parties Flashcards
functions of parties
-representation
-Participation
-Elections
-Government
-Organisation
-Education
Features of political parties
-parties aim to become a government by putting candidates up for election and mobilising support
-Parties are organised bodies with a formal membership
-Parties typically adopt a broad issue, addressing major issues of government policy
-To varying degrees, parties are united by shared political preferences and shared ideological identity
Features of left-wing parties
-associate with a desire to introduce change into the political system
-left wing ideas look to make society more equal and favoured the group solution above the individual, and thus support state intervention and collectivism
Features of right wing parties
-emphasise a wide spread acceptance of the status quo and the need for stability in society
-right wing ideas seek to give individuals more freedom and favour the individual in preference to the group, and thus favour the market and individualism
how do political parties enhance democracy
-Encourage people to participate in politics via party activity, election campaign, voting and standing for office
-They provide voters with choices
-uphold the authority of parliament
-Facilitate representation
-Administer elections, encouraging people to vote
-Peaceful transfer of power
how do political parties threaten democracy
-Engage in adversarial politics-threatens to reduce parliament
-Turnout at elections isn’t particularly high
-Parties sometimes oversimplify issues or present info in a misleading way
-they need finance for election campaign which gives influence to rich interest groups
-Fail to reflect the society they represent
reasons why parties should receive state funding
-Stops wealthy groups influencing parties
-Parties can focus on representing the electorate, not fundraising
-Smaller parties will get fair financial support
-Less wealthy pressure groups will get a more equal hearing by parties
reasons why parties shouldn’t receive state funding
-politicians may be less interested in what pressure groups have to say
-Taxpayers shouldn’t be funding political parties
-There would be disagreement over how funding would be allocated
Current party funding
-MPs are paid by the state
-Political parties must fund their own activities
-Political parties can except donations if they come from ‘permissible sources’ = on the electoral register, registered UK company, registered political party, a registered trade union or building/friendly society
two party system
-two parties dominate the system
-Usually one of these can secure a majority
-the other forms the opposition
-Other parties exist but have low representation
Multi party system
-More than two parties competing for power
-The outcome of the election is most likely a coalition
-New parties can gain power more easily
-The distinction between major and minor parties is harder to identify
One party system
-The party in power has been there for a long time
2 + 1/2 party system
-two major parties take turns to form government plus a third party which is electorally much smaller, but bigger than other minor parties
how do policies affect party success
-Parties policies should be the most important factor when deciding how to vote
how do campaigns affect party success
-Campaigns rarely make a significant difference to the outcome of elections
-generally a party with a clear lead in the polls at the beginning of a campaign tends to win, even if there are occasional mishaps
how does party unity affect party success
-disunity in political parties is damaging
-voters like to feel that the party they vote for has a clear vision for governing
how do leaders affect party success
-Charismatic leaders are often trusted more by voters which may result in voters ignoring other factors
how does the media affect party success
-The influence of the media can’t be underestimated
-More recently, social media platforms have taken on the old media and are seen as a force to be reckoned with
how does wider political context affect success
-if a party has been in power for a long time,
brand fatigue may set and governing parties are likely to make mistakes and lose credibility with voters
how does the opposition affect party success
-The quality of the opposition has an effect on how successful party may be
what is the role of elections in democracy
-ensure the will of the majority is clear
-confer legitimacy on government and politicians
-help form governments
-provide a choice of political program
-Citizens can participate in political life
-Hold MPs accountable to their constituents
-Hold an incumbent government to account
what is an electoral mandate
-it refers to the authority extended to the winning party and candidate following success in election
-permission to act or produce legislation in accordance with the promise/manifesto offered at the election
