Party Systems Flashcards
Define party systems
‘the more or less stable configuration of political parties… The extent to which competition between parties is predictable or unpredictable’ - Peter Mair
How did Maurice Durveger distinguish party systems?
Maurice Durverger distinguished party systems by the number of networks competing for power i.e. 1, 2, multi-party systems.
How did Giovanni Sartori distinguish party systems?
Giovanni Sartori distinguished party systems by the size, relevance and effectiveness of parties. Do they have the capacity to win or share government power? Major parties do, minor parties don’t. Party systems require competition.
What is the first type of one-party system?
The first type of one party system is when ruling communist parties control all institutions and aspects of society. They have strict ideologies and membership is restricted. They are accused of being elitist due to being controlled by the well-paid core i.e. the Chinese Communist Party.
What is the second type of one-party system?
The second type of one party system can be associated with anti-colonial nationalism in the developing world. They rise from independence movements i.e. the merger of the ZANU and ZAPU parties in Zimbabwe. Alternatively, they have developed as vehicles through which national leaders consolidate power i.e. the People’s Party in Bangladesh.
Disadvantages of one-party systems
Disadvantages of one-party systems are that they are weakly organised and are based on charismatic leaders rather than ideologies. They entrench authoritarianism and corruption.
The two-party system in the USA
Republicans and Democrats usually hold all of the seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate however whether it is strictly two-party or not could be questioned.
Between 1984 and 2000, there was not a clear government and opposition, as one party controls the White House and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
And in 1992, a third party led by Ross Perot gained 16% of the vote.
Advantages of two-party systems
- People have a choice
- Strong parties = stability
- Accountability - manifestos can be trusted
- There is constant competition - parties cannot relax
Disadvantages of two-party systems
- They can lead to party conflict rather than cooperation (Thomas Carothers)
- Parties try to out-do each others promises and don’t have the capacity to fulfill them i.e. increase public spending, which leads to inflation.
- 2 choices does not satisfy social diversity
What is a dominant party system?
Many parties compete but 1 is able to hold power for prolonged periods.
Give an example of a dominant party system
An example of a dominant party system is in Sweden. The Social Democratic Labour party were in power for 65 years until 2006.
Advantages of dominant party systems
Prolonged period of power for one party means they are stable and predictable.
Disadvantages of dominant party systems
- It becomes difficult to distinguish between the party in power and the state
- Prolonged periods of power can lead to corruption
- A weak and ineffective opposition means protests can be ignored
- A permanent party could lead to fear of change - not an effective democratic system.
What is a multi-party system?
Multi-party systems are when more than 2 parties compete for power, reducing the chances of single-party governments and increasing the chances of coalitions.
What is the first type of multi-party system distinguished by Giovanni Sartori?
A moderate multi-party system.
Ideological differences between parties are slight, and coalitions bring them to the centre i.e. Belgium
What is the second type of multi-party system distinguished by Giovanni Sartori?
A polarised multi-party system.
Marked ideological differences separate parties, for example, in Italy in 2008, 2 rival populist parties formed a government.
Advantages of multi-party systems
- Compromise
- Allows for debate
- Competing views must be taken into account
- Moderate policies = no alienation
Disadvantages of multi-party systems
- Difficult/time consuming to form
- Lack of a strong party in the system
- Unstable due to disagreements between coalition partners i.e. In post-1945 Italy, governments lasted an average of 10 months
- Centreist - no clear ideological alternatives
- Parties abandon policy and principles in search for power i.e. Lib dem/Tory coalition following the 2010 general election.
What are cleavages?
Key thinker: Peter Mair
Cleavages are the lines that divide supporters and opponents of a certain issue. Social divisions arise, and political parties articulate ideologies based on these divisions
Factors affecting interactions between parties: The constitutional nature of the political system
Parties have to operate according to constitutional rules.
In liberal democratic regimes, election success leads to changes of government.
In authoritarian regimes, leaders will not contemplate electoral overthrow and the criticisms of the opposition will be ignored.
Factors affecting interactions between parties: cleavages
Relationships between parties are determined by cleavages in society. Lipset and Rokkan identified 4 fundamental cleavages that led to the formation of mass parties at the end of the 19th century:
- centre vs periphery
- state vs church
- land vs industry
- owners vs workers
Factors affecting interactions between parties: the electoral system
Duverger’s Law:
Majority voting systems = two-party systems
Proportional representation = multi-party systems
- as a general trend.
