Poltics:Parties- UK party system Flashcards
What is a dominant-party system?
A system where a number of parties exist but only one holds government power, e.g. in Japan under the Liberal Democratic Party between 1955 and 1993.
The UK party system has, at times, resembled a dominant-party system with the Conservatives in office 1979–97 and Labour in power 1997–2010.
What is a multiparty system?
A 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.
What is a single-party system?
A system where one party dominates, bans other parties, and exercises total control over candidacy at elections, e.g. in Nazi Germany or North Korea.
What is a two-party system?
A system where two fairly equally matched parties compete for power at elections and others have little realistic chance of breaking their duopoly.
Britain has traditionally operated under a two-party system.
Has the UK ever witnessed a single-party system?
No, the UK has never witnessed a single-party system.
What has been suggested about the UK party system in the early twenty-first century?
The rise of the Liberal Democrats and other smaller parties led some to suggest that the UK was morphing into a multiparty system, but it is still regarded as conforming broadly to the two-party model.
What percentage of the vote was for parties other than the ‘big 2’ 2015?
Yes. In the 2015 general election, 13.5% of UK voters (and 61% of Scottish voters) backed parties other than the ‘big two’.
In some parts of the UK, such as Scotland, there is genuine multiparty competition for elected office ( more proportional system ).
Which parties have a realistic chance of forming a government in the UK?
The Labour and Conservative Parties are the only parties that have a realistic chance of forming a government or being the senior partner in a coalition at Westminster.
What percentage of the popular vote did Labour and Conservatives secure in 2015?
In 2015, Labour and the Conservatives secured 67.2% of the popular vote (up 2.1% from 2010), winning 86.5% of the 650 seats contested.
What percentage of the vote & seats did Reform receive in 2024?
14.3% of the vote 5 seats
What percentage of the vote & seats did the Liberal Democrats receive in 2024?
12.2% of the vote 72 total seats
What is the 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.
What do moderate left-wingers accept?
Moderate left-wingers accept capitalism but favour greater government intervention in the economy and a more comprehensive welfare state.
What do those on the right of the political spectrum favor?
Those on the right are said to favour private enterprise over state provision.
What is the left–right political spectrum in the UK?
In the UK, the debate over the direction of government policy has generally centred on the battle between socialists and conservatives.
How are the main British parties characterized in terms of their reach across th political spectrum?
All three of the main British parties are better seen as ‘broad churches’, each comprising members of various different political shades.
What percentage of the vote & seats the greens receive in 2024?
6.7% of the votans 4 seats
What percentage of the vote & seats did Labour receive in 2024?
** 33.7%** of the vote & 412 seats
What percentage of the vote & seats the Conservatives receive in 2024?
23.7% of the vote and **121* seats
What percentage of the vote & seats did the SNP receive in 2024?
2.5% of the vote and 9seats total
