2.1 - The Functions and Features of Political Parties (PAPER 1) Flashcards
(25 cards)
What type of democracy is the UK?
Representative
Where do right-wing policies come from?
Liberal and Conservative idealogy, including a liberal focus on the importance of limiting excessive government, keeping taxation low and protecting individual liberty.
Emphasis is placed on law and order, strong defense (army, police etc.) and national sovereignty.
Where do left-wing policies come from?
Emphasis on the importance of a fair and equal society through positive state intervention.
Higher taxes on the wealthy, extensive welfare provision and greater state influence on the economy.
Socially progressive, and favours an internationalist approach to global problems.
What is consensus politics?
Many philosophical and policy similarities between the main political parties, therefore leading to the opposition supporting some government policies.
What is adversary politics?
The main parties are divided by fundamental philosophical and policy differences.
When a party that is traditionally politically leaning adopts the policies of the other wing its called?
Butskellism
What is a mandate?
If a party wins an election they can claim the right to implement their policies as laid out in their manifesto.
Who is a clear example of Butskellism?
Tony Blair under New Labour.
What are the differences between the Conservatives and Labour party in reference to manifesto creation?
Labour
- National Policy Forum consults with Party Members development.
Conservatives
- More likely drawn up by Senior Members
What is a ‘doctor’s mandate’?
The government is able to propose measures not included within its manifesto in response to changing political circumstances.
In what ways do political parties help democracy?
- Parties help establish a government; not all individual
- Develop political programmes through discussion
- Streamlined voting with manifestos
- Opposition parties can hold a government accountable.
In what ways do political parties hinder democracy?
- Reduction in voter choice - manifesto not 100% representing their beliefs.
- MP’s of a party are not able to represent their own beliefs
- The almost tribalist confrontational and negative approaches towards government.
- Political parties give excessive power to the party membership.
How are political parties funded?
- £2 million allocated to each major party in Policy development grants
- Short money is allocated to opposition parties relative to how many seats they have. (£800k is given to the Leader of the Opposition)
- Cranborne money to opposition parties in the HoL.
What do policy development grants allow parties to employ?
Policy advisers
What do subsidies cover?
The general administrative and operational costs of political parties, but not campaigning or election expenses.
How are campaigning and election expenses funded?
By party members, along with individual backing from benefactors.
What are some problems with current funding systems?
The Conservative party is massively advantaged as they receive huge donations from business men who see a Tory government as in their best interests.
The Labour party has a close relationship with the trade unions, and so receives a lot of funding from there.
Other minority parties are severely disadvantaged.
What did the Trade Union Act 2016 change in terms of Labour party income?
A new union member must now ‘opt-in’ if they wish their membership fee to go to the Labour party.
What did the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000 provide?
Greater transparency and fairness
- An independant electoral commission established to monitor how much money parties spend on campaigns
- The amount a party can spend per constituency capped at £30k
- Parties must declare any large donation (above £5k) to the electoral commission.
- Party can’t receive donations from non-UK citizens
Should the state fund political groups? (Yes Arguments)
- The vast discrepancy in income across parties gives an incredibly unfair advantage to the Conservative party.
- Controversies surrounding benefactors (‘cash for honours’ in which reports alleged that Tony Blair elevated donors to the HoL)
Should the state fund political groups? (No Arguments)
- In a free democracy, people should be free to spend money on whatever they wish.
- From a philosophical standpoint, state funding suggests that parties are somehow ‘servants of the state’.
- If you fund one group, you must then fund them all, which leads to funding of extremist groups such as the reform
What is libertarian?
Tends to mean you are more tolerant of people’s behaviour / lifestyle choices.
What is authoritarian?
You tend to be much less tolerant of people’s individual behaviours. You tend to be more strict against people’s behaviours as a result.
What is protectionism?
Protects the domestic economy from foreign competition through tariffs.
