Week 16

Question 1

Concept clarification

Answer 1

What do we want to explain?

Question 2

Analytical perspective

Answer 2

What are the causes or effects of a phenomenon?

Question 3

Descriptive perspective

Answer 3

How has a phenomenon developed over time or across countries/parties, etc.?

Question 4

Normative/evaluative perspective

Answer 4

Is a phenomenon good or bad according to some relevant standard?

Question 5

What are the main defining criteria of political parties?

Answer 5

• A political group
• That is officially a part of the electoral process
• And can put candidates forward for elections on a regular basis

Question 6

Evolution of the types of parties

Answer 6

• Elite/cadre (caucus) parties
• Mass parties
• Catch-all parties
• Cartel parties

Question 7

How can we explain party emergence?

Answer 7

Societal - cleavage theory
—-> traditional politics cleavages and the rise of new issues and cleavages

Institutional - parties form within institutions

Question 8

What are the consequences of the rise of new issues and cleavages (postmaterialism)?

Answer 8

• Sophisticated electorate
• Voting patterns more volatile
• New parties may form (although some are short-lived)

Question 9

Examples of traditional political cleavages

Answer 9

church - state
rural - urban
etc.

Question 10

Ways that parties limit the freedom of politicians

Answer 10

• Party line
• Party policy program
• Party selection processes

Question 11

How are parties useful to politicians?

Answer 11

• They solve cooperation problems
• Help politicians to realise ambitions
• Create economies of scale in campaigning

Question 12

What is the definition of a cooperation problem?

Answer 12

A situation without parties where politicians would have a free vote on every issue

Question 13

What makes the cooperation problem a problem? (2)

Answer 13

• High transaction costs
• Commitment problem

Question 14

How do parties reduce transaction costs in regards to the cooperation problem?

Answer 14

• Party labels identify like minded colleagues
• Division of labour (one person doesn’t have to do everything because a parties has people for the other stuff)

Question 15

What does parties allowing credible commitment mean in regards to the cooperation problem?

Answer 15

• Leaders can enforce discipline across votes meaning people vote the way they say they will
• Compromises can be made across many votes not just individual votes

Question 16

What are the two main ways that parties are useful for citizens?

Answer 16

• They are information shortcuts for voters
• They provide a link between citizens’ preferences and policy

Question 17

How are parties’ information shortcuts useful for voters?

Answer 17

• It is annoying to put effort into finding out an independent local MP’s views than a national party
• Parties have ideological reputations
• Parties have recognisable brands that voters know

Question 18

What negative qualities can parties in emerging or illiberal democracies have?

Answer 18

• Vehicle for strong leader
• Conduit for corruption
• Can threaten and bribe voters
• Marginalise competition
• Single party rule can exist in authoritarian states