Politics UK (textbook) - chapter 13 Flashcards
Two key functions of political parties?
Procedural functions: Smooth and stable running of government. This includes organisation of the parliamentary landscape by recruiting members and candidates, winning elections, forming governments and oppositions and ensuring smooth transition of power, providing fro scrutiny by populating committees and organising the holding to account of government.
Representative functions: As representative vehicles, they structure political choice for voters, so that the electorate can make decisions about who should govern and what political priorities they favour. In fulfilment of this role, parties gather together, harmonise and articulate interests in the form of coherent packages of policy, or election manifestos. By joining political parties, ordinary citizens can participate in the political process by contributing to policy debates and selecting candidates and party leaders. In these various ways, parties can act as channels of expression and provide an important link between citizens and the state.
What are challenges to party membership?
Membership and participation: for some parties, membership has risen in recent years. Some have experimented with new levels of membership. The challenge is how to sustain it. What level of influence over policy, leadership and candidate selection should members be given for example?
Patterns of support: in recent decades, voters have become increasingly likely to switch their support from election to election. Allegiances are also more likely to be spread around a wider range of parties, impacting on patterns of support and the shape of the party system. This is bound to affect political and electoral dynamics, including how parties appeal for support, maximise representation, form governments and so on.
Ideas and issues: alongside organisational and systemic change, the political climate also poses significant challenges to the parties. All political parties are to some extent coalitions of competing ideological tendencies and the struggles between them shape their responses to key issues: the implications of Brexit and the Covid- 19 pandemic are just two.
How has party membership changed in recent times?
Party membership has been in long- term decline across the Western world a trend that – until recently – was particularly marked in the United Kingdom. In 2013, UK party membership was amongst the lowest in Europe, at less than 1 per cent of the electorate. Both major parties dipped below 200,000 members.
How have major parties declined in membership; What are the two main sources of recent party growth?
Major parties have been in overall decline in the last 50 years, although there have been some increase recently they have been on a downward trend.
Insurgent parties, such as UKIP and the SNP, with alternative perspectives on and responses to political and economic problems. Just as they have generated a greater share of electoral support, these parties have also been successful at growing their memberships.
We may not yet fully understand these developments but one possible explanation may be the end of the ‘neo- liberal’ consensus and the relative sense of political instability that has brought about. It has meant a greater distinction between parties as they seek to respond to this and the galvanising effect of big issues –like Scottish independence, Brexit, austerity –that may help shape a new future.
What is the role and influence of party members?
Party leaders are often more conscious of the need to appeal to a broad electorate less politically and ideologically committed than activists, and hence seek to keep control of direction and strategy. Leaders have increasingly sought the advice and services of professional consultants and campaigning and marketing specialists to direct their work, especially election campaigns, and are reluctant to cede too much power to party activists, lest it tie their hands or put them into awkward positions politically.
However, at the same time, members are needed: they do the hard graft in election campaigns and, crucially, provide parties with ‘legitimacy’ that strengthens the party’s claim to speak for the public. In return, many have power and influence over who the leader is and a say in party policy and who its candidates are.
Methods of Conservative membership influence over the years?
Membership ballots which are used to endorse the party manifesto, broad aims and values and –more specifically – the policy of ruling out membership of a European single currency were introduced by William Hague but are no longer used.
Participation in leadership contests, especially since party leaders have so much discretion, as it is a top-down organisation, is another way members can exert influence.
Describe the relationship between party members and policy; how policy in relation to members has changed over time; how are leaders elected?
Over the years the relationship between leaders and members has been tense and so in 1997 the National Policy Forum became the key-policy making body replacing the annual Party Conference live debate. It consists of 190 members meeting every year to discuss policy where proposals are produced and submitted to party conference for approval (the conference now being a decision accepting or rejecting process).
The other method of influenced, as can be seen, is through party leadership and putting yourself forward to be elected.
Leaders are elected through a one member one vote franchise, but MPs retain nomination rights.
How do the liberal democrats select their leader and how do members influence policy?
Members have a vote in electing leaders, being the first party to do it. In policy-making terms, the sovereign body of the party is the federal conference, to which national, regional and local parties, as well as recognised internal associations, can submit motions. In practice, however, policy is developed on an ongoing basis by the Federal Policy Committee, chaired by the leader and on which different internal constituencies are represented. More significant decisions about the party’s strategy are formally subject to a ‘triple-lock’ in which the parliamentary party and the federal executive, a conference, and a ballot of all members must endorse a proposal.
How do the Green Party members play a role in the party?
Any four members or party branch can submit a motion to conference, but sufficiently in advance to allow other members to propose amendments. Next, the policy is discussed by a workshop, which reports to the conference. The Conference itself, as a relatively small group, cannot then propose any further amendments or alter existing ones but simply votes whether to adopt the policy or not.
The Green Party has two leaders as opposed to one.
How do the SNP members play a role in the party?
Since devolution, electoral success at both Westminster and Holyrood has a greatly expanded the number of representatives, inevitably placing greater emphasis on the role of politicians and advisers in developing party policy and making conferences more oriented towards office- bearers and ministers.
Members won the right to elect the leader in a postal ballot in 2004.
Why is there tension between members and leaders when selecting candidates?
It may reflect a desire to ensure political acceptability (as in David Cameron’s attempt to ‘detoxify’ the Conservative brand, or Tony Blair’s drive to make the Labour Party more electable), particularly in high- profile by- elections. However, there are other reasons too.
How have parties tried to increase diversity and selection?
Labour put in an all-women shortlist.
The Conservative party put in a priority list in which party candidates had to be 50% female.
How have parties tried to open up the franchise?
Labour allowed registered supporters to vote in leadership elections.
Conservatives have used open primaries allowing non members to vote.
This however can backfire in which the party is undermined by a candidate that derives legitimacy form a process like this is more likely to be independent minded.
List the four key elements contributing to changes in party support and volatility in loyalty?
The identification people feel with parties, changing voting behaviour, institutional change and changing patterns of support.
How has party identification changed over the years?
It has decreased significantly over the years. This means that the likelihood of people voting for a specific party has decreased and so has the likelihood people will vote at all.
