Political Parties Key Terms

Question 1

What is Socialism?

Answer 1

A state of mind and a political movement that places values such as equality of opportunity, social justice and collectivism high on its scale of values. Either opposed to free market capitalism or proposes measures to moderate the undesirable effects of capitalism

Question 2

What is Conservatism?

Answer 2

A state of mind and a political movement that is naturally adverse to excessive change and reform. Is sceptical about strongly held political views, prefers the known to the unknown and generally supports the retention of traditional institutions and values

Question 3

What is Liberalism?

Answer 3

A state of mind and a political movement that places freedom, rights and tolerance high on its scale of values

Question 4

What is Old Labour/Social Democracy?

Answer 4

A political, social and economic ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a capitalist economy, and a policy regime involving a commitment to representative democracy, measures for income redistribution and regulation of the economy in the general interest and welfare state provision

Question 5

What is New Labour/a Third Way?

Answer 5

A movement to update Britain’s Labour Party by discarding the traditional Labour platform calling for state ownership of the means of production. Movement was led by Tony Blair, PM 1997-2010

Question 6

What is One Nation Conservatism?

Answer 6

(Also known as one nationism)
Form of British political conservatism that views society as organic and values paternalism and pragmatism. The phrase comes from Benjamin Disraeli, Conservative PM 1874-80

Question 7

What is the New Right?

Answer 7

Political movement that became popular in USA and Britain in late 1970s-80s. Largely a combination of very liberal attitudes towards the free market + capitalist economy and very conservative attitudes to society, morality and the maintenance of law and order. In UK- associated with Margret Thatcher

Question 8

What is Classical Liberalism?

Answer 8

Political philosophy and ideology, belonging to liberalism in which primary emphasis is placed on securing freedom of the individual by limiting power of the government

Question 9

What is Modern Liberalism?

Answer 9

Focuses around the use of the state for the benefit of society as a whole. Generally associated with social welfare programs and variety of other means that are used to support society

Question 10

What are Party Systems?

Answer 10

Concepts in comparative political science concerning the system of government by political parties in a democratic country

Question 11

What is Left Wing/Right Wing?

Answer 11

Commonly used way of describing political tendencies.

Question 12

What is Left Wing?

Answer 12

Left wing related to ideas associated with socialism or social democracy

Question 13

What is Right Wing?

Answer 13

Right wing normally refers to conservative ideas

Question 14

What is Factionalism?

Answer 14

Tendency within parties to split into different internal groups who hold views that are at variance with main beliefs of the party. Such groups/factions may be formal groupings or merely informal tendencies.

Question 15

What is Consensus politics?

Answer 15

A circumstance where 2 or more major political parties broadly agree on most basic policies. A period where there are few or no major political conflicts. It may refer to a single issue where different parties agree to support the same policies. This implies a lack of strong ideology in politics

Question 16

What is Adversary politics?

Answer 16

Opposite of consensus. Circumstance where political parties are engaged in considerable conflict over political issues. Also implies there are strong ideological conflicts in politics

Question 17

What is aggregation?

Answer 17

Policy formation function
- Identifying a wide range of demands made on the political system, and converting them into programmes of action

Question 18

What is Traditional/Burkean Conservatism?

Answer 18

· Want to preserve what is of value, keep hold of what works in society, sceptical of change, won’t implement it too fast

Question 19

What is One Nation Conservatism?

Answer 19

Paternalistic form of British Conservatism
- advocates preservation of established institutions and traditional principles within a political democracy, combined with social and economic programmes that benefit the ordinary person
- Society should be allowed to develop organically, rather than with state intervention
- Members of society have obligations towards one another-> the elite should work to reconcile interests of all social classes
- Government is a figure that has a duty to look after the people

Question 20

What is The Organic Society?

Answer 20

• Stresses need to unite the nation to prevent social conflict by suggesting people are part of one single body (the nation) and are all interdependent
  
  • Classes should work together and maintain their place in society to maintain nation’s welfare, rather than engage in conflict

Question 21

What is Pragmatism?

Answer 21

• Flexible approach to politics, incorporating what is best for the people, what is acceptable to them, and what will preserve a stable society

Question 22

What is Individualism?

Answer 22

• Suggests each individual and household should be presented with widest possible range of choices and opportunities + the state should restrict choice as little as possible.

