Political Parties

Political party: An organisation of people with similar political views and values, who want to covert this into political action by obtaining office

three main features of a political party
- members of parties share similar political views
- parties seek to form a government at various levels
- some kind of organisation that develops policy, recruits candidates and identifies leaders

what are the functions of a political party?
- policy formation
- representation
- selection of candidates and leaders
- organising elections
- education
- providing consent

policy formation
involves different experts creating policy which will appeal to voters

eg. conservatives brought out a 'Green New Deal' policy

representation
parties seek to ensure that all groups in society have their interests represented

eg. labour seek to represent the working class and the trade union members

selection of candidates and leaders
- candidates are selected on a local scale
- leaders are potential government ministers so are voted for by MPs

eg. 2015-16 ed miliband resigned and jeremy corbyn was elected as leader

organising elections
- parties play a key role
-apart from supplying approved candidates, they help to publicise election issues
eg. voter turnout would be lower without the effort of thousands of party activists

education
- parties constantly inform the public of the issues of the day
- they also outline how they would respond

eg. to some extent the media have taken over in this role

providing consent
- all the main parties support the political system of the uk
- this means the parties ensure that the general population consents to the system
eg. parties that challenge the system are generally seen as extremist

doctrine of the mandate
- political consent that the people give the the elected government on their behalf
- This is most clearly seen via elections
- A political party lays out what they believe in their manifesto
- they then have a mandate to carry out these policy commitments

why is the mandate important?
- electors can feel confident that they understand what policies are coming into place
- the mandate strengthen the government
- the mandate gives electors the opportunity to judge the performance of governments
- all MPs are bound by the manifesto, as people vote for policies, not the individual

why is the mandate not important?
- depends on a single party winning the election outright
- voters who vote for a particular party do not always agree with all of the manifesto commitments
- circumstances may change (covid 2020), meaning manifesto promises may not be fulfilled
- manifesto promises may be vague

typical right wing policies
- individualism
- capitalism
- traditional family values
- tougher immigration policies
- anti welfare state

typical left wing policies
- support for workers
- welfare state
- modern family values
- supports multicultural society

neo-liberalism
A strategy for economic development that calls for
-free markets
-balanced budgets
-privatization
-free trade
-minimal government intervention in the economy.

neo-conservatism
A movement advocating
-less reliance on government
-an assertive foreign policy
-an emphasis on the value of work, thrift, family, and self-restraint

equality
supporting the redistribution of income to reduce inequalities

collectivism and common ownership
- the idea that many of our goals are best achieved collectively, rather than alone
- includes the welfare state and trade unions

trade unionism
- the recognition that workers were weak compared with employers
- support for powerful TU's is vital for the restoration of the balance of power

statism and welfare system-
- the idea that every member of society should be protected by a welfare system that all contributed to

equality of opportunity
- education and welfare would give people opportunities to better themselves

political faction
a group within a political party whose views vary significantly from the main political party

sources of party finance
- collecting subscriptions from members
- receiving donations from supporters
- loans from wealthy individuals or banks
- self finance of candidates
- holding fundraising events

arguments for state funding of political parties
- end corrupt use of donations
- could help end potential hidden influences
- gives smaller parties a boost
- helps improve participation

arguments against state funding of political parties
- taxpayers may object
- complications over how to distribute funding
- parties may lose their independence
- could increase state regulation

consensus politics
- no fundamental, ideological differences between the parties
- may disagree on details of a policy, but there is general agreement over goals

adversary politics
- a form of politics that is characterised by deep ideological conflicts between major parties
- the parties offer rival ideological visions.

factors needed for electoral success-
- strong leadership
- a united party
- media image

Questions:

What is a political party?
- A political party is a group of like-minded individuals who seek to realise their shared goals by fielding candidates at elections and thereby securing election to public office.

What is a manifesto?
A pre-election policy document in which a party sets out a series of policy pledges and legislative proposals that it plans to enact if returned to office.

What is a mandate?
The right of the governing party to pursue the policies it sets out in its general election manifesto.

What are the roles of political parties?
- providing representation
- encouraging political engagement and facilitating political participation
- engaging in political recruitment
- formulating policy
- providing stable government

Name the three mainstream political parties in the UK 
Labour, The Conservatives, The Liberal Democrats

Political Parties in the U.S.

