POLITICAL PARTIES Flashcards
features
FEATURES
- associates of those with similar political values and promote these views
- seek to gain governmental power
- have a form of formal organisation
- have a system of membership
functions
- develop policies designed to solve societal problems
- select candidates at all levels
- identify and train leaders
- educate the public
- provide opportunities to get involved in politics
- call existing gov to account
sources of funding
- membership subscriptions
- fundraising events
- donations
- loans
- self financing
- electoral commission - up to 2 million
funding reform
- restrictions on size of donations
- restrictions on how much can spend, would make large scale fundraising futile
- restrict donations to just individuals, prevent lobbying
- replace all funding with state grants, most prominent proposal
funding reform yes or no
YES
- ends cash for honours
- ends hidden influence
- reduces financial advantage large parties have
NO
- taxpayers may object to state funding
- difficult to know how to distribute funding, past performance or future aspirations?
- parties may lose independence
general ideas of the left wing
- redistributing income through taxation
- generous minimum wage
- welfare state
- anti privatisation
- workers rights and union power
- state should support vital industries
- equality of opportunity
- equal rights
- aid to poorer nations
general ideas of the right wing
- low taxation to create incentive to work
- privatisation for public services
- state should not interfere w economy
- free market so reduced trade union power
- low welfare state, anti dependency
- strong law and order
- national unity and patriotism
tory party core ideas
- one nation order and harmony
- reform to change
- individualism and limited state
- traditional values and institutions
- nationalism
- pragmatism
- low taxation
- private property important
- community rights
- law order and security
tory party factions
NEW RIGHT - thatcherism. support neoliberalism. ‘conservative way forward’
LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE - opposes new right, accept need for greater social justice and liberal policies. ‘the tory reform group’
ONE NATION - wish to avoid socially divisive policies. now a minority
EUROSCEPTICS - want to leave single market and customs union
labour core ideas
- reduce inequality
- regulate capitalism
- social and economic reform
- workers rights balanced with employers rights
- equal opportunity
- extensive welfare state
- progressive tax
- poverty reduction
labour factions
OLD LABOUR - ‘momentum’ corbyn. want to nationalise and regulate and raise tax.
NEW LABOUR - centrist.
lib dems core ideas
- individual liberty
- equality of opportunity
- equal rights
- state welfare
- constitutional government and REFORM
- high taxation
- private property important
- abolish inherited privilege
lib dems factions
MODERN LIBERALS - centre left. similar to labour with focus on environment and constitutional reform
ORANGE BOOK LIBERALS - similar but support neoliberal policies
why are minor parties important
- divert votes from main parties eg UKIP took votes from tories in 2015, SNP decimated labour support in scot
- can split vote in constituencies
- can push their agenda if present an electoral threat eg UKIP
factors affecting party success
- quality of leadership. experience, decisiveness, media image, apparent honesty and intelligence
- valence. how people generally view the party. how competent last time? how economically responsible? trustworthy?
- unity. disunited parties normally fail eg labour 1980s, tories 1997, LD 2015
- media. presents images of party leaders, publish polls etc
