Political Parties Flashcards
What is a political party?
An organised group of people who wish to gain political power
Identify the 5 party functions:
- Representation
- Policy formation
- Recruit leaders
- Organise government
- Foster participation
What is an ideology?
A set of ideas, values and theories that help explain the world as well as guide political action.
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000:
Regulates the funding/ spending of political parties, candidates and certain others, and created the Electoral Commission to monitor this.
Where do the Conservatives traditionally acquire their funding from?
Donations from wealthy donors or large businesses.
Where does the Labour party typically acquire their funding from?
Trade Unions
What are the requirements regarding the declaration of donations over certain amounts?
- Donations above £7 500 to national parties must be declared.
- Donations above £1 500 to local associations must be declared.
- Donations above £7 500 to members’ associations must be declared.
Benefits of state funding of political parties?
- Reduce reliance on wealthy donors or trade unions with vested interests, making parties more responsive to the public.
- Creates more of a level playing field for parties, rather than some being at an advantage due to larger amounts in donations.
- Parties might perform more effectively without having to spend time and effort raising funds.
Drawbacks of state funding of political parties?
- Parties would no longer have to seek financial support, and so their links to society may become weakened.
- If (as expected) party funding is related to past electoral performance, then this would favour existing parties.
- It may make parties less independent of the state.
Explain and analyse the changing and evolving nature of the media:
- New forms of communication such as social media have grown in importance.
- Many young people now primarily consume their news through social media platforms.
- Led to concern over “fake news” which could directly impact political views/ opinions.
Explain and analyse media bias/ persuasion:
- TV broadcasting companies are meant to remain politically impartial however online and print media is under no such obligation.
- Most UK newspapers (other than the Mirror, The Guardian, The Independent) generally support the conservatives.
- People are unknowingly having their political views shaped just by consuming this media.
- Example: 2015 Ed Milliband portrayed badly by right-wing media including attacks on his fathers’ left-wing views.
Explain and analyse the effect of the media on parties:
- Add to cynicism around UK politicians and parties e.g. extensive focus on personal scandals and allegations of incompetence/ failure.
- There is now an emphasis among politicians in dealing with this e.g. now receive extensive media training.
- The emphasis on ‘spin’ also adds to the perception of politicians as untrustworthy.
Explain and analyse the impact of opinion polls:
- Gauge political opinion.
- Reliability/ accuracy opinions have taken a hit in recent years e.g. 2015 hung parliament forecast.
- Is thought that they tend to underestimate support for the Conservatives (1992 election).
- Important still as they give a general sense of popularity of parties, leaders and policies, therefore potentially leading to changes in these areas.
What relations do Political Parties have with the media?
- The impact of Opinion Polls
- Media bias/ persuasion
- Changing/ evolving nature of the media
Arguments that the media does have a big impact on people’s political views/ opinions:
- Various forms of media portray parties/ politicians in certain ways, which affects the way people view them.
- Social media exposes people to many views which may influence their beliefs.
- The way politicians try to present themselves to the media can impact the way people view them.
