Features, functions and funding of political parties Flashcards
What is a political party?
Associations of people who hold similar political views and wish to promote those views.
How are most parties structured?
They have some kind of formal organisation, normally a hierarchy including leaders, activists and followers - most parties also have a membership system.
What are the main functions of political parties?
- Developing policies and political programmes designed to solve problems in a society or to improve society
- Select suitable candidates for office at all levels - local, regional and national
- Identify and train political leaders, again at local, regional and national levels
- Educate the public about political issues
- Provide organised opportunities for people to participate in politics
- When not in government, call the existing government to account
Why are parties an integral part of the UK political system?
Because help to organise elections and to run the business of representative bodies at local, regional and national levels.
In what ways are political parties funded?
Through:
- Membership subscriptions
- Fundraising events such as fetes, festivals, conferences and dinners
- Donations from supporters
- Loans from wealthy individuals or banks
- Self-financing of candidates for office
What is short money?
Grants funds to opposition parties to help with costs, depending on the size
How much is there available up to per party in grants from the Electoral Commission?
£2 million
What are the proposals for reform on party funding?
- Impose restrictions on the size of individual donations to parties - this is broadly the system used in the USA (though donors can grant funds to thousands of individual candidates)
- Impose tight restrictions on how much parties are allowed to spend - this would make large-scale fundraising futile
- Restrict donations to individuals, e.g., outlaw donations form businesses, pressure groups and trade unions
