political parties Flashcards
what is a political party?
a group of like-minded individuals who seek to realise their shared goals by putting candidates up for elections and securing public office
what is a mandate?
the right of the governing party to pursue the policies it sets out in its general election manifesto
what is a manifesto?
pre-election policy document where party sets out policy pledges and legislative proposals it will carry out if returned to office
what does the Salisbury doctrine stop the Lords from doing?
blocking or wrecking legislation promised in the manifesto of the governing party
how can the concept of an electoral mandate be argued to make sense?
-franchise widely held, individual voter registration
-FPTP usually leads to single party gov, should be able to implement their policies
-manifestos available to voters, can be educated on them
-media summarises main ideas/policies of each party
how can the concept of an electoral mandate be argued to not make sense?
-low turnout means unconvincing mandate
-coalition govs make compromise programme, no mandate for this
-most voters pay little attention to manifestos
-concept of mandate flawed, cannot vote for/against party based on one single policy
what are the roles of political parties in the UK?
representation
encouraging political engagement and participation
political recruitment
formulating policy
providing stable gov
how is representation a function/ role of political parties?
represent views of members
class dealignment + catch’all parties undermine proper representation
how is engagement and participation a role of political parties?
make people aware of issues, educate
promote participation in democratic process, can encourage participation within party
how is political recruitment a role of political parties?
assess qualities of those seeking public office, choose best candidates
how is policy formulation a role of political parties?
discuss and develop policy proposals to present to voters
determine the direction of the governing of country
how is providing a stable gov a role of political parties?
without them Commons just individuals
present voters with choices + provide order
how are political parties and pressure groups similar?
political parties contest elections, some pressure groups field candidates for elections
how are political parties and pressure groups different?
-parties have broad range of issues, PG’s follow narrower cause
-parties open membership, many PGs sectional + exclusive in membership
-parties want government power, PGs want to influence gov
-parties highly organised, members have influence, PGs largely internally undemocratic
traditionally how have Labour and Conservatives been funded?
Labour - trade unions
Conservatives- wealthy businessmen + businesses
what did all parties used to rely on for funding, what do they rely on now?
membership fees
donations from wealthy individuals
what did the rise of large individual donations lead to the impression of?
that access or political influence could be bought
when was the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums act (PPERA)?
2000
what did the PPERA do?
imposed overall limit on party spending in general election campaigns (£30,000 per constituency)
parties to declare all donations over £5,000
when was the Political Parties and Elections act (PPEA)?
2009
what did the PPEA do?
tighter regulations on spending by candidates
allow Electoral Commission to investigate cases + impose fines
restrict donations from non-UK residents
what is Cranborne money?
funds paid to opposition parties in Lords, cover administrative costs so they can provide proper scrutiny
what is short money?
funds to opposition parties in Commons, cover costs and scrutinise, available to all parties who win at least 2 seats
how much short money can opposition parties receive per seat?
£21,000
