political parties Flashcards
(92 cards)
1
Q
define a political party
A
A group. of people who work together to achieve shared goals by standing candidates in elections to win public office
2
Q
define and give me an example of a single-party system
A
Only one party
* soviet russia
3
Q
define and give me an example of a dominant-party system
A
more than one party but one party holds power
*1955-1993 Japan Liberal-democratic party
4
Q
define and give me an example of a two-party system
A
Two parties that compete for power, although there are other parties, they don’t stand a chance
* USA and UK
5
Q
define and give me an example of a multi-party system
A
There are more than two parties competing for power, often found in countries with proportional voting systems that usually result in coalitions
* Italy 1955-1953
6
Q
The conservative party
When was the conservative party formed
A
1834
7
Q
The conservative party
Explain the origins of the conservative party
A
- traditionally one nation
- supported traditional institutions such as the church
- focused on mainting the status quo whilsts gradually improving
8
Q
The conservative party
What did traditional conservatives think the role of the state was
A
Traditional conservativism is paternalistic - rich have an obligation to look after the poor
supports a keynesian mixed economy
9
Q
The conservative party
Explain thatcherism and the new right (1979-1990)
A
- importance of individual needs over societys
- reduce role of government and state intervention
- endorsed business deregulation and industry privatisation
10
Q
The conservative party
How did one-nation conservativism develop into thatcherism
A
- one nation was pragmatic and thatcherism was dogmatic
- one nation makes gradual changes whereas thatcherism makes radical changes
- one nation favours a keynesian mixed economy whereas thatcherism promotes a free-market economy
11
Q
The conservative party
What prime minister is most commonly associated ith one-nation conservativism
A
victorian PM Benjamin Disraeli
12
Q
The conservative party
What are the traditional values of the conservative party
A
- nuclear family
- insitution of marriage
- maintaining a firm line on immigration policies
13
Q
The conservative party
Give an example of when policy reflected the traditional values of conservativism
A
1988 - The passing of
Local Government Act section 28 which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools
14
Q
The conservative party
What strands of conservativism are prominent in conservativism today
A
all 4 strands
15
Q
The conservative party
Give 4 policies from the 2019 conservative manifesto and which strand they belong to
A
- everyone who can work, should work, continuring the rollout of universal credit and crack down on benefit fraud - THATCHERISM
- An australian - style point based syetm to control immigration - TRADITIONAL VALUES
- Maintaining the ‘triple lock’ on pensions - ONE - NATION
16
Q
The conservative party
Give an example of divisions within the conservative party
A
David cameron legalising same sex marriage in 2013 - majority of his own party voted against and the act was only passed due to the support of the opposition parties
17
Q
The Labour party
Where can the labour party trace its origins back to?
A
Farringdon street conference 1900
18
Q
The Labour party
What was the origins of the labour party
A
alliance between members of the trade union and various socialist groups
19
Q
The Labour party
What is clause IV
A
the labour party aspiration to abolish capitalism alongside nationalism and the inevitable redistribution of welath that would follow this - adopted into constitution in 1918
20
Q
The Labour party
Give an example of economic socialism in the labour party
A
Post-war atlee government - first labour government majoirt and set up welfare state
also took state ownership of industries such as coal mining and travel agent thomas cook
21
Q
How many unions were associated with labour in 2020
A
Just 12
22
Q
The Labour party
What is trade unionism
A
labours commitment to advance and protect the rights of workers
23
Q
The Labour party
What is global internationalism
A
Labours committment to peace and disarmament alonside resisting facism and racism
24
Q
The Labour party
Give an example of globalist internationalism in the labour party
A
Labours first PM - Ramsey Macdonald remained a pacifist in WW1
25
# The Labour party
What was blairs intention with 'third-way socialism'
to modernise and update labour back towards the center after it leaned to the left under micheal foot
26
# The Labour party
Explain third-way socialism (new labour)
Focus on reducing child poverty, funding the NHS and education sectors and economic growth and employment
27
# The Labour party
Explain the labour party and clause IV case study
Clause IV was embedded in the labour constitution in 1918, explaining the socialist values of the party uses language of Marx himself
but the wholesale privitisation of industries left blair in a dilemma of whether to renationalise or amen the statement of Clause IV
There was a vote at the methodist central hall to amend the statement which led to blairs landslide victory
28
# The Labour party
Give 3 labour policies from 2019 and the strand of Labour most reflected
1. increase the health budget to 4.3% and cut private provision in the NHS - ECONOMIC SOCIALISM
2. remove unfair and uneccesary restrictions on trade unions and repeal anti-trade union bills such as the trade union act 2016
3. Asylum seekers having the right to work and access to public services - GLOBAL INTERNATIONALISM
29
# The Labour party
How did the election result in 2019 show a collapse in the labour vote
traditional midland and northeastern strongholds did not vote labour and they firmly backed brexit in the 2016 referendum
30
# The Liberal Democrats
What are the origins of the Lib-Dems
The liberal party - conservatives main rival until the 1920s
4 time prime minister william gladtone stood for free trade, religious toleration and self-help.
