Political Parties Flashcards
What are LaPalombra and Weiner’s (1966) 4 ideas of what makes a political party
- 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
What counterpoints did Clark’s (2018) suggest to LaPalombra and Weiner (1966) on what makes a political party?
- Some do not seek power at a national level
- Others are centrally organised with little local structure
How many political parties are registered with the Electoral commission?
349
How many political parties are in Parliament
11
How many seats are in the House of Commons
650
What is meant by a ‘Two-party system’, Lipset & Rokken (1967)
Two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape.
Which 2 political parties dominate the two-party system?
Conservatives and Labour
How was the Labour Party formed?
Trade unions joined socialists and non-conformists
What is the Labour Party traditionally based on?
Social class cleavage
Who do Conservatives represent?
The middle class
Who dominated British politics before 1920s?
Tories and Liberals
Who consistently held 95% of seats in the House of Commons from the 1930s to 1970s?
Conservative and Labour
Who did the Conservative and Labour Party lose part of their influence to from the 1970s? Give examples
Insurgent parties:
- SDP
- Liberals
- Liberal Democrats
- Plaid Cymru
- Scottish Nationalists
- Greens
Why did voters form weaker, or no, attachments to traditional social identities?
Why was the two-party system replaced with the ‘two-and-a-half party’ party system?
It seemed increasingly outdated as the two parties lost part of their appeal following the 1970s
In 2017 and 2019, who won more than 80% of vote share despite the rise in the appeal of insurgent parties?
Labour & Tories
Why was the modern party system challenged?
By the rising importance of Euroscepticism and social values in voters identities and behaviours
What was the main concern in the 1950s served as a major driver for voter behaviour?
Economic concerns rooted in the interests of working and middle classes
What were the concerns that influence voter behaviour in the today?
- Support for EU membership
- Immigration
- Social change
- Loyalty to traditional institutions
- Freedom of expression
What was the socially conservative ideology on Brexit? Which parties aligned with this Brexit identity?
Leave
Conservatives, UKIP, Brexit Party
What was the socially liberal ideology on Brexit? Which parties aligned with this Brexit identity?
Remain
Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens, Nationalists
What two key processes did Rye (2018) identify that wouldn’t work without parties?
1) Procedures and operation of government and legislation
2) Representation of citizens’ interests
What are the 3 faces of a mass party, Key (1952)
1) Parties in the Electorate
2) Parties as mass organisations in civil society
3) Parties in government or the legislature
What are the responsibilities parties in the electorate?
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)
What are the responsibilities of parties as mass organisations in civil society?
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
What are the responsibilities of parties in government and or the legislature?
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)
What are the 3 trends that indicate political parties are in decline?
- Falling party membership
- Falling party identification and loyalty
- Falling political participation
How does falling party membership indicate the decline of political parties?
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
How does falling party identification indicate the decline of political parties?
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.
How does falling party participation indicate the decline of political parties?
If people don’t feel there’s a party worth supporting, they’re less likely to vote