What sort of policies do American liberals tend to believe in?
Big government to manage the economy.
High taxes to support welfare.
Regulations to improve working conditions.
Welfare.
civil rights, abortion rights, same sex marriage.

What sort of policies do American conservatives tend to support?
Small government.
Low taxes.
Limited government regulation.
Limited welfare state.
Traditional family values.
Opposition to immigration.

Why are American political parties ideologically broad (big tents)?
Because there are only two main parties.
Because America is geographically diverse.
Because of the federal system (there is no single national leadership).

What led to the break-up of the 'Solid South'?
FDR's New Deal

Johnson's Great Society, especially civil
rights.

What has led to increasing Red v Blue polarisation?
Presidency of Ronald Reagan.
End of the cold war.
The rise of partisan presidents (e.g. Bill Clinton, GW Bush, Obama).
Technology (the 'echo chamber')

What are the differences between the parties on social issues?
2016 Gun control ('No Bill, No Break')
2003 Partial birth abortion ban (Republicans unanimously supported, Democrats overwhelmingly opposed
Transgender bathroom choice ban in North Carolina (Obama cut federal funding to NC in response)

What are the main differences between the parties on economic issues?
Trump tax cut for the wealthy was opposed by Democrats but supported by almost all Republicans..
2007: All Democrats voted to raise the minimum wage and all Republicans opposed it.
2009: No Republican support for Obama's stimulus package.

What are the main differences between the parties on social welfare?
All Republicans opposed the Affordable Care Act.
2018: Almost all Republicans supported cuts in the food stamps programme (SNAP), but almost all Democrats opposed.

What are the main differences between the parties on foreign policy?
2015: Republicans opposed Obama's deal with Iran to lift sanctions in return for an end to Iran's nuclear programme.

Factions
Groups that make up political parties.

What factions exist in the Republican Party?
Main Street Partnership (moderates)
Republican Study Committee (fiscal conservatives)
Social conservatives/Evangelicals
Liberty caucus

Give some examples of policy differences within the Republican Party?
Susan Collins (moderate) supported Obama's stimulus package and also voted against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.
GW Bush advocated increased government spending (e.g. No Child Left Behind) and also supported immigration reform.
Trump's proposed ban on transgender troops was opposed by McCain and Collins.
2018: 35 House Republicans signed a letter supporting a permanent solution for Dreamers.
Big divisions over how to replace Obamacare.
Libertarians like Rand Paul and John Amash oppose the power of the security state and support marijuana law reform.

What factions exist within the Democratic Party?
Progressive caucus (e.g. Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren).
New Democrats (e.g. Bill Clinton).
Blue Dogs (conservative Democrats)

Give some examples of policy differences within the Democratic Party?
Progressives supported a single-payer system for Healthcare (Obama was more willing to compromise).
Progressives were outraged when Clinton signed 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.
150 progressives voted against NAFTA, which moderates supported.
85 House Democrats opposed plans to fund the Syrian rebels.
2015: 47 Democrats voted in favour of Republican measures for additional screening for Iraqi and Syrian refugees.
John Barrow (a Blue Dog) voted against Obamacare.

What are the largest third parties in the US?
Libertarian Party
Green Party

Why is the US a two-party system?
FPTP
Primary elections help make the parties responsive to the electorate.
Matching funds
Ballot access laws
Lack of media attention leads to lack of funding
Barred from TV debates
America's main parties are big tents

What impact can third parties have on US politics?
They raise overlooked issues which then get adopted by the main parties (e.g. Ross Perot and deficit reduction).
Spoiler effect (e.g. Ross Perot, Ralph Nader).

What are the main arguments for party decline?
Big policy overlap between the parties.
Selection of candidates.
Communication.
Organisation.
Finance.
Candidate and issue-centred voting.
Emergence of 'movements'.

What are the main arguments in favour of party renewal?
Choosing candidates (superdelegates and the control of parties over the primary timetable).
Finance (e.g. Leadership PACs)
Procedural changes in Congress (e.g. party leadership being able to choose Chairs of committees).
Nationalised elections (e.g. Contract with America)
Partisanship
Policy differences

Religious right
A movement which usually supports the Republican Party.
It is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution an an attempt to translate this into public policy promoting family values. It opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, civil partnerships and anti-discrimination laws.

Party system
The number of parties that have a realistic chance of forming a government within a political system.