Political Parties 2.1

Question 1

5 functions of political parties

Answer 1

-Participation
-Providing Government
-Recruiting office holders
-Representation
-Formulating Policies

Question 2

Representation

Answer 2

-add order and value to system
-left wing and right wing ( L and C )
-done by individuals or pressure group
-involved in political system

Question 3

Participation

Answer 3

-voting
-joining party
-funding
-done locally, nationally or for leader
-EXAMPLE (Jeremy corbyn lowering annual subscription to £3)

Question 4

Recruiting Office holders

Answer 4

-hand picked MPs which represent the party
-these people increase visibility for the party both locally and nationally

Question 5

Formulating Policies

Answer 5

-policies are used usually to upstage other party’s manifesto
-policies focus on the greater good of the country: the education and NHS

Question 6

Providing Government

Answer 6

-the policies in manifesto become law
-with an increase of members, party’s need to be able to sustain a government

Question 7

annual salary for MPs

Answer 7

£76,000

Question 8

how do MP fund election costs

Answer 8

-voluntary subscriptions of their membership from fundraising events

Question 9

conservatives funded by who mostly

Answer 9

-big businesses

Question 10

labour funded by who mostly

Answer 10

-trade unions

Question 11

what are political honours

Answer 11

-Parties which offer a place for their most generous benefactors, a place in house of lords = NOT DEMOCRATIC

Question 12

2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (Blair government)

Answer 12

-Independent electoral commission (supervising party spending on election campaigns)
- MAX £30,000 per constituency
-Donations £5,000 (nationally) and £1,000 (to constituency party) had to be declared publicly
-individual donations not on the electoral vote were banned

Question 13

What did civil servant SIR HAYDEN PHILLIPS say

Answer 13

-thought taxpayers money should fund parties
-shut down because financial crisis was too much

Question 14

what is the Trade Union Act 2016

Answer 14

-trade union members had to ‘opt in’ in order to donate to labour = significant drop after that

Question 15

when was there a debate about individual donations to parties (between who)

Answer 15

-2015 ( labour and lib dems )

Question 16

state funding parties (ADVANTAGES)

Answer 16

-DEMOCRACY (parties demonstrate democracy=importance)
-ENCOURAGEMENT- voters more encouraged with voting for ‘smaller’ groups
-EQUALITY (redistribution of wealth and popularity)
-CURE CORRUPTION

Question 17

state funding parties (DISADVANTAGES)

Answer 17

-TAXPAYERS (potentially money wasted)
-RICHER GET RICHER
-REGULATION (increase regulation and limits party’s independence)
-EXTREME (extreme parties getting funded)
-MONEY (how much members is considered a party and how much money)
-VOTERS (fake voters and less connection)