political parties Flashcards

Question

what happened to the Liberal democrats supporters?

Answer 1

labour attracted the working class voters conservatives attracted the middle class by playing on their fears of socialism and revolution by the 1930s, Liberal party was relegated to third-party status

Answer 2

merger of the Liberal party and SDP. Social Democratic party was founded in 1981 by centrist labour politicians. SDP was wary of Labour's commitment to uniilateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from the EEC, two finally merged in 1988.

Answer 3

stop the Brexit process completely defend the HRA, resist any attempt to withdraw from the ECHR and oppose any laws that unnecessarily erode civil liberties. put an end to wasted votes introduce PR through STV for electing MPs and local councillors 16-17years the vote scrap plans to bring voter identification reform the HoL with proper democratic mandate net-zero by 2045 reinstate maintenance grants for the poorest students

Answer 4

Local conservative associations sometimes with ward branches below them. LCA play a key role in organising the grassroots of the party and in planning local campaigning and selecting candidates.

Answer 5

each constituency has a constituency labour party, CLP many have council ward level Branch labour parties BLP CLP takes the lead in local and national election campaign

Answer 6

local branches but are also organised along federal lines with separate parties for England, Wales and Scotland. local branches take the main role in running constituency level campaigns and can also submit motions to conference for debate

Answer 7

national HQ is CCHQ, day to day running of the party is undertaken by the board of the conservative party, made up of representatives from each section of the party. 3/18 members are from the grassroots party, overseen by the Annual Convention Conservative Policy Forum set up in 1998 to enable more grassroots participation writing of the manifesto to the leaders and trust advisers

Answer 8

Labour's national base in Victoria Street London, day to day running undertaken by the NEC National Executive committee. NEC enforces discipline, expel members for breaking party rules. final say over selection of parliamentary candidates. NEC made up of 40 members. Elections to NEC are highly factionalised the annual conference was the sovereign policy making body, but its role has been diminished

Answer 9

party has national HQ in London. the federal board is national governing body compromises of 35 voting members the process largely replicates the party's federal structure. motions debated and passed at conference become official national party policy. policies that affect the whole of the UK are voted on by the Liberal Democrat federal conference.

Answer 10

1st - hopefuls must get on the party's central list of approved candidates after training 2nd - once on the party central list, must apply to get shortlisted as the prospective parliamentary candidate by local branches 3rd - then get adopted following a vote of the local party members

Answer 11

Labour - all-women shortlists conservatives - occasionally used open primaries and priority lists central party may impose a candidate shortlist on the local party, conservatives accused in Bridgend in 2017, Labour's NEC was accused of fast-tracking longlist of favoured candidates to have candidates ready for snap elections.

Answer 12

selection by MPs - MPs vote in a series of ballots to narrow down candidates to 2 names. election by party members - party members make the final pick on OMOV basis. 2019 Johnson won a clear victory

Answer 13

selection by MPS - candidates must secure backing of at least 10% of Labour MPs, also 5% constituency parties or at least 3 affiliates election by party members - party members and registered supporters vote on OMOV basis using the AV system to make final choice. 2020 Keir Starmer won over 50% in the first round, therefore no need for second

Answer 14

selection by MPs - candidates must gain support from at least 10% of other Lib Dems MPs and be supported by at least 200 members from more than 20 local parties election by party members - party members vote on OMOV basis using the AV system to make final choice.

Answer 15

tv is governed by strict rules on impartiality, parties and candidates cannot by airtime for political adverts in the same way as in the US. papers often claim credit for poll success. however, national newspaper circulation has decreased media war now conducted via social media. spent heavily on Facebook and youtube ads

Answer 16

relevance and attractiveness of main policies leadership committed and energised group of activists strength and situation of the opposition party unity electoral system

Answer 17

Get Brexit done resonated with voters in a way that Labour's Brexit policy did not

Answer 18

strong personality and good communications skills help. Corbyn seen as the underdog and did better than expected

Answer 19

parties need local campaigners to hand out leaflets and coordinate the campaign in the constituencies

Answer 20

2019, Johnson was an experienced campaigner. Lib Dem Jo Swindon, a less assured candidate made a huge unsuccessful gamble in campaigning for a clear stop brexit approach.

Answer 21

large disarray under May, Johnson largely resolved this by removing the whip from 21 rebel MPs. Labour remained heavily factionaised and dogged by accusation of anti-Semitism

Answer 22

impact and distortions should not be ignored. Lib Dems are disadvantaged, 2019 won 11% of the vote only 2% of seats whereas the conservatives won 43% of the vote and 56% of the seats

Answer 23

there are a lot more in the UK, often play a part in political agenda setting, such as seen with the 2010 coalition of the conservatives and Lib Dems SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green party, DUP, UUP, SDLP UKIP

Answer 24

won 3.8 million votes, only 1 MP the green party won 1.1 million votes only 1 MP clear favouritism towards the two main parties

Answer 25

2019, 87% of the seats were held by the two largest parties sharing 76% of the vote. however, 2010 coalition look at devolved bodies and local elections clearly the third parties have more seats seen with the 2019 council election, 1,100 independents close to the total of Lib Dems HoL no party has a majority in the chamber due to the cross benchers

Answer 26

large gov't higher taxes on the wealthy civil rights for minorities pro-choice gun control diverse multicultural multi-religion focus on environmental impacts, climate change sensible reforms on immigration

