U1. Political parties

Question 1

What is aggregation?

Answer 1

A process, undertaken by political parties, of converting policies, demands and ideas into practical policy programmes for government. This involves eliminating contradictions and making some compromises.

Question 2

Explain the term ‘cash for honours’

Answer 2

A phrase used by the media to describe the suspicion that some donations to parties are made in the hope and expectation that the giver will receive an honour such as a peerage or knighthood. The practice is considered to be unlawful but is difficult to prove.

Question 3

What is classical liberalism?

Answer 3

A way of describing nineteenth-century liberalism that proposed a limited state that would be confined to protecting the freedom of individuals and maintaining the security of the state.

Question 4

Explain the term ‘consensus’

Answer 4

This refers to a situation where two or more significant parties in a political system agree of fundamental ideas and aims. Consensus can also mean ‘general agreement’. When there is a consensus, parties only disagree on details of policy and how to implement their aims.

Question 5

Define democratic socialism

Answer 5

A moderate form of socialism that proposes to achieve its aims by democratic means. Its main objectives are to mix state control over production with market capitalism, so that the interests of the working class are advanced within a combination of state-run welfare and major industries, and smaller-scale free enterprise.

Question 6

What is the dependency culture?

Answer 6

A belief that, if welfare benefits are too generous in a society, people become used to depending on such benefits, which then become a disincentive to work. The culture, many claim, is passed down from one generation to the next.

Question 7

Explain what it means to be left wing

Answer 7

A general description of policies that conform to socialist principles. Typical left-wing ideas include the redistribution of income from rich to poor through both taxation and welfare, public ownership and state control of key enterprises, the elimination of privilege and its replacement by equal rights and the promotion of equality of opportunity.

Question 8

What is a liberal democracy?

Answer 8

Liberal democracy is both a description of some political systems and a political movement. In politics it implieds a democracy in which rights and equality are guaranteed and promoted. As a movement it describes a party of political stance that stresses the importance of democracy and rights. There is a belief among its adherents that other ‘good things’ will flow from the political system if it is genuinely democratic and respects rights.

Question 9

What is libertarianism?

Answer 9

An extreme form of neoliberalism. Libertarians propose that the government should interfere as little as possible with economic and social activity. They also support the maximisation of personal liberty.

Question 10

What is a mandate?

Answer 10

A term referring to the consent granted to a political party at election time by the electorate. The mandate gives legitimacy to all the winning party’s manifesto commitments.

Question 11

Define modern liberals

Answer 11

This term is used to describe liberals who came to prominence after classical liberalism began to decline at the end of the nineteenth-century. Modern liberals would tolerate an expanded role for the state into the areas of social justice, welfare and equality of opportunity.

Question 12

What is neoliberalism?

Answer 12

A movement from 1970s and 1980s which proposes that the state should not interfere excessively in economic management, which promotes free markets, and opposes trade union power, high taxes and excessive welfare benefits for those who are able to work.

Question 13

What does the term ‘new labour’ refer to?

Answer 13

A term applied to the Labour Party under Tony Blair, which moved towards a more centrist position in politics after the mid-1990s.

Question 14

What is the ‘new right’?

Answer 14

A term used for a conservative movement that arose in the 1980s which combined an authoritarian form of new-conservatism with an economically liberal form of neo-liberalism.

Question 15

Define one nation conservatism

Answer 15

A term often used to describe the collection of traditional values held by many conservatives. It refers to the idea that conservative policies should promote social cohesion and reduce social conflict between the classes. The term was notably used by the nineteenth-century prime minister Benjamin Disraeli.

Question 16

What is a party faction?

Answer 16

A faction refers to a distinct group within a political party whose views vary significantly from the main party policies. Often factions are to the left of to the right of the party’s position. Some factions have a formal membership and organisation, while others are loose and represent little more than a policy tendency.

Question 17

What is a party manifesto?

Answer 17

A collection of beliefs, aspirations, commitments and promises presented to the electorate by parties at election time. The manifesto forms the basis of the winning party’s electoral mandate and allows parliaments or regional assemblies and the public to hold government to account.

Question 18

Define party system

Answer 18

A party system describes how many parties flourish within a political system and have influence. Party systems in the UK have varied from two-party to three-party to multi-party systems at different times, in different circumstances and in different regions.

Question 19

Describe policy in general terms

Answer 19

A set of institutions or a political programme developed by parties or by governments. Policies reflect the political stance of parties and governments.

Question 20

Define a ‘political party’

Answer 20

As association of people who share common values and political beliefs and who seek political power in order to convert those beliefs and values into practice.

Question 21

What is populism?

Answer 21

A political movement, often represented by a political party, that appeals to people’s emotions and which tends to find supporters among sections of the community who feel they have not been represented by conventional politics and politicians

Question 22

Explain what it means to be right wing

Answer 22

Policies often associated with conservatism. Typically they may include the promotion of individualism in contrast to left wing ideas of collectivism, the withdrawal of the state from economic and social control, low personal and company taxation, a strong, authoritarian position on law and order and a stress on patriotism and nationalism.

Question 23

What does the term ‘short money’ mean?

Answer 23

Named after Ted Short, the politician who introduced it, Short money refers to funds given to opposition parties to facilitate their parliamentary work (research facilities etc). The amount is based on how many seats and votes each party won at the previous election.

Question 24

What are social liberals?

Answer 24

A name often used for liberals, especially members of the Liberal Democratic Party, who share many of their centrist social democratic values of the Labour party. Vince cable (business secretary 2010-15) is a key example; he lost his parliamentary seat in 2015.

Question 25

Define the ‘third way’

Answer 25

A new political philosophy, developed by Anthony Giddens and Peter Mandelson, which proposed policies which lay somewhere between leftist socialism and rightist neo-liberalism.

Question 26

What is a two party system?

Answer 26

A political system in which two parties invariably dominate at elections and in government. Smaller parties consistently fail to make any impact in such a system.

Question 27

Define collectivism

Answer 27

the ownership of land and the means of production by the people or the state, as a political principle or system.

Question 28

What does the term ‘welfarism’ mean?

Answer 28

the principles or policies associated with a welfare state.

Question 29

Explain ‘statism’

Answer 29

a political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs. Represents trust in a large state, it is believed that larger governments are more beviliant.