UK political parties in context Flashcards
what is a one party system?
when only one party is allowed to operate
in what 3 countries is a one party system used in?
- China (the Chinese communist party)
- Cuba |(the communist party of Cuba)
- North Korea (the democratic peoples of North Korea)
what is a dominant party system?
when one party holds the most seats in parliament than any other party
an example of a dominant party system irl:
SNP: holds nearly all of the UKs parliamentary seats and has governed Scotland since 2007
what is a two party system?
when two parties have a realistic chance in forming a government and dominating all other parties
examples of a two party system irl:
- the USA (democrats and republicans)
- The UK (Conservative and Labour)
what is a two and a half party system?
where there are two dominant parties but the third party is a sizeable party holding balance between the two main parties
example of a two and a half party system:
- The Lib Dems in 2010
what is a multi party system?
a system where there is so many parties it is unstable
example of a multi party system:
Germany - they have a four party system with the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats dominating
why do small parties fail?
for each point, give a way they can succeed
- lack of funding -> they may find wealthy benefactors to support them, like UKIP in 2010
- the electoral system may discriminate against them (FPTP with minority parties) -> in devolved regions, proportional representation helps smaller parties, also if they focus on a specific region, they can gain support, like SNP
- lack of media exposure -> a strong leader can help to gain support, like Caroline Lucas for Green Party
- people consider them to be a wasted vote -> in a proportional system, less votes are wasted and there’s more choice
how does leadersip affect party success? give 2 examples of good leaders and 2 examples of bad leaders
many people vote for the party leader, and focus on thir experience, media image and ability to lead, some leaders lack this, like:
Nick Clegg: steered the lib dems too far to conservative policies
Gordon Brown: boring, dull leader
HOWEVER, some leaders have given their party more recognition, like:
Nicola Sturgeon: made a good impression on TV debates and got positive public approval ratings in the opinion polls
Nigel Farage: was a strong leader for UKIP as he was a master of the media, ensuring the party was constantly on the news
how does unity affect party success? give 2 examples of unified parties
unified parties are more likely to be elected and are more able to pass legislation
- 1997, The Labour Party were united over New Labour, which led to their victory against the conservatives
- 2019, The Conservatives were united over the idea of Brexit, whereas the Labour Party were completely divided over it, which gave The Conservatives the upper hand
3 arguments for the case that the media is influential in determining party success
- the winning party usually has the support of most newspapers
- since 2010, TV debates have become key moments in election campaigns (like 2019 debate with Jeremy Corbyn ‘sitting on the fence’ about Brexit)
- parties are constantly trying to influence voters through social media
3 arguments against the case that the media is influential in determining party success
- influential media tends to reflect, rather than lead party attitudes
- despite all the newspapers opposing him, Jeremy Corbyn won the 2017 general election
- other factors like leadership and policies may be way more influential