Answer 27

limited federal gov't, more state involvement pro-life lower taxes individualism for healthcare pro-gun prayers in public school sc judges favouring originalist and strict constructionist views of the constitution US has become to diverse immigration tightly controlled

Answer 28

lack of a clear leader largely state based, relatively weak central bodies, more decentralised structure 100 parties associated organisations and interest groups play a significant role lack of party discipline

Answer 29

this is due to separation of powers and the federal framework of the US. the president is not the formal party leader, they set the political agenda not lack direct control over congress members of congress views align with the president, but there is much compromise and negotiation lack party discipline

Answer 30

100 parties in 50 states rather than just 2. state parties have a degree of autonomy and independence state parties organise the primaries and have their own structures, but have minimal role in candidate selection

Answer 31

DNC,Democratic National Committee and RNC, Republic National Committee main roles are to organise the national convention that formally nominates the presidential candidate and draws up the party platform

Answer 32

made up of the DCCC NRCC DSCC NRSC aim to get members of their party elected to congress. run their own campaigns, attacking opponents, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was endorsed and won against a incumbent

Answer 33

DSA - works to secure the victory of very progressive democrats in primaries, 2018 endorsed two candidates Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib to the House. therefore should not ignore the influence of state structures and associated groups. Steve King loss his primary, had a track record of racist comments, Mitch McConnell ostracised him.

Answer 34

the south has become heavily republican, while the East and West have become heavily Democratic 1976 presidential election was the last time a democrat won across the south and Texas 1988 last time a republican won California the two parties have flipped geographically

Answer 35

Republicans have become more conservatives, Goldwater and Nixon took advantage of the southern slip and decided on the southern strategy. Democrats have become more liberal - signing of the civil rights act in 1960s. southern democrats have joined the republicans such as Thurmond liberal or moderate republicans were defeated in primaries or switched to the democrats however Georgia turned blue for the first time in the 2020 election

Answer 36

Republican voters - white, rural or small town, attend church, less likely to have a degress Democrat voters - urban areas, diverse range of cultures, less likely to be religious, higher levels of formal education

Answer 37

Democrat ads encourages supporters to view Republicans as racists, bigots and hostile to women rights. Republicans encourage supporters to view Democrats as unpatriotic, subversive socialists, enemies of faith-based values, take away guns and defund the police

Answer 38

there is growing hyperpartisanship between the two parties. highly polarised united - R follow party lines 91%, D follow 89% in 2018 increasingly cohesive, difficult to find pro-choice Republicans few republicans have openly criticised Trump - party uniting around a controversial and unpredictable figure

Answer 39

parties are more united in how they vote far less bipartisanship and major policies, Obamacare was passed with little support from the Republicans. but there is bipartisanship with the First Step Act in 2018 and the CARES act in 2020 impeachment offers another example of cohesiveness. Nixon after Watergate scandal 7/17 R on the House Judiciary Committee broke party ranks, with Trump's impeachment not one out of the 195 R sided with the Democrats

Answer 40

bipartisan votes and party rebellions still occur. 8 R joined the Democrats in passing a bill in the senate that limited Trump's power to order military action in Iran house passed the CARES act 2021 - 10 R voted to impeach Trump total party unity votes fell from 69% in 2017 to 50% in 2018 common ground around lowering prescription charges or criminal justice party candidates do not have to agree with the entire party platform, can afford to be selective in their campaign pledges

Answer 41

Blue Dog coalition Congressional progressive caucus New Democrat coalition

Answer 42

Tuesday Group Tea Party movement Republican study committee Freedom caucus

Answer 43

growth of primaries, choose candidate selection rather than party members political campaigns are focused on the candidate itself rather than the party rise in split ticketing voter turnout has decreased US parties remain broad

Answer 44

primaries reinforce that the candidate aligns themselves to the party platform split ticketing has decreased, 2016 100% straight ticket voting voter turnout increased in 2020 to 66% increase of hyperpartisanship and polarisation in congress and among the wider public

Answer 45

weak in terms of structure, such as a lack of party leader campaigns and ads focus on candidate not the party power within parties is dispersed not concentrated federal nature and size of the US exacerbates power dispersed, state retain control, especially primaries use of primaries rather than old-style machine politics makes parties weaker. as politicians do not want to upset powerful PGs and associated groups. absence of effective sanctions over rebel legislators, Steve King, pressure can be applied by leadership.

Answer 46

there is no tradition of parties or independents in state legislators or congress there has been no success of third parties winning office there are two independent senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King but both affiliated with the Democrats Ross Perot won 19% of the vote in 1992 but didn't win any ECVs George Wallace 1968 was the last to win any ECV to an independent (AIP) 2020, 98% of the vote to the 2 main parties third parties are only recent and don't last long

Answer 47

Ralph Nader, spoiler effect, 2000 election, if he did not run, then Gore may have won rather than Bush. third parties have policies that prove to be attractive, these are co-opted by the main parties - Ross Perot and a balanced budget HOWEVER, third parties fail to make any impact on the final outcome FPTP major reason for two main parties as voting third parties seen as wasted votes third parties lack a high-profile media presence, rarely participate in TV debates, due to the restrictions, 15% of the votes and on 5 organisation voting polls

Answer 48

Green party 1980s Libertarians, 1971