Political Parties Flashcards
Why did over half the voters not stick with the same party in the 2019 General Election?
Boris Johnson’s Brexit promise (to finish Brexit deal by January 2020)
Define Aggregation.
Developing and converting policies from a range of competing demands into a coherent programme of action.
What is populism?
Where parties seek to appeal those who feel unrepresented.
What are 2 key features of a political party?
-Representative
-Share similar ideologies
What approach to global problems do the left wing favour?
An internationalist approach.
What is Left-wing?
A belief of the importance of creating a fair and equal society through positive state intervention.
What 3 things do left-wing beliefs usually include?
- Higher taxes on the wealthy
- An extensive welfare provision
- Greater state influence on the economy
What are right wing beliefs?
Political beliefs deriving from liberal and conservative ideology, and emphasises conservative values such as law and order, the importance of national sovereignty and strong defence.
What 3 thing to right wind beliefs usually include?
- Limiting excessive government
- Keeping taxation low
- Protecting individual liberty
Name 5 2019 conservative manifesto policies.
• Increase the number of nurses by 50,000
• Leave the EU in January (2020)
• No income tax, VAT or NI rises
• Reach net zero by 2050
• Pension rose by at least 2.5% per year
Name 5 2019 Labour manifesto policies.
• Increase health budget by 4.3%
• Hold a second referendum on Brexit
• Raise a minimum wage from £8.21 to £10
• Stop state pension age rises
• Scrap UC
Name 5 Lib Dem manifesto policies.
• A penny income tax rise for the NHS
• Stop Brexit
• Recruit 20,000 more teachers
• Legalise Cannibis
• Give 0-hour contract workers a 20% rise
By what percentage has party membership declined from 1983 to 2005?
65%
What were 2 successfully implemented policies by the Conservatives?
• Recruiting 20,000 new police officers
• Recruiting more doctors and nurses, including 4000 more doctors and 9,300 more nurses.
What were 2 unsuccessfully implemented policies by the Conservatives?
• Build 300,000 new houses per year, only managed approx. 235,000 per year
• Build 40 new hospitals over the next 10 years, only 10 have planning permission
Name 1 right wing populist party from the UK.
UKIP/Reform UK
Who have the most say on which candidate is selected?
Local constituency parties.
Who completely controls the appointment of ministers?
The Prime Minister.
How is a party leader selected?
Whoever gets the lowest amount of votes is eliminated; people transfer their vote to someone else until the next round until their is no one else left to eliminate.
Who does the leader choose un an opposition party to form the leadership team?
A small group of frontbench spokespersons.
Name 1 example of when people in a party do not agree with who has been voted as their leader.
Labour 2015-16
After getting defeated in the 2015 election, Miliband resigned
Corbyn was elected by the party membership, many didn’t like him as his ideas were very ‘left-wing’ for Labour
Many refused to acknowledge him as ‘their leader’.
What is a mandate?
Something that represents the consent of the people, allowing a party to do what it feels is necessary in the national interest.
What is a manifesto?
A collection of policies and commitments a party creates and possesses of what they are going to do if they are elected.
What are 3 key features of a manifesto?
- Simplified points and pledges easy for the general public to understand/comprehend
- Free-to-view document accessible to the public
- Stuff they know the people want to hear
What is a basic definition of the doctrine of the mandate?
Consent from the public to the party/government.
What are 4 problems of the doctrine of the mandate?
- It depends on a single party winning the election
- Voters who opt for one party do not necessarily agree with the whole manifesto
- Parties could abandon or change their policies, and they do not have a mandate (public consent) for that
- Some manifesto commitments are vague/open to interpretation
State one time where there was an issue with the doctrine of the mandate.
2010 general election- 2+ parties involved so it was unclear which parties manifesto no longer applies.
What are the 8 issues of carrying out manifesto policies?
- Unforeseen national emergency (e.g. covid or war)
- Coalition government
- General failure to implement it
- Contradictions
- Size of majority
- Backbenchers influence
- Financial issues
- Break one promise to keep another- priorities.
What does ‘evaluate the view…’ mean in GCSE Exam terms?
HFDYA.
What are 3 reasons as to why political parties need money?
