Political parties Flashcards
Definition of a political party
Group of like-minded individuals who seek to realise their shared goals by fielding candidates at elections and thereby securing election to public office
Definition of a manifesto
Pre election policy document in which a party sets out a series of policy pledges + legislative proposals that it plans to enact if elected
Definition of mandate
The right of the governing party to pursue the policies it sets out in its general election manifesto
What is the Salisbury Doctrine?
Convention that means the House of Lords can’t block or delay legislation that was promised in the manifesto of the governing party
Reasons why the the concept on an electoral mandate make sense
FPTP usually results in a single-party government so it follows that the victors should have the right to implement their stated policies + each party’s manifesto is readily available for voters ahead of polling day
Reasons why the concept of an electoral mandate doesn’t make sense
Low turnout means the winning party can’t claim to have a convincing mandate + coalition governments mean the 2 or more parties must agree to compromise so no single party actually has a mandate
What are the 5 key functions of political parties?
Provide representation, encourage political engagement + facilitate participation, engage in political recruitment, formulate policies and provide a stable government
What is meant by political recruitment?
Assessing the qualities of those seeking election to public office and casting aside those who are considered unsuitable
What are the main differences between political parties vs pressure groups?
PPs = broad range of polices, inclusive (open membership structures), take part in elections to win office, highly organised with formalised rules and procedures PGs = pursue a narrower cause, exclusive with membership, filed candidates in elections to raise their profile (not to win) and they are usually small cliques with low levels of internal democracy
What are the 3 mainstream parties?
Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats
What are the 2 subcategories of minority/niche parties?
Nationalist or single-issue parties
Give examples of nationalist parties
SNP and Mebyon Kernow
Give examples of single-issue parties
UKIP, Green and Brexit Party
Why might UKIP have been considered a pressure group as oppose to a political party?
They had a narrower interest (independence) and pressured David Cameron to hold the Brexit referendum
Why hasn’t Boris Johnson been able to achieve the policies of his manifesto?
Coronavirus complications and Brexit negotiations
What response of the Tory government in the Coronavirus outbreak may be considered as un-Conservative?
Distribution of furlough
What are the 4 types of party systems?
Single-party system, dominant-party system, two-party system and multiparty system
Give examples of a single-party state
Russia and North Korea
Give examples of a two-party system
US and UK
What factor causes a two-party system?
FPTP
Reasons why the UK is multiparty system
Rise of nationalist parties EG SNP which won 56/59 available seats in 2015, partisan dealignment has brought voters to minority parties and 13.5% of voters backed other parties other than Tory and Labour in 2015
Reasons why the UK isn’t a multiparty system
Labour and Conservative are the only parties that have a realistic chance of getting into power, FPTP doesn’t allow for a multiparty system (EG UKIP getting 12.6% of vote but only one seat in 2015) and only 20 days a year are opposition days in Parliament
Conservatism
Loose ideology favouring a pragmatic approach to dealing with problems while seeking to preserve the status quo
Neo-liberalism
Stresses the importance of a free market, individual rights and limited government intervention, closely associated with Thatcherism in the UK
Paternalist conservatism
Where power & authority are held centrally but the state acts benevolently and cares for the neediest. Paternalism is said to be a key characteristic of traditional one-nation conservatism.
Post-war consensus
Broad agreement between Labour and Conservative over domestic and foreign policy that emerged after WW2, parties cooperated over the creation of the welfare state and adoption of Keynesian economic policy
When did the post-war consensus come to an end?
1970’s
Give an overview of beliefs of one-nation conservatives
1.Centralised authority but care for those less affluent,
2. slow gradual changes,
3. Keynesian economy (state intervention if needed),
4. universal welfare,
5. internationalism
6. increase European integration.
What is the Latin term for the obligation of nobles to help those less fortunate?
‘Noblesse oblige’
Give an overview of beliefs of Thatcherites
- Individual needs over society as a whole,
- Free-market economy
- privatization,
- limiting the power of trade unions,
- limited state intervention with economy,
- national sovereignty
- limited state welfare provision
What is the US equivalent to Thatcherites?
‘Reaganomics’
Give an overview of the Conservatives under David Cameron
Hoped to ‘detoxify’ the Tory brand, “subtle continuation of Thatcherism, “shameless opportunism”, “capitulation to New Labour”, coalition with Lib Dems made it hard to achieve anything set out in the manifesto (2010) and achieved EU referendum then Cameron resigned
What were the 2 main differences between May’s polices versus Cameron’s?
Cameron wanted to focus more on the environment but May abolished Dept of Energy and Climate Change + Cameron sought to focus less on Europe but May created the Dept for International Trade and Dept for Exiting the EU
What is socialism?
The belief in greater equality and redistribution of wealth
Which faction of Labour is socialist?
Old Labour
What is social democracy?
Promoting capitalism but advocating some redistribution of wealth
Which faction of Labour supports social democracy?
New Labour
What three things does New labour stand for?
Targeting all voters (not just working class), social inclusion and targeted welfare
What three things does Old Labour stand for?
Targeting the working classes, state intervention and universal welfare