political parties Flashcards
1
Q
Political party
A
Group of like minded individuals who field candidates at election
2
Q
Salisbury doctrine
A
Convention that House of Lords does not block or try to wreck legislation that was promised in manifesto of governing party
3
Q
Example of electoral mandate in practice (Salisbury doctrine)
A
1997 general election manifesto
Labour promise removal hereditary peers
HoL Act 1999
4
Q
Roles of political parties
A
Representation Political engagement and participation Political recruitment Policy formulation Stable government
5
Q
Representation (role of political parties)
A
Traditionally parties represent views of members, de-alignment undermined thus
6
Q
Political engagement and participation (role of political party)
A
Party educate to encourage involvement
Quality of participation depends on how internally Democratic Party is
7
Q
Political recruitment (role of political parties)
A
Draw suitable candidates
Opportunity to serve a form of political apprenticeship
8
Q
Policy formulation (political parties)
A
Discuss, develop policy proposals
result in more considered+joined style of gov
9
Q
Stable government (role of political party)
A
Parties present voters with clear choice+provide order
Gov secures a safe passage for legislation
10
Q
Print media sources
A
Broadsheets
Tabloids magazines
11
Q
Online media
A
Opinion polls
Blogs
Twitter
Campaigning
12
Q
Radio media
A
News headlines
Commercial radio
13
Q
Tv media
A
News broadcasts
Party political broadcasts
News channels
Political programming
14
Q
Opinion polls
A
Increased since 1970s
Test policies,leadership and campaign
Affect how people vote
15
Q
Changing role of media
A
Now overly partisan, mock+ridicule Politicians become ‘celebrities’ Become entertainment Pressure 24 hour news Uninformed debates social media
16
Q
1979 ‘crisis, what crisis?’ Sun headline
How did this influence election result
A
YES; suggest Callaghan out of touch with voters
NO; opinion polls= he was ahead of thatcher whole campaign, labs strongest asset
17
Q
1997; sun switches to supporting cons to labour
Influenced election result
A
YES; many voters switched allegiance
NO; press was reacting to mood of the time, reflected in polls
18
Q
2010 ‘I agree with nick’ brown + Cameron during tv debate
Influenced election result
A
YES; raised Nick Clegg performance raised profile, hung parliament
NO; Lib Dem vote share only increase by 1%, lost seats
19
Q
2010; expenses scandal
Influenced election result
A
YES; Undermine reputation of MPs
Many lost seats
NO; turnout 4% higher than in 2005
Lab set to lose anyway
20
Q
2017 televised debate
Influence election result
A
YES;May didn’t participate, weak- Corbyn credibility increased
NO; may won more votes than Cameron, Corbyn lost
21
Q
Role of media between elections
A
War reporting Sleaze Bliar Expenses EU Satire
22
Q
War reporting (role of media)
A
Patriotic reporting toward Falklands war
Thatcher ‘iron lady’
Swing public opinion toward her
23
Q
Sleaze (role of media)
A
1992 sex scandals con party
Named ‘nasty party’ + sleaze
Helped swing to Tony Blair
24
Q
Expenses (role of media)
A
2009 daily telegraph
Wrongful claims
£1,645 duck house
Distrust in politicians
25
EU (role of media)
Anti eu reports issue more prominent
UKIP
Referendum pressure from media
26
Mainstream parties
Three
Cons from Tory group
Lab from trade unions+ socialist organisation
Lib Dem’s= liberal and SDP
27
Minority parties
Nationalist parties
| SNP and mebyon kernow (cornwall)
28
Single issue parties
Green Party
| UKIP
29
Impact of third parties
```
Protest votes (not enough people do it)
Major parties re-evaluate policy
Green Party raised environmental concerns- mainstream
```
30
Dominant party system
One party dominant for long period e.g Japan Liberal Democratic Party 1955 and 1993
Cons 79-97
31
Multi party system
Many parties compete for power, government consists of coalitions
E.g Italy 1945-1933
32
Single party
One party dominates, bans other parties
Nazi germany
DPRK
33
Two party system
Two fairly equally matched parties compete for power
34
2015 general election, what % of voters didn’t vote for the 2 main parties
13.5%
35
Conservative party
1830s
Monetarism
67 years in office
36
Monetarism
Controlling money supply as means of keeping inflation in check
37
Adversal politics
Disagreeing with opposition
38
What was David Cameron referred to
Heir to Blair
| More centrist policies
39
Advantage of primaries
```
Party more attractive so gain members
Political involvement
Increase participation
Legitimacy
Diverse candidates
```
40
Disadvantages of primaries
People not voting with best intention
Labours £3 to join voting Corbyn
Members might not want it
41
Advantages for all women shortlist’s
Increase in women in parliament
