Parties and Elections Flashcards
Political parties
Parties: “give voters meaningful choices, both in the direct election of their individual MP and in the indirect election of a government”
“Without parties, parliamentary government is impossible.”
Elections and parties
Parties provide much of the organization, energy, and expertise for the actual campaign.
Candidates usually seek a party nomination.
Some run independently, without a party label, but support is rare for “independents.”
Successful independents former party candidates
A party leader can refuse to accept a nominated candidate
The party label is a focus for attracting support.
Elections tend to focus on the leaders and on image, rather than substance.
Canadian Views about Parties and Democracy
Government doesn’t care what ordinary people think
Those elected soon lose touch
Most politicians make
promises they have no intentions of fulfilling
MPs make a lot of money misusing their offices
Parties confuse issues rather than provide a clear choice
Limits to Party Democracy
The citizen’s position was seen as analogous to that of the consumer who, on entering a supermarket, was faced with 2 or 3 shopping carts full of groceries.
She could choose only one & was asked to believe that on the basis of this choice she was indirectly controlling the grocery industry.
It takes only a little thought to realize that … far more power rests with those who determine what products will be put in the cart
Party Definitions
a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavors, the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed
formal organization whose self conscious, primary purpose is to place and maintain in public office persons who will control machinery of government
any political group that presents at elections and is capable of placing through elections, candidates for public office
Party Origin: Parliamentary Origin
Late 18th early 19th century
extension of franchise
Parliamentary Origin
- Pre party:
- Fragment: parties that break away from existing parliamentary parties to form a new party
Party Origins: Extra Parliamentary
-Movement: parties formed around a particular ideology or goal
Ex. Socialist, communist, nationalist parties, environmental parties.
Party Functions
Structure Vote Integrate and mobilize citizens Organize government Recruit leaders Make policy Aggregate interests Communication
Performance of Functions
Structure Vote YES
Integrate and mobilize citizens NO
Organize Government YES
Recruit Leaders ?
Make Policy NO
Aggregate Interests NO
Communication ?
Dalton Camp on Parties & policy
There … remains some primordial ambition that lurks in the heart of a few citizens to participate in the formulation of policy through the party apparatus.
I would advise them that if they insist on doing so, not to join a political party.
The very least they should do is join a parapolitical pressure group. The very best thing they could do is join the civil service
Party Organization two kinds
cadre
mass
Party Organization: Cadre
Top down
dominated by the leadership
goals are electorally based
Party Organization: Mass
Party represents the membership bass
Organizational functions
campaign activities
choose local candidate
choose party leader
make policy
Internal Party Democracy
Equality of Members
Freedom of speech and assembly
Members control
- party agenda
- candidate choice
- leadership choice
- Party policy
Control by Party Leadership
Leadership elections infrequent and expensive
-Difficult to Review
Electoral Flexibility
Time and Resources
Expertise
Universal Ballots
In the United States, an absentee ballot is a ballot that the voter records and casts other than at a designated polling station on Election Day.
Typically these ballots are mailed, though some states provide provisions for emailing ballots, faxing ballots, or delivering them in person to a designated location.
Who constitutes the party and who should the party speak for?
Leader Caucus Candidates Executive ex. Vice presidents Delegates Volunteers Adherents Voters
Types of Party
Pragmatic or catch-all
–Brokerage
Ideological or doctrinal
interest
Liberals: Pragmatic, Brokerage Part, But…: Business Liberals
Remove restraints Individual emphasis: equality of opportunity Reduce govt Negative rights Economy over politics Freedom from regulation Small govt best
Liberals: Pragmatic, Brokerage Part, But…: Welfare Liberals
Positive liberalism Social welfare emphasis Govt intervention necessary for equality of opportunity Ensure fair competition Provide services direct
Canadian Conservatism: PC, Reform, Alliance, Conservative
PC Brokerage, Pragmatic, but no welfare liberals?
Reform Alliance: Party of the Right, Party of the West, Party of English Canada, Party of the People
Division between Reform/Alliance and PC guarantee of Liberal hegemony?
End of Reform/ Alliance
Triumph of brokerage
Triumph of pragmatism
“to compromise, no doubt is to corrupt, to corrupt the simplicity of principle, the clarity of policy, but if so, then all politics is corrupt and federal politics, the politics of vast sectional and communal aggregations especially.
To this conclusion all purists, all doctrines, and all [Reformers]must ultimately come or abstain from power.”
Conservatives, Pragmatic brokerage?: Tories
Emphasis on social order
Community and collective rights
Important role for state
Economic freedom not paramount
NDP Ideological, Movement: Welfare liberalism
Positive liberalism Social welfare emphasis Govt intervention necessary for equality of opportunity Ensure fair competition Provide services direct
NDP Ideological, Movement: Socialism
Equality of opportunity
Heavy govt involvement in economy
Govt Regulation and Ownership
NDP Ideological, Movement :” Rainbow coalition”
Single issue activists: Environment, Feminism, Gay Rights etc