31
# The Liberal Democrats
How did the Lib-dems come about
1988 - merging of the liberal party and the social democratic party
32
# The Liberal Democrats
What are Liberal democracts focused on today
comittment to the EU, reform electoral systems and human rights and freedoms
33
# The Liberal Democrats
Give 3 policy pledges from the Lib-dem 2019 manifesto
1. Stop brexit process completely
2. proportional representation voting systems with the introduction of STV
3. Taxing big businesses with coorperate tax ton 20% rather than 17%
34
# The Liberal Democrats
How did the 2010 and the 2015 elections differ for the Lib-Dems
2010 - 56 seats
2015 - 8 seats
35
# The Liberal Democrats
What was a reason for the liberal democrats decrease in population
abandonment of several key policies such as abolishing student tuition fees
36
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
Define party structure
the organisation of political parties at local and national level
37
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the conservative local level structure
local conservative associations
38
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the labour local level structure
Each constituemcy has a constituency labour party (CLP)
39
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the Lib- Dems local level structure
has local branches but are organised along federal lines with seperate national parties for england, scotland and wales
40
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the conservatives local-level policy making systems
Local conservative associations plan local campaigning
41
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the labour local level policy making system
CLP takres lead in local and national election campaigns
42
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the conservatives national level structure
The national HQ is conservatives campaign headquarters
day-to-day running of the party is undertaken by the board of the conservative party
43
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the national level structure for labour
day-to-day running of the party is undertaken by the National Executive Committee (NEC)
44
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the national level structure for the Lib-Dems
The Federal Board (FB) is the national governing body
45
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the conservatives national level policy-making system
Conservative party forum set up in 1988 enables more grassroot participation
46
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is Labours national level policy-making system
until the 1990s the annual conference was the main policy-making body but its power has since declined
47
# The structure and fuctions of the main parties
What is the Lib-Dems national level policy-making sytem
process represents federal structure of the party
issues raised at conferences become official national policy
conferences in england cotland and wales set plicys that only affect their regional area
48
What is the two-stage system for leadership elections in all parties
1. selection by MP's
2. election by party members
49
Give an example of conservative selection by MP's
in 2019 - 9 candidates recieved enough votes to stand but 7 were eliminated after a sucession of MP voting leaving jeremy hunt and BOJO
50
Give an example of conservative election by party members
2019 - Johnson won with around 2/3 of the vote after several televised debates
51
How does the labour party selection by MP's work
must secure 10% of MP votes and 5% of constituency parties or 3 affilliates (two must be trade unionists)
52
Give an example of Labours selection of MP's vote
2020 - in attempt to suceed jeremy corbyn emily thornberry failed due to not getting the affilliates votes but Kier-starmer suceeded to stand in the first round of the vote
53
Give an example of labour election by party members
2020 Kier starmer won over 50% of the vote so no need for second round
54
How does Lib-dem party select their leader
candidates must get support from 10% of other MP's and be supported by 200 members from more than 20 local parties
55
GIve an example of a Lib-dem leader winning the election by party members
2020 ed davey won 63.5% of the vote in the first and only vote
56
what was the party membership numbers for labour in 2020
550,000
57
What was the conservative party membership numbers in 2019
160,000
58
What was the Lib dems party membership size in 2020
just over 100,000
59
What is party funding
the methods by which political parties raise money to finance activities suuch as policy research and campaigning and advertising
60
what 2 pieces of legislation tightly regulate party funding in the UK
The Political parties, elections and referendums Act 2000
and
The Political Parties and elections act 2009
61
What did the 2000 PPERA mean
budget of £30,000 per constituency in campaigning, paties have to declare all large donations
campaign expenditure for national referendums can issue fines to parties and groups who break the rule
e.g. 2018 LEAVE.EU was fined £70,000 for breaking electoral law
62
What did the PPEA 2009 do
More requirements on parties clarifying their sources of donation and major donations can only come form UK Residents
63
What are 3 ways parties are funded
1. membership suscriptions
