Political Parties

Question 1

What are LaPalombra and Weiner’s (1966) 4 ideas of what makes a political party

Answer 1

• Continuity beyond its current leadership
• Organisation beyond the local level
• Determination to win and exercise power at the local and national level
• Seeking popular support in elections

Question 2

What counterpoints did Clark’s (2018) suggest to LaPalombra and Weiner (1966) on what makes a political party?

Answer 2

• Some do not seek power at a national level
• Others are centrally organised with little local structure

Question 3

How many political parties are registered with the Electoral commission?

Answer 3

349

Question 4

How many political parties are in Parliament

Answer 4

11

Question 5

How many seats are in the House of Commons

Answer 5

650

Question 6

What is meant by a ‘Two-party system’, Lipset & Rokken (1967)

Answer 6

Two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape.

Question 7

Which 2 political parties dominate the two-party system?

Answer 7

Conservatives and Labour

Question 8

How was the Labour Party formed?

Answer 8

Trade unions joined socialists and non-conformists

Question 9

What is the Labour Party traditionally based on?

Answer 9

Social class cleavage

Question 10

Who do Conservatives represent?

Answer 10

The middle class

Question 11

Who dominated British politics before 1920s?

Answer 11

Tories and Liberals

Question 12

Who consistently held 95% of seats in the House of Commons from the 1930s to 1970s?

Answer 12

Conservative and Labour

Question 13

Who did the Conservative and Labour Party lose part of their influence to from the 1970s? Give examples

Answer 13

Insurgent parties:

• SDP
• Liberals
• Liberal Democrats
• Plaid Cymru
• Scottish Nationalists
• Greens

Question 14

Why did voters form weaker, or no, attachments to traditional social identities?

Question 15

Why was the two-party system replaced with the ‘two-and-a-half party’ party system?

Answer 15

It seemed increasingly outdated as the two parties lost part of their appeal following the 1970s

Question 16

In 2017 and 2019, who won more than 80% of vote share despite the rise in the appeal of insurgent parties?

Answer 16

Labour & Tories

Question 17

Why was the modern party system challenged?

Answer 17

By the rising importance of Euroscepticism and social values in voters identities and behaviours

Question 18

What was the main concern in the 1950s served as a major driver for voter behaviour?

Answer 18

Economic concerns rooted in the interests of working and middle classes

Question 19

What were the concerns that influence voter behaviour in the today?

Answer 19

• Support for EU membership
• Immigration
• Social change
• Loyalty to traditional institutions
• Freedom of expression

Question 20

What was the socially conservative ideology on Brexit? Which parties aligned with this Brexit identity?

Answer 20

Leave

Conservatives, UKIP, Brexit Party

Question 21

What was the socially liberal ideology on Brexit? Which parties aligned with this Brexit identity?

Answer 21

Remain

Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens, Nationalists

Question 22

What two key processes did Rye (2018) identify that wouldn’t work without parties?

Answer 22

1) Procedures and operation of government and legislation

2) Representation of citizens’ interests

Question 23

What are the 3 faces of a mass party, Key (1952)

Answer 23

1) Parties in the Electorate

2) Parties as mass organisations in civil society

3) Parties in government or the legislature

Question 24

What are the responsibilities parties in the electorate?

Answer 24

Simplify and organise choices for voters

Educate citizens about political issues & decisions

Mobilise political participation by encouraging turnout and campaigns

Recruit candidates for office from the electorate

Organise disappointment (give people who lose a means of keeping up the fight)

Question 25

What are the responsibilities of parties as mass organisations in civil society?

Answer 25

Stand for government & provide policy alternatives for voters

Recruit & train the political elite & act as ‘gatekeepers’ for who takes office

Aggregate individual political interests into a coherent group & program for govt

Question 26

What are the responsibilities of parties in government and or the legislature?

Answer 26

Create working majorities in the legislature (i.e., House of Commons and House of Lords)

Develop and implement policies and decisions

Organise scrutiny and opposition (e.g., select committees, Parliamentary questions)

Ensure responsibility & accountability (i.e., voters know who to blame/reward)

Create working political program that can secure a mandate from voters (i.e., manifesto)

Minimise NIMBYism (not in my backyard)

Question 27

What are the 3 trends that indicate political parties are in decline?

Answer 27

1. Falling party membership
2. Falling party identification and loyalty
3. Falling political participation

Question 28

How does falling party membership indicate the decline of political parties?

Answer 28

Without members there can’t really be political parties

Not just needed for recruitment of candidates, but money, campaigns, policy development, links to communities & citizens

Question 29

How does falling party identification indicate the decline of political parties?

Answer 29

Psychological connection to a party is a deeper, more lasting attachment that voting.

Helps us understand political debates & motivates us to participate.

More (particularly young) people no longer identify with a political party.

Question 30

How does falling party participation indicate the decline of political parties?

Answer 30

If people don’t feel there’s a party worth supporting, they’re less likely to vote