UK political Parties In Context

Question 1

What is a party system ?

Answer 1

• way or manner which the political parties in a political system are grouped and structured
• include one party dominant , two party, two and a half party and multiparty system

Question 2

What is the features of the one party system

Answer 2

• Communist state with with the communist party being the only legal party (with a single political party controls the ruling system)
• all other parties are banned and one person rules

Question 3

Countries with a one party system

Answer 3

North Korea, china and Cuba

Question 4

What is a dominant-party system ?

Answer 4

A dominant-party system is where only one party has a realistic chance of winning political power even though a number of parties stand in the election

Question 5

countries with a dominant party system ?

Answer 5

Scotland SNP

Question 6

Features of dominant system in Scotland ?

Answer 6

SNP has holds nearly all the UK parliamentary seats and has governed Scotland since 2007, holding more seats than any other party in the Scottish parliament

Question 7

What is a two party system

Answer 7

A two-party system is where only two political parties have a chance of success at an election and so power shifts between those two parties.

Question 8

Example of the two party system

Answer 8

• Democrats and republicans in USA hold all elected positions at all levels of government in the USA
• The First Past the Post electoral voting system is more likely to result in a two-party system e.g conservatives and Labour either win

Question 9

What is a two an a half party system

Answer 9

Two main parties exist in the party system, but a third, smaller party challenges the dominance of the two main parties.

Question 10

Example of a two and a half party system ?

Answer 10

the 2010-2015 coalition government, the Liberal Democrats could be argued to be the half-party.
They didn’t achieve enough votes to form a majority but could support the Conservatives in a coalition.

Question 11

What is a multi party system ?

Answer 11

A multi-party system is where more than two parties have the possibility of winning an election or of being able to take up a role in power as part of a governing coalition

Question 12

Example of a multiparty system

Answer 12

Germany has a four party system with the Christian democrats and social democrats dominating but form a coalition with the greens or free democrats

Question 13

Why does the electoral system discriminate other parties ?

Answer 13

As unable to convert their increasing proportion of votes won significantly into number of seats

Question 14

UK is a two party system in terms of what ?

Answer 14

Seats

Question 15

And the UK is a multiparty system in terms of what ?

Answer 15

Votes

Question 16

What % of the votes in 2019 was for the main parties ?

Answer 16

77%

Question 17

What party system is the UK overall ?

Answer 17

Multiparty system as many parties in different areas competing to gain power but in terms of electoral results UK elections reveals a dominant or two party system at work

Question 18

what party system is in Northern Ireland ?

Answer 18

Northern Ireland has its own party system that appears to be a multi party with a number of parties being required to form a coalition to create goverment
BUT
Also a dominant two party system as dominated by DUP and Sinn Féin

Question 19

What electoral system is in Wales

Answer 19

• Since devolution was introduced to Wales
• Labour been always the main party
• labor sometimes securing majority, or working in coalition or minority party so a one dominant party

Question 20

Factors that affect party success ?

Answer 20

Leadership/party leader, unity and media exposure

Question 21

Why is party leader/leadership important when determining party success ?

Answer 21

• The party leader represents the party and many voters view the leader as the image of the party.
• Public opinion of the leader and their ability to offer an appealing brand to the electorate plays an important role in creating support for the party.

Question 22

What is considered when looking at leadership or leader of party ?

Answer 22

• Media image
• experience
• distinctiveness
• honesty

Question 23

Example of party leader personality, charisma and popularity among voters which is important for leadership

Answer 23

Nigel Farage was viewed as the image of UKIP and his charisma played a role in UKIP’s appeal to voters was constantly in media and news
Since Farage stepped down as the leader, UKIP has not achieved the same electoral success.

Question 24

Examples of those who damaged prospect of their party and affected leadership ?

Answer 24

• Boris Johnson: party gate
• Nick Clegg : broken promises

Question 25

Examples of those who took party to rise with leadership

Answer 25

• Tony Blair: labour adverts
• sturgeon enjoyed positive public approval ratings in the opinion polls due to favourable impression on media

Question 26

Why is unity important for a party

Answer 26

Party leaders unite the party, which is important because party supporters may come from a range of groups in society. Said by political commentators that a disunited party has no hope of being elected

Question 27

Examples of no unity in party

Answer 27

• no vote of confidence in 2022 for Boris Johnson to continue as party leader
• conservatives and labour divided over issue of Brexit
• labour over antisemitism

Question 28

Examples of the media importance for success of party

Answer 28

• newspapers live up predictably at election time and readers buy new papers that agree with their views and The Daily Mail is a right-wing paper. The paper supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum and In the elections the sun owned by Rupert Murdoch in 1997, 2001 and 2005 it backed Tony Blair and Labour
• social media e.g twitter can produce fake news, mix opinions, people attack politicians, allows politicians to speak e.g Donald trump
• BBC funded by taxpayers so unbias
• Theresa May refused to participate in television debates wheras Jeremy Corbyn good performance helped shift media perception of two leaders

Question 29

reasons why small parties fail ?

Answer 29

Policies : Change in party policies can gather new voters.
In 1997, after Labour rebranded to ‘New Labour’ under Tony Blair, they achieved their biggest general election victory.
- lack of media exposure
- lack of funding
- people consider as waste of vote due to FPTP

Question 30

Positive aspects of UK parties role in UK democracy democracy

Answer 30

• provide open opportunity to become active in politics, they are inclusive and few demands on members
• help to make goverment accountable
• train people for political office and leadership

Question 31

Negative aspects of the parties role UK representative democracy?

Answer 31

• parties can become elitists so that small leadership groups dominant policy-making to detriment of internal democracy
• limit pool of talent for political leaders only