employing policy advisers
- Short money is given to opposition parties (usually £800,000~ for the Leader of the Opposition)
- Cranborne money is given to the House of Lords for scrutiny work
Should the state fund political parties? What are some of the arguments around this?
- Free democracy: people should be able to financially support whoever they want
HOWEVER - Could have disproportionate funding to certain parties
- Suggests that political parties are servants of the state, limiting independence
- Would require funding of extremist parties like the BNP
Where did the Conservative Party originate from?
The Conservative party was borne out of the 1834 Tamworth Manifesto from the Tory Party by Sir Robert Peel. It emphasised property, tradition, pragmatism, stability, and authoritarianism.
How has it developed into the modern day Conservative Party?
From this original One Nation Toryism, the New Right ideology of Thatcherism arose as the prominent party line. Cameron declared himself One Nation, but shifts under Johnson, Truss, and Sunak have returned the New Right ideology to its centre.
What are some of the Conservatives’ key policy commitments?
- Low taxation (disavowed somewhat by Hunt’s Windfall tax)
- Cutting immigration
- Strong national security (recent £5B+ increase to military budget)
- Some continuation of the ‘Big Society’ idea
- Continued Euroscepticism
Where did the Labour Party originate from?
Established in 1900 to represent the interests of the working class. It was originally a middle ground between democratic socialism and social democracy.
How has it developed into the modern day Labour Party?
The ‘Old Labour’ Party has gradually developed from being a party representing working class interests with Trotskyite factions to a more Third Way-esque ‘New Labour’ during the 1980s, maintained through Tony Blair and into the modern day Keir Starmer.
What are some of Labour’s key policy commitments?
- Increasing taxes on the rich (e.g. £80,000+ would mean 45% in tax)
- A mixture of nationalisation and privatisation
- Advance the rights of workers by ending Zero Hour contracts
- Free school meals for all children
- Maintenance grant should be reintroduced
Where did the Liberal Democrats originate from?
Although the Lib Dems were established in 1988 by Roy Jenkins, the Liberal Party stems back to the days of Lord John Russell in the mid-19th century.
What are some of the Lib Dems’ key policy commitments?
- Increase taxes so as to increase spending on public services
- Opposition to private schools
- Re-entry into the EU
- Continue to honour the ECHR
- House of Lords democratic reform
- Easier immigration system