- For promotion and advertising
- Run campaigns
- Pay people to run campaigns
What is short money?
Money allocated to the opposition parties for their work in the house of commons based on the number of seats they have.
What was Cash For Honours?
A scandal under Tony Blair when it was suggested that some party donors had been given a seat in the house of lords due to party donations.
What is Cranbourne Money?
subsidies the work of scrutiny carried out by the opposition in the house of lords.
Name 7 ways in which political parties get money.
- Membership fees
- Fundraising events
- Donations from supporters
- Loans from wealthy individuals or banks
- Candidates
- Grants (from electoral commission)
- Public money (e.g. short money, Cranbourne money)
Why did affiliations make up 26% of Labours political funding?
Donations from trade unions.
What are 2 reasons as to why private wealthy donors might donate?
- To politically influence the party into what they want
- The offering of political honours (place in the House of Lords, gifts etc.)
Name 2 reasons as to why parties want private donors in particular to donate.
- Money helps carry out their policies
- Makes the party more financially secure
What is one example of a reason as to why private donations are controversial?
2006 Cash for Peerages scandal
Wealthy individuals loaned labour money and then were nominated for honours
They found a loophole in the 2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act
What are 3 problems of the current system of political funding?
- Wealthy individuals have an inequal impact on decisions
- Wealthy individuals can be bribed with honours
- There is not enough state funding
What are 4 arguments FOR state funding of parties?
- Parties play an important role in representative democracy, so deserve public funding
- Public funding would remove the great disparity in resources available to different-sized parties
- If the state matched donations by party members, it might encourage participation by the public and recruitment to parties
- It would curb the possibly corrupt influence of private backers on party policy.
What are 4 arguments AGAINST state funding of parties?
- Increased state funding could lead to calls for greater state regulation, possible reducing parties’ independence
- It is hard to decide how much support a party should have to qualify for funding
- Public funding could isolate parties from the wishes of the voters
- Taxpayers would resent compulsory contributions to parties which they disapprove
What are 2 examples of countries with state funding of parties?
Spain and Guatemala.
How does party state funding work in Guatemala?
- Parties receive funding in proportion to the number of votes they get in the 1st round of the presidential election.
- They gain a rate of 2 quetzals per vote, ONLY IF they receive 4% of the total valid votes.
-The TSE (Tribunal Supremo Electoral) audit and control party funds, parties have to submit a detailed report and can be taken to court if anything is wrong - Private funding is not contemplated or prohibited by law.
How does party state funding work in Spain?
- It is not a direct part of the electoral fund
-Funds from private sources are allowed
-Campaign subsidies are proportional to
the no. of votes and seats obtained
What is totalitarianism?
Where the state controls all aspects of citizens lives including how they think.
What is one example of a country with totalitarianism?
Eritrea.
Define Welfare.
To provide a support network for citizens.
What is Free Market?
Low gov control of economy.
Define Protectionism.
To protect the country from outside influence.
Define Authoritarianism.
Very strong law and order, very controlling by state.
What are 2 issues with the political spectrum?
- Vague terms, which vary from country to country.
- Many issues do not fit easily into a category, like the environment.
Who was the first Conservative PM?
Sir Robert Peel (1834-35, 1841-46).
Which PM established the modern conservative party?
Benjamin Disraeli (1868, 1874-80).
What influential book did Hobbes write in 1651 about the need of a strong government?
Leviathan.
What did the Tories become the party of in the 19th century?
Property, pragmatism, authoritarianism, tradition and stability.
What is the famous quote from Hobbes?
“The life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”
What were royalists later known as?
Tories.
Define One-Nation Conservatism.
Seeing the society as one nation only (not divided by wealth), to make conservatism more inclusive.
What are the 6 key principles of one-nation conservatism?
- Pragmatic (not ideological)
- Private property (creates order)
- Preserving tradition (social cohesion)
- Noblesse oblige (wealthy should be generous to the poor)
- Organic Society (natural, not created, no class/money separations)
- Strong law and order (authority)
What 2 traditions does New Right Conservatism (Thatcherism) draw on?
Neo-liberalism and Neo-conservatism.
What 2 peoples beliefs does Neo-liberalism stem from?
