Political Parties Flashcards
What are manifestos?
Sets out policies it would seek to pass into law if elected to office
What is the electoral mandate?
The right for the governing party to pursue the policies of sets out in its general election manifesto
What does the Salisbury doctrine?
The unelected House of Lords should not, at second reading, oppose any bill that was included in the governing party’s manifesto at the time of the genera election
How is representation been a role of a political party?
Parties represent the views of its members, this was true in an age of mass membership however partisan dealignment and 2% people are party members makes it less valid
How is political engagement and participation a role of political parties?
Parties perform an educative function that encourages political engagement. The extent of participation is wether the party is internally democratic
What’s an example of parties performing engagement and participation?
Liberal Democrat’s meet bi-annually and the annual party conferences
How is political recruitment a role of a political party?
Parties recruit and select candidates for elections- there’s an opportunity to serve a form of political apprenticeship at a local level before graduating to “high office”
How is policy formulation a role of a political party?
Parties discuss and develop policy proposals before presenting them to voters in their manifesto - think tanks eg
How is stable government a role of a political party?
Without parties The House of Commons would simply be a gathering of individuals , driven by personal goals and political ambitions - too many opinions
What are major parties in the UK?
In the modern era, UK politics has been dominated by the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dem’s - you get large voter shares and no. Of seats
What are minor parties - nationalist parties?
They look to nurture the shares cultural identity and language of those indigenous to a given geographical area- nation SNP or region Mebyon Kernow( Cornwall)
What are goals of nationalist parties like?
Some campaign for full independence (SNP) , others have more modest goals (Plaid Cymru)
How does the British National Party differ from most national parties?
It campaigns in support of the way of life and values that claims are common to all indigenous people
How has the BNP deteriorated?
Having achieved some electoral success in the early part of the 21st century, the party has been reduced to a single councillor and just 500 members by 2016
What do single issue parties have to offer?
A wide-ranging programme of policies rooted in a particular ideological perspective (the Green Party), others campaign on a particular issue eg UKIP or even a specific policy eg prolife alliance on abortion
Recent elections have seen single issues on the party with the example of what?
Independent Kidderminster hospital and Health Concern Party, candidate Dr. Richard Taylor won the Wyre Forest constituency at the 2001 and 2005 general election
How do many single issue or ideological parties blur the boundary between political parties and pressure groups?
Their primary goal is to raise awareness of a particular issue as opposed to winning an election and/or securing power eg UKIP
What is a dominant party system?
Where a number of party exists but only one holds government eg Japan under Lib democrat party 1955-93
What is a multi party system?
Where many parties compete for power and the government consists of a series of coalitions formed by different combinations of parties eg Italy between 1945-93 proportional representation
What are the aims of communism?
Replace private property and profit based economy with nationalisation , economics equality
Who expressed communism?
Karl Marx
What party system does communism have ?
Single party system and they think everything should be government owned- against capitalism
what is a 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. Nazi Germany or the democratic peoples Republic of Korea
what is a two party system?
where two fairly equally matched parties compete for power at elections and others have little realistic chance of breaking their duopoly
what is a two and a half party system?
where two equally matched parties and another party with less support but not too little to be a minor party eg Liberal Democrats
where did the political spectrum come from?
emerged in revolutionary France at the end of the 18th century
what are the different parts of the political spectrum?
communism, socialism, liberalism, conservatism and fascism
what is communism?
aims to replace private property and profit based economy with nationalisation, economic equality,
who expressed communism?
Karl Marx
where can communism be seen?
China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam
what type of party system would communism have?
single party system and is against capitalism
what is socialism?
advocate for greater equality and redistribution of wealth. socialists are suspicious of capitalism and favour greater government intervention in both economic and social policy
what party is socialism associated with?
labour party
what two categories are socialism divided into to?
revonist socialism- improve capitalism(Labour) and revolutionary socialism- abolish capitalism and bring all property into nationalisation
What is liberalism often referred to?
Referred to as a single ideology, it is possible to identify a number of strands
What is classical liberalism?
Favours minimal state intervention . Stresses the importance of freedom , toleration and equality and self reliance is better than the state
Who adopted classic liberal agenda ?
The Thatcherite New Right from the layer 1970’s they are referred to as neo-liberals
What is progressive liberalism?
A more compassionate form of liberalism that sees the need for some regulation of the market as well as provision of basic welfare
Who developed the idea of progressive liberalism ?
Writers such as T.H. Green and L.T. Hobhoise. It was later developed into the mixed economy supported by John Maynard Keynes and William Beveridge
What is The emphasis of progressive liberalism?
Emphasis on reform, individual rights and a mixed economy- provided the ideological foundation for all of the liberal centre parties eg Lib Dem’s
What is conservatism?
A loose ideology favouring a pragmatic approach to dealing with problems, while seeking to preserve status quo
What do some people argue about conservatism?
It’s not an ideology because it looks to improve upon what exists already as opposed to building from the ground up from a more ideological standpoint
What does facial support?
Authoritarian ultranationalist characterised by dictatorial power, for able suppression and opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy
What are policies of facism ?
Nationalism and complete state control of society. The basic idea of fascism is that there is strength in unity eg Mussolini
What were the origins of the Conservative party?
1834- represented by the wealthy. Reinvented itself in 1928 after universal suffrage was brought. Dominated UK politics with 67 years in office in the 20th century
Who developed one nation conservative?
Benjamin Disraeli
What are the values of one nation conservatives ?
Evolution not revolution, a Keynesian mixed economy, support for universal welfare state and internationalism and increasing European intervention- eurofiles wets
What were ideas after 1979?
Thatcherism was a much more radical, bro-liberal version of conservatism -part of new right movement included US president Ronald Raegan
What are the qualities of Thatcherism?
Marked death of postwar consensus and a rise of adversarial politics. Deregulation in the field of business, privatisation , statuary limits on the power of trade unions and limited state welfare provision
Who adopted compassionate conservatism and what does it involve?
David Cameron - combined Thatcherite free market economic policies with more liberal social policies
How did the conservatives respond to 2008 financial crisis?
Cutting public spending
what did conservatives accept after thatcher became leader?
the post-war consensus
what was thatcher’s nature as leader and where did she swiftly move the party to?
she was impatient with her parties of high taxation, powerful and disruptive unions and economic stagnation- moved the party swiftly to the right
what did thatcher adopt in her foreign policy?
protecting one of the UK’s overseas territories in 1982 Falkland’s war , playing a leading role alongside Ronald Raegan in Cold war diplomacy and winning a financial rebate from the EU community
what happened after Thatcher was in power 1979-1990?
John major was in power and he continued Thatcherite policies. there was struggles within the party over Europe
when David Cameron became party leader in 2005 what was his aim?
to detoxify the Conservative party’s nasty image
how did Cameron do in the elections?
won most seats in the 2010 and formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats- in 2015 he won a small majority
after Cameron resigned from the EU referendum result what did May want to do?
she wanted one nation policies but her 2017 manifestos support of grammar schools, fox hunting and removal of free school lunches for 4-7 yr olds suggested different
how could May not carry out her one nation conservatism wishes after calling a snap election in 2017?
she failed to win a big majority and had a minority government depending on the DUP alongside the struggle of balancing Remainers and Brexiteers
what did Richard Kelly offer three judgements on Cameron in 2008?
represented a ‘flagrant capitulation to New Labour’, a ‘subtle continuation of Thatcherism’ or it amounted to little more than ‘shameless opportunism’
when was the Labour Representation Committee formed and what did it involve?
1900- included trade unions and left wing political groups to represent the working class in Parliament
what did Labour reject?
revolutionary socialism, focusing instead on social democracy- the 1918 constitution committed Labour to socialism
