General Political Parties

Question 1

Why is the unity important in political parties?

Answer 1

Unity it is important as disunited parties have no hope of being elected

Question 2

Give me example of when unity worked in favour for a party

Answer 2

1980s Conservative party was united due to Margaret Thatcher’s leadership

Question 3

Give me examples when unity was not in the party and therefore had consequences

Answer 3

In the 1980s labour was split and because of this it literally split into two parties called labour and socialist party

Question 4

How do political parties enhance representative democracy?

Answer 4

~Government held accountable
~Provides opportunities for people to engage in politics
~ identify, recruit and train people for political office
~ Make elections, politics, operations of parliament understandable to the public

Question 5

Counter arguments for why political parties do not enhance representative democracy

Answer 5

~By-elections
~Parties are only held accountable at election time
~Membership is on the decline and low participation
~Government that people are very selectively and is very elitist
~They may manipulate in order to get people to vote in a certain way
~They may oversimplified the issue therefore people have no knowledge on the details/ consequences

Question 6

Key factors in a success for a party

Answer 6

~ leader popularity
~ media exposure
~ lots of funding
~ Unity and consensus
~ support and membership
~ size

Question 7

old labour

Answer 7

embodying nationalisation,

redistribution of wealth from rich to poor

the provision of continually improving welfare and state services

Question 8

new labour (Third Way)

Answer 8

shift in emphasis from a heavy focus on the working class to a wider class base, and a less robust alliance with the trade unions.

Question 9

one nation

Answer 9

paternalistic approach

Question 10

new right

Answer 10

new liberal and neo conservative

Question 11

neo conservative

Answer 11

state to take more authoritarian approach to law and order

Question 12

neo liberal

Answer 12

endorsing free market

Question 13

classic liberalism

Answer 13

philosophy developed by early liberals who believed that individual freedom would be best such with the state playing minimal role

Question 14

party system

Answer 14

manner in which the political parties in a political system are grouped and structured.