western politics

Question 1

Social Democrats

Answer 1

Left
Strongest and most enduring
End of 19th century interests of emerging working class (trade unions)
From explicit marxist to introduction of social rights → expansion of welfare states
Welfarism → Middle class catch-all party→ equalize opportunities rather than outcomes

Question 2

Communists

Answer 2

Left

Working class, not super popular, only important in a few countries

Question 3

The New Left

Answer 3

left libertarian party
Only in a few countries and small
Explicit appeal to working class (not same as green)

Question 4

Green

Answer 4

1970s-80s
left libertarian party
pervasive but small

Question 5

Conservatives

Answer 5

Right
Steady
Where no Christian democrats, main alternative to social-democrats
National parties, decry sectional or class politics
Strident anti-socialist rhetoric

Question 6

Christian Democrats

Answer 6

Not in the southern Europe (except Portugal)
In most established Western democracies (not UK)
Response to secularizing trends by conservatives and liberals

Question 7

Liberals

Answer 7

right small frie

pervasive but small

Question 8

Agrarian parties

Answer 8

Only in a few countries (Scandinavia) but relatively hughe
Represent agricultural sector
Drifting from left towards right

Question 9

Far-Right

Answer 9

Now pervasive
Major impact on party competition
Supporting or participating in government

Question 10

Parties of intra-parliamentary origin

Answer 10

Disagreement does NOT = disloyalty and org does NOT = conspiracy

Question 11

Parties of extra-parliamentary origin

Answer 11

Need to mobilize and organize those excluded from participation to support leaders and promoting reforms
Ended censitaire suffrage (extend franchise)
Changed liberal regimes into liberal democracies

Question 12

Catch-all party

Answer 12

A political party that accommodates people who have a wide range of beliefs, parinciples or backgrounds
Moving across traditional boundaries of existing cleavages
Evolved from pre-existing parties (elite and mass parties) whose electorates were not large enough to win elections (since 1950s)
Strategy: office seeking
Need to appeal across group boundaries to get more votes and resources
Ideological orientation of the party blurs

Question 13

Cartel Parties

Answer 13

Evolved mainstream “hegemonic” parties in a context of erosion of party loyalties
Strategy = protect themselves from electoral challengers
They become agencies of the state, instead of agencies of the society, and rely in public subventions

Question 14

Anti-cartel parties

Answer 14

Parties with a lower probability of coming to power - organized around an idea rather than a social group
Strategy = expect deeper commitment from their members
Claim that mainstream parties focus on defending their priveleges rather than soliving the problems of the society

Question 15

Main cleavages in W. Europe

Answer 15

Urban-rural cleavage
Confessional cleavage (Catholic, protestant, muslim)
State-Church (secular cleavage)
Ethnic+Linguistic Cleavage
Class Cleavage

Question 16

Freezing Hypothesis (Lipset and Rokkan)

Answer 16

Western European party systems became frozen following the extension of universal suffrage in most countries during the 1920s.
New cleavages became activated, new parties could be formed to capture segments of the popultion that had not previously been active in electoral politics
After 1920s there were no longer any untapped electoral base to be mobilized into new parties

Question 17

Boix’s hypothesis

Answer 17

Why some countries shifted to proportional rules while others maintained majority system?
-Socialist party was strong and nonsocialist party controlled roughly similar shares of electorate
-Failure to reduce the electoral threshold would have led to an overwhelming victory of socialist party
After freezing of party systems along cleavages, policymakers lost interest in modifying electoral regime
-old established ruling parties anticipate the effects of different types of electoral systems and choose the one which favor them the most

Question 18

Plurality/Majority Systems

Answer 18

UK and France
Goals: accountability and stability
Constituency/district representative
Produce single-party majority gov’t (BUT not guaranteed)
Accept disproportionality as inevitable
Cons/criticisms
A majority of voters in constituency may not be represented
Wasted votes → depress turnout
Force to vote strategically
Favour large parties and penalize small ones

Question 19

Proportional electoral system variations

Answer 19

• Electoral Formula (quota or divisor)
• District magnitude (seats in district, size of district)
• Threshold
• Degree of choice given to the voter (types of lists, closed, flexible, open)

Question 20

Mixed systems

Answer 20

Germany
2 votes, one to local constituency and one to choose a party list
Italy: parallel system, no compensation

Question 21

Functionalist Approach

Answer 21

Welfare state emerged and expanded as an answer to the problems created by capitalist industrialization
-Modernization: changing working conditions
-Captalism and industrialization caused social disintegration
-Welfare state solves these problems
Predictions:
-Convergence: different nations will adopt similar social and economic policies at similar levels of development

Question 22

The Class Mobilization Approach

Answer 22

Welfare state is seen as the result of political struggles between social classes and their political organizations (strength of social-democracy)
-evidence of a shift in the balance of power in favor of the working class and social democracy
Predictions
-not convergence, variation

Question 23

Institutional Approach

Answer 23

Welfare state seen as a central element in modern nation-state building
Autonomy lead to strong welfare state
Lack of autonomy lead to early welfare state politicization, clientelism

Question 24

Anglo-Saxon Liberal Regime

Answer 24

US and UK
Tax financed
Only the most needy get the welfare protection
Flat-rate benefits → low (protect from extreme poverty)
More encompassing social protections has to be purchased on the market
Public expenditure in social protection is low

Question 25

Scandinavian and Social Democratic regime

Answer 25

Tax-financed
Benefits are granted to ALL citizens (universal welfare state)
Flat-rate tier (minimum standard) + earning-related tier → Benefits are more generous (ensure higher living standard)
Direct provision of services: education, health, care → Welfare state is a major employer (women)
Public expenditure in social protection is very high

Question 26

Continental Conservative Regime

Answer 26

Contribution-financed
Benefits are granted based on the employment relation
Those not employed are covered through the working family member
High degree of programme fragmentations
Benefits vary depending on previous income and workers’ record of contributions
Low level of public service provision (transfer payments instead)
Public expenditure in social protection is medium

Question 27

The Council of Europe

Answer 27

Not a part of EU

Question 28

The European Commission

Answer 28

Decision making process, supranational
Hybrid between gov’t and civil service
Represents the EU interest
Primary responsibility to:
Initiate legislation
Monitor implementation
Represent the Union
President appt by European Council: Jean-Claude Junker
28 commissioners (1 per member state nominated by countries)
Linked to the party in government that appoints them
Commission has to be approved by parliament

Question 29

Council of Ministers (Council of the EU)

Answer 29

Decision making process
Ministers of member states
Intergovernmental body
Legislature/2nd chamber

Question 30

European Parliament

Answer 30

Represents the citizens’ interests (direct election)
Primary responsibility to:
Legislative process
Check on commission
EU budget
Proportional to a country population
Direct election in each country
Low turnout
European-level party lines
Most work is done in committees

Question 31

The European Council

Answer 31

Guidance, intergovernmental
Heads of governments of the 28 member states
President of the European Council–chosen by the members of the council
Incumbent can be re-elected
Donald Tusk–re-elected even though no longer a head of state
All of the major steps forward adopted in the recent years have been initiated by the EC

Question 32

European Court of Justice

Answer 32

Guidance, supranational
28 judges, one from each member state
Terms are renewable
Each judge is appointed by a government and relies on its support for renomination--concern regarding judges’ independency
Interprets and applies EU law
Decisions are binding on all member states
Decisions override domestic courts
Can impose fines
Takes 2 years to rule