Political parties in the UK

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
Interest Aggregation & Political Parties
Advertisements

Alternative