2. individual donors
3. state funding
64
Give an example of an individual labour donor
1997 - chief executive of formula one group bernie ecclestone donated £1 million which was supposedly 'repaid' with labours delay in the ban of tobaccco companys advertising on formula one motor racing
65
Give an example of an individual donor to the conservative party
since 2010 hedge-fund manager micheal farmer had given over £6.4 million to the party and recieved a peerage
66
Give an example of an individual donation to a minor party
2019 brexit cmapign - christopher harborne donated more than £6 million that year
67
Give 3 reasons why the state should fund political parties
1. state money would be 'clean' without the wealthys expectation of something in return
2. greater sense of equality between parties
3. if parties had state funding that matched their vote it would encourage them to campaign in all seats and not just in marginal seats - hel[ing democracy
68
How does the state fund political parties now
partys can recieve public funds of £2 million annually from the policy development grants if they have at least 2 seats in the HOC who have taken the oath of allegience
69
Give 3 reasons why the state should not fund politica parties
1. voters should not be funding parties the dont agree on through tax
2. right to donate is a basic democratic right
3. parties could become isolated from the 'real world' if there was no links to interest groups and donors
70
What are the 5 conservative leaning newspapers
The Sun
Daily Express
Daily Mail
Daily Telegraph
The Times
71
What are the 4 labour-leaning newspapers
Daily Mirror
The Guardian
Sunday People
The Observer
72
Give an example of The Sun helping labour in an election
The suns decision to switch and support blair oion 1997 generated aroudn 525,000 extra voters for labour
73
Give an example of The Sun helping the conservatives in an election
2010 - switched back to tories and generated around 550,00 additional votes for conservatives
74
Give an example of how the conservatives used social media to target voters
on facebook the conservative NHS ads were targeted at marginal seats including stroud and abingdon
75
What are 4 factors that affect parties electoral outcomes
1. relevence and attractiveness of main policies
2. leadership
3. strength of opposition
4. electoral system
76
# factors that affect parties electoral outcomes
Give an example of relevence and attractiveness of policies
2019 - 'get brexit done' was more attractive than labours more convoluted brexit policies
77
# factors that affect parties electoral outcomes
Give an example of leadership
2017 - theresa may appeared robotic repeating 'strong and stable government' whereas corbyn performed better especially with younger voteers gettinga round of applause in 2017 and 2019 galstonbury festival
78
# factors that affect parties electoral outcomes
Give an example of the strength of the opposition
2019 - Johnson was an experienced campaigner whereas new libdem leader jo sinson was not and her campaign gamble to 'stop brexit' without any second referendum or negotiation helped the conservative victory
79
# factors that affect parties electoral outcomes
Give an example of the electoral system
2019 Lib Dems won 11% of the vote but 1.7% of the seats
conservatives recieved 43% of vote and 56% of seats
80
# minor parties
Give an example of a nationalist party setting the political agenda
SNP - 2019 won 48 seats with 45% of the total vote in scotland
without pressure from the SNP party David Cameron would not have entertained the 2014 scotting independence referendum
81
# minor parties
Give an example of a single issue party holding significance
Brexit party in 2019 won the european elections winning 31% of the vote
82
# multi-party system?
Give a stat to show that we have a two-party system
2019 - 87% os seats were held by conservative and labour
83
# multi-party system?
Give me a stat to show we have a multi-party system
2010 - combined seats of labour and conservative was only 65%
84
How does the devolved assemblies show we have a multi-party system
1. Scotland has 3/4 party politics
85
# multi-party system?
How does local councils show we have a multi-party system?
local councils maintain balanced and independents hold significance e.g. 2019 council elections 1100 seats were won by independents, not far off the number of Lib-Dems
86
# origins of lib dems
stat to show how lib dems increased in popularity
1990s started getting support -
1997 - Lib dems won 46 seats and increased this in 2001 and 2005
decline in popularity after 2006 and then clegg became the leader in 2007
87
# minor parties significance
give an example of the Lib Dems blcoking conservative policy in coalition gov
blocked inheritance tax cuts
88
give an example of minor parties having an affect on settin gthe agneda in parliament
UKIP helped make leaving the EU to be debated on a national level
89
give an example of a minor party electorally harming a mainstream political party
Conservatives lost 2 MP's to UKIP before 2015
90
What happened to the Lib-Dem popularity after the 2015 election
after 2015 lost 49 seats in parliament and so influence was majorly reduced
91
# Decrease in party membership
Labour in 2023
lost 37,000 members in 2023 leaving total as 374,450
92
example of a trade union
National Education Union
