Political Parties Flashcards
Mandate
The right of the governing party to pursue the policies it set out in its general election manifesto
Manifesto
A pre-election policy document which sets out a series of policy pledges and legislative proposals that it plans to enact if returned to office.
Salisbury doctrine
The convention that the House of Lords does not block or try to wreck legislation that was promised in the manifesto of the governing party.
Dominant party system
Where a number of parties exist but only one hold government power, e.g. Japan under the Liberal Democratic Party between 1955 and 1993. Some argue that the UK party system has, at times, resembled a dominant-party system - with the Conservatives in office, 1979-1997 and labour in power 1997-2010.
Multiparty system
Where many parties compete for power and the government consists of a series of coalitions formed by different combinations of parties, e.g. in Italy between 1945 and 1993.
Single party system
Where one party dominates, bans other parties and exercises total control over candidacy at elections - where elections occur at all, e.g. in Nazi Germany or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Two-party system
Where two fairly equally matched parties compete for power at elections and others have little realistic chance of breaking their duopoly.
Political spectrum
A device by which different political standpoints can be mapped across one axis or more, as a way of demonstrating their ideological position in relation to one another.
Conservatism
A loose ideology favouring a pragmatic approach to dealing with problems, while seeking to preserve the status quo. Some argue that conservatism is, in fact, not an ideology at all because it looks to work with, and improve upon, what exists already, as opposed to building from the ground up from a more ideological standpoint.
Monetarism
An economic theory which advocates controlling the money supply as a means of keeping inflation in check.
Neo-liberalism
A political ideology closely related to classical liberalism. Neo-liberals stress the importance of the free market, individual rights and limited government. In the UK context, neo-liberalism is closely associated with Thatcherism.
Paternalism conservatism
Where power an authority are held centrally but the state acts benevolently and cares for the neediest. Paternalism is said to be a key characteristic of traditional one-nation conservatism.
Adversarial politics
The instinctive antagonism between the two main Westminster parties. It is commonly applied to U.K. politics from the 1970s.
Postwar consensus
The board agreement between the Labour and Conservative parties over domestic and foreign policy that emerged after the Second World War. The consensus saw the parties cooperating over the creation of the welfare state and the adoption of a Keynesian economic policy. The postwar consensus began to break down in the 1970s and was said to have ended with the more ideological, adversarial approach that accompanied Thatcherism.
Thatcherism
An ideological approach combining a free-market, neo-liberal economic policy with a more orthodox conservative social policy in areas such as the family and law and order. Thatcherism was the dominant Conservative Party ideology of the 1980s and 1990s, as was closely associated with the ideas of Sir Keith Joseph and right-wing think tanks such as the Adam Smith Institute.
