Part 2 -1. What are the main functions of political parties Flashcards
what are political parties
- Political organisations that seek to form a government by selecting and supporting candidates at elections
- Develop policies on a broad range of issues
- Often have a particular ideology or vision
- Essential within a representative democracy, where elected individuals make key political decisions on behalf of the people
what were cadre parties
‘cadre’ parties meaning they were mostly small groups with a tight ‘cadre’ (group of leaders)
The two main parties in the 18th and 19th century were; the Tories and the Whigs
These parties were pretty much factions within the House of Commons with no real structure to them
what was the structure to cadre parties
Parliamentary leadership –> shared some power with –> Local organisation and members –> to create top-down mass parties
What were the main voting reform acts of the 1800s and what did they do?
- Great Reform Act (1832)
- Reform Act (1867)
- Representation of the People Act (1884)
- Ballot Act (1872)
These reform acts saw the electorate grow from 500,000 in 1832 to 5.5 million in 1885
what did The Ballot Act (1872) do
introduced secret ballots so there was no bribery or coercion
what did the Great Reform Act (1832) do
Expanded voting rights to more middle-class men, especially property owners. However, most working-class men and all women were still excluded
what did the Reform Act (1867) do
It expanded voting rights to more working-class men, especially in cities, nearly doubling the number of voters from 1.4 million to 2.5 million.
what did the Representation of the People Act (1884) do
It gave the same voting rights to rural men as urban men, adding about 2.5 million voters (around 60% of adult men).
What has happened to the membership of mass parties over the decades?
it significantly decreased
membership for Tories and labour in 1946
Labour – 3,000,000 members
Conservative – 750,000 members
membership for Tories and labour in 2024
Labour – 300,000 members
Conservative – 120,000 members
what kind of structure does the Conservative Party have
Top-down
what kind of structure does the Labour Party have
Bottom-down
What are the main functions of political parties
6 functions of political parties:
- Governing and electioneering
- Policy development and political integration
- Recruitment
- Raising money
- Representation
- Participation
why is Governing and Electioneering an important function of political parties
- Governments and shadow governments – party unity
- Forming a stable government and providing a well-resourced and active opposition
- At the heart of what political parties in the UK do – running the country and campaigning to run it in the future