Hayek (philosopher 1899-1992)
Friedman (economist 1912-2006)
What is Neo-liberalism?
The belief that the state should withdraw from econ. management and allow a truly free market to prosper.
What is a Neo-liberal?
Someone who believes in supporting a large amount of freedom for markets, with little government control or spending and low taxes.
Name an example of a CON government who were Neo-liberals.
CON gov 1979-1997
What does neo-liberalism mean in practice?
It means doing things like reducing direct taxes, privatisation, reducing welfare benefits and curbing trade union powers.
What is a neo-conservative?
Someone whose politics is right-wing and believes in free market and thinks that their country should use its military power to control problems in other countries.
Define cultural homogeneity.
A sense of pride and common background shared by individuals with within a culture or nation to create unity.
What are neo-conservatives primarily concerned with?
imposing a single national culture, cultural homogeneity and an organic society.
Who is Irving Kristal and what did he define a neo-conservative as?
An American journalist and writer.
Defined a neo-conservative as ‘a liberal who has been mugged by reality’
why were conservatives pro-European in the 1960’s and 70’s?
Because it was thought that Britain had to be in the EU to remain powerful in international affairs.
When and why was the conservatives Pro-Europeanism lost?
in the 90’s, because they realised it lack of fore coming prospects that were once a priority.
What did Thatcher want in the 1975 European referendum?
for Britain to withdraw from the EU and gain complete national sovereignty.
How many seats are there in the house of commons?
650
How manys PM’s has there been since 1945?
19
Who was the first ever Labour PM?
James Ramsay MacDonald (1924)
What is Old Labour associated with?
left-wing principles of positive intervention to create s more equal society through higher taxes on the wealthy, nationalisation of public services and a generous welfare provision.
Explain the makeup of new labour (third way).
It combines a left-wing commitment to social justice with a right-wing emphasis on the value of free markets and economic prosperity.
What year was the Labour party established?
1900
What was the Labour Parties first aim?
To represent the interests of the working class.
Who was Clement Atlee?
The PM of the first majority Labour government (1945-51).
What 3 things is Clement Atlee famous for?
- PM of first majority labour government
- Introduced the NHS in 1948
- Nationalised 20% of the econ. including the bank of England.
What do Democratic Socialist believe?
They believe that the capitalist state will be replaced by a social state as the working class achieve power.
What do Social Democrats believe?
They believe that we can have a more socially just society by reforming existing capitalist structures.
Define collectivism?
Thew principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it.
What is 1 example of collectivism in the UK?
the NHS, they give everyone free healthcare, despite the fact that some people would be able to pay.
Who introduced the NHS?
Aneurin Bevan.
What 3 social reforms were made under Harold Wilson?
Creation of the Open University (1969)
->allowed students who didn’t meet the requirements to get an education
Murder Act (1965)
->abolished capital punishment
The Abortion Act (1967)
->made abortion more accessible
What is a faction?
A group within a party that will either have a differing position to the party leadership or support the leader.
Who is Kier Starmer named after?
Kier Hardie, the first Labour party leader.
What were the 3 reasons as to why the Labour part was defeated in the 2019 GE (Corbyn)?
- Corbyn’s lack of clarity over Brexit
-Failure to tackle antisemitism within the party
-Too radical and left-wing for moderate Labour voters
What happened to Labour in the May 2021 Local Election?
Loss of 8 councils, incl. Hartlepool, which was previously a Labour stronghold.
Name 4 Labour factions.
Momentum, Labour First, Progress and Compass.
Who is the founder of the labour faction Momentum and and what is its political aims/beliefs?
John Lansman
Wants ordinary members top have more influence over the party.
Who is the founder of the labour faction Labour First and and what is its political aims/beliefs?
John Speller
Wants to represent ‘moderate party members’ and Labour right-wing
Strong opposition to Corbyn
Who is the founder of the labour faction Progress and and what is its political aims/beliefs?
Richards, Byrne and Draper
To have a national renewal of centre-left and create a free, democratic and equal Britain
Made to support Blair
Who is the founder of the labour faction Compass and and what is its political aims/beliefs?
Neil Lawson
To gain equality, sustainability, democracy and pluralism.
Opposition to Blair
