Functions And Features Of Political Parties

Question 1

What is a political party

Answer 1

Organisation of people with similar values and views which develops a set of goals and policies that it seeks to convert into political action by obtaining goverment office

Question 2

What are the features of a political parties ?

Answer 2

• members of parties share similar political value and views
• organisation that develops policy
• parties seek to secure the election of their candidates as representatives or form government at various level (local, regional and national )

Question 3

What are the key features of established parties ?

Answer 3

• parties have main focus across many different area such as health, education
• parties aim to gain power by winning political office by elections
• parties share common ideologies : conservativism , liberalism or socialism

Question 4

What are the functions of political parties

Answer 4

• making policy
• representation
• consenting election

Question 5

why is policy making important

Answer 5

When party is in opposition and seeking to replace the goverment as opposition are in different position from party in power

Question 6

Making policy

When a ruling party controls the goverment , what is there no distinction between ?

Answer 6

The ruling party controls the goverment and the leadership goverment

Question 7

Making policy

Therefore , what is the policy making function of the ruling party the same as ?

Answer 7

policy making of the goverment

Question 8

Who makes the policies for policy making of the ruling class/govemenrt

Answer 8

• political leaders
• civil servants
• private advisers
• advisory unit

Question 9

Who make policy making in the background

Answer 9

• Backbench MPs
• local activist
• ordinary

Question 10

Who is most policy in the ruling party made by ?

Answer 10

Minister and their adviser

Question 11

When in opposition who have more influence of policy- making ?

Answer 11

Leadership party group

Question 12

Through what can membership communicate to leadership ideas and demands they would like to see as official policy and be gov policy one day

Answer 12

Through various conferences and party committees

Question 13

Where does policy influence occur at ?

Answer 13

Local , regional and national

Question 14

What is example of policy making ?

Answer 14

Manifesto

Boris johnson promoting conservatives manifesto “Get Brexit done”
Jeremy Corbyn promoting labour manifesto “time for real change”

Question 15

What is the policy formulating function also know as ?

Answer 15

Aggregation

Question 16

What is aggregation ?

Answer 16

Where political parties convert policies made by mass indivuduals of society and demands into practical policies for goverment by eliminating contradictions and compromising

Question 17

What does the representative function do political parties ?

Answer 17

Represent a specific section of society

Question 18

Examples of representative function of political parties

Answer 18

UK Labour Party in early 20th century represented the working class and trade union and the conservatives party protected interest of aristocracy by this changed as contemporary parties argue to represent national interest and not specifics

Question 19

Despite change of contemporary Uk of representation the national interest what do parties still do ?

Answer 19

Still tend to be prejudice towards interest of particular group in society based on their core beliefs

Question 20

as far as representation is concerned , shah party has emerged?

Answer 20

Populist parties

Question 21

What is populism

Answer 21

• appeals to people emotions and prejudice by telling them what they want to hear
• supporters feel that their concerns have been ignored by more established parties
• goes back to popular idea of her past than change

Question 22

Representation

What are populist against ?

Answer 22

Anti taxation , anti big business

Question 23

Examples of populism

Answer 23

UKIP: “take out country back”
Trump : “make America great again “

Question 24

Contesting election section of political parties

Answer 24

• publicising election issues
• persuading people to vote
• informing them about candidate
• take place when votes are counted to make sure it’s fair and honest

Question 25

What is the political educational function of political parties

Answer 25

Inform people about political issue by explaining conflict and solution to problem and educating public on how political system operates

Question 26

Example of political parties playing political education function ?

Answer 26

Green Party raises awareness of environmental issues , UKIP Brexit and EU and labour low pay and zero hour contract

Question 27

Why can the political education less important now ?

Answer 27

Media , pressure group and think tanks play role of informing the public