Encourages diversity
Female issues higher on agenda
42
Disadvantages of all women shortlist’s
No merit
Sexist
More suitable make for the job
Need to solve root cause (childcare,confidence,cash+culture)
43
Conservative policy under Theresa May
End authority
Raise personal tax allowance
Means test winter fuel allowance
Pledge remove triple lock pensions
44
Roughly, what % of votes did unions still control in 1990
80%
45
Why was the Labour Party formed
Represent working class when franchise hadn’t been extended
46
1918 constitution
Clause IV showed labour party’s commitment to public ownership
47
One nation conservatism
```
Pragmatism
Gradual improvement
Paternalistic
Mixed economy-significant state intervention if needed
Support for welfare state
```
48
One nation Tory individuals
Kenneth Clarke
| Nicholas Soames
49
Thatcherite individuals
John Redwood
| Liam Fox
50
Post Thatcherite individuals
```
Boris Johnson (liberal conservative)
Philip Blond (red Tory)
```
51
Labour factions (James Callaghan)
James Callaghan+ other’s right of party public sector pay demands had to be resisted
52
Labour factions (left)
Tony Benn+Michael Foot greater wealth distribution
53
Labour under Jeremy Corbyn
Ideological position and rebellious back bench rep make harder to secure party loyalty
54
Few labour factions
Momentum
Socialist workers party
Saving labour
55
Liberal Democrat’s
1998
| Main party in gov early 20th century distant 3rd by 1960
56
Lib Dem’s under Nick Clegg
Protection of civil liberties
| Constitutional reform
57
Orange book liberals
Draw on classical liberalism endorse by lower taxes
58
Social liberals
New progressive liberalism of Keynes
59
1990s conservative policy was mainly determined by who
party leader
60
what is john major say in 1922 (party policy)
'it was all me'
61
who wrote the 2010 conservative manifesto
mainly cameron, Oliver letwin and steve hilton
62
labour party conference
genuine policy making events
| 97' onwards had 2 year policy making cycle
63
national policy forum
appointed policy commissions to make proposals formalised in national executive committee
64
politcal party funding
membership subscription
public funding
donations
65
labour's funding
until 1990s lots of funding from trade unions
66
conservative's funding
mainly from wealthy business interests
67
donations for labour
Bernie Ecclestone
| Lord Sainsbury
68
donations for con
Paul Ghetty
| Stuart Wheeler
69
controversy over political funding
Bernie Ecclestone £1 mill lab 1997, delay on tobacco advertising ban formula 1
70
political parties, elections and referendums act 2000
£30,000 per constituency limit
spending limits for elections to devolved bodies
declare donations £5,000 to electoral commission
71
political parties and elections act 2009
tighter spending regulations on run-up
electoral commission can impose fines+investigate
restrict donations from non uk residents
reduce threshold for donation decleration
72
what did the 2007 phillips report, strengthening democracy; fair and sustainable funding for political parties suggest
pence per voter
| pence per member
73
policy development grants
annual share of a £2 million pots to any party that has two or more MPs taking oath of allegiance
get subsidies, postage costs
74
cranborne money
funds paid to opposition parties in house of lords help cover adminstrative costs and can properly scrutinise the government
75
in 2014-15 how much did labour get in cranborne money
£572,717
76
short money
funds paid to opposition parties to cover administrative costs
available to all opposition parties that win at least two seats/ 1 seat with over 150,00 votes
77
2014-15 how much did labour get in short money
£6,684,794
78
reform of party funding
become more transparent
| 'loans for peerage' scandal= still loop holes
79
% of labour party funding which is membership
19%
80
Lord Ashcroft (conservative donor)
doesn't pay uk tax on overseas earnings
81
should political parties be state funded (YES)
open to be funded by wealthy/interest groups
state funding=don't spend ages courting for donations
party e,g lib dems would be on more equal footing
82
should political parties be state funded (NO)
tax payers fund parties don't support
politicians isolated from real world if denied access from interest groups
parties have unequal resources regardless e,g membership
83
privatization
transferring ownership from state to private business
| e.g british gas
84
how did thatcher change income taxes and benefits
freeze child benefits
| cut housing benefits
85
universal benefits
get regardless of income levels
86
means tested benefits
only those on low income get it
87
what did thatcher do to basic and top rates of income tax
cut them
88
what did thatcher cut the top and bottom rate of income tax to in 79'
86% to 60%
| 33% to 30%
89
what did thatcher cut the top and bottom rates of income tax to in 88'
60% to 40%
| 27% to 25%
90
right to buy scheme
housing act 1980
| tenants buy council house discounted price
91
by 1987 how many council houses had been sold
over a million
92
thatchers social policies
neo conservative
strong punishment
extension police power, search car+properties
arrests for bad language
93
what was section 28 of the local government act (1988)
local authorities 'shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality'
94
main different between 'wets' and 'dries'
wets one nation gradual paternal change
| dries rapid change, less organic
95
why did labour split in the early 80s
Michael foot left wing leader, move opposed by SD members
96
what were the consequences of the labour split in early 80s
SDP formed 4 members
| 1983 labours 'suicide manifesto' lab 27% SDP 25%
97
how did the UKs post industrial society influence new labour
```
middle class growth
decline power+influence of trade unions
```
98
how did pressure of globalization influence new labour
UK can't have high tax and regulation as multinationals would move
99
how did blair change clause IV of the labour constitution
committed them to nationalisation
new clause 4 talk about market rigour of competition
'thriving private sector+high quality public services'
100
what was tony blairs 'third way'
between socialism and Thatcherism
social justice+economic efficiency
lab accept lower tax+privatisation
101
what did new labour promise ahead of '97 general election
stick to prev con spend plans, not raise income tax
| up to 2008 public spending % of GDP lower than under the cons
102
how were new labour's economic policies similar to the cons
```
corporation tax 33% to 28%
priv
outsourcing
PFI
foundation hospitals
```
103
outsourcing
public services outsourced to private companies competing for contracts
104
public finance initiatives (PFI)
priv sect bids for contracts to finance+build new hospitals, rent service back to tax payer
105
foundation hospitals
managers independence to set up contracts+borrow money
106
recession
economy shrinks for two consecutive quarters
107
how many recessions have there been since 1940?
5
108
why did Gordon Brown think there would be no return to the 'boom and bust'
economic boom 1983 to early 2000s
inflation falling
living stands+real wages increasing
109
why were house prices increasing so rapidly preceding the crash
growth financed by public debt
low interest+inflation=cheap credit
mortagages cheaper
drove up demand
110
what was the problem with an increase in demand for house
supply couldn't meet demand so started to increase
111
what does it mean to say the banks were 'over leveraged' prior to financial crash
obligation to pay others greater than their equity
| don't have reserves to fall back on
112
sub prime mortgages
sold to people with poor credit rating history of not paying debt
113
how did America help trigger a global recession with their sub prime mortgages crisis
were sold to international investors
| turned it global
114
why did lbaour government spend so much money bailing out the banks
consequences of letting them collapse were too serious
115
what was the 2008 economic stimulus
VAT temporarily cut from 17.5 to 15
basic income tax rate cut £145
ensure extra money flowing in the economy
116
why did the deficit increase so sharply following crash
tax receipts reduced
money going out was increasing e.g on social welfare
bc unemployment was rising
117
why did the conservatives argue labour had 'failed to fix the roof while the sun was shining'
lab didn't put enough money aside whilst they could
118
how did conservatives change spending plans after 2007
proposed to match labs spending but scrapped this
| called for public spending cuts
119
how did labour justify its pre crash economic policies
public spend necessary bc previous con gov hadn't invested enough in infrastructure
120
why did cons and classical economists want to quickly cut deficit
big impact on nation debt and rates (uks ability to borrow money at low rates)
lose good credit rating
121
why did Keynesian economists and labour party favour economic stimulus, even if it increased deficit
take advan of low borrowing cost+borrow more to invest+stimulate growth
short term deficit but economy would recover quicker
122
cons spending plans 2010 general election
eliminate bulk of deficit by 2015-16
| ratio of spending cuts to tax increase 4:1
123
lab spending plans 2010 general election
half deficit it by 2013-14
| ratio of spending cuts to tax increases 2:1
124
lib dems spending plans 2010 general election
half deficit by 2013-14
| ratio of spending cuts to tax increases 2.5:1