Question 23

What is a Faction?

Answer 23

smaller, organised, dissenting group within a party

Question 24

What is the Hybrid Philosophy?

Answer 24

combination of neo conservatism and neo liberalism
- Popular in 1970s and 1980s in USA and Britain

Question 25

What is a Monopoly?

Answer 25

when one company holds main market power

Question 26

What is Neo-Conservatism?

Answer 26

Economic Patriotism, Social Conservatism, mono culturalism

Question 27

What is Economic Patriotism?

Answer 27

stress on nationalism through its economic interests, leading British neo conservatives to oppose European integration (not in British best interest). Sceptical of international free trade, preferring protectionism

Question 28

What is Social Conservatism?

Answer 28

Authoritarian stance on crime with severe punishment for criminals seen as best form of deterrence. Believe modern western society is in moral decline, proposing restoration of traditional moral values. Desire for traditional family unit

Question 29

What is Monoculturalism?

Answer 29

all members of society adopt same culture and values of culture, can be intolerant to different cultures, suspicious of immigration and asylum seeking. See influx of migrants as threat to traditional British values

Question 30

Where can Revolutionary Socialism/Marxism be found?

Answer 30

Soviet union/China

Question 31

Where can Moderate socialism/ social democracy be found?

Answer 31

Britain

Question 32

What is Common Ownership?

Answer 32

Clause IV of the 1918 Manifesto: - Most equitable distribution of assets, goods and services through basic common ownership and exchange - Want to nationalise all industries - Got rid of by Tony Blair in 90s

Question 33

What is New Labour/Third way?

Answer 33

- Leftist approach to social policy - Thatcherite/Free Market views to economy

Question 34

What is Liberty?

Answer 34

Freedom, privacy, individual rights

Question 35

What is Social Justice?

Answer 35

New/modern Liberal idea Removal of unjustifiable inequalities in incomes in society, equality of opportunity, removal of all artificial privileges which people might have been born into

Question 36

What is Welfare?

Answer 36

New/modern Liberal idea People cannot be genuinely free if they are enslaved by poverty, unemployment or sickness, or deprivations of old age-> state welfare sets them free

Question 37

What is Constitutionalism?

Answer 37

Power of government should be firmly controlled, by limiting power of government via strong constitution

Question 38

What are Social reformers?

Answer 38

people that believe in reform in Support rights of women, disabled, ethnic minorities, LGBT+ community, same sex marriage

Question 39

What is Liberal Democracy (human rights and support for democracy)?

Answer 39

Support for constitutional reform

Question 40

What is Multiculturalism?

Answer 40

Different cultures and lifestyle should be welcomes and granted special rights, links to liberal's pluralist outlook on society

Question 41

What is a Party System?

Answer 41

A party system refers to the way or manner in which the political parties in a political system are grouped and structured. There are several variants that could apply to the UK; these include one-party dominant, two-party, two-and-a-half-party and multi-party systems.

Question 42

What is a One Party system?

Answer 42

Only one party is allowed to operate. Normally associated with highly authoritarian regimes e.g., Russia, China

Question 43

What is a dominant party system?

Answer 43

* Refers to democratic systems which allow parties to operate freely, but where only one party has a realistic chance of power * Such systems are highly stable, although there is a lack of accountability and competition e.g., Scotland (previous, ie 90s SNP), Denmark

Question 43

What is a two and a half party system?

Answer 43

* System where there are two main parties that contest elections but also a sizable third party. * Usually, these third parties can be seen as holding the balance of power between the two main parties, much as the liberal democrats did in 2010 in the UK. Canada and Australia appear to fit this model. While the UK could be seen as a two-and-a-half party system, it is rare the third party forms part of the government.

Question 44

What is a 2 party system?

Answer 44

* Only two parties have a realistic chance of forming a government. * Implication is that two parties win forms votes at elections and most of the seats available in relevant representative assemblies e.g., USA

Question 45

What is a multi party system?

Answer 45

* System where there are two main parties that contest elections but also a sizable third party. * Usually, these third parties can be seen as holding the balance of power between the two main parties, much as the liberal democrats did in 2010 in the UK. Canada and Australia appear to fit this model. While the UK could be seen as a two-and-a-half party system, it is rare the third party forms part of the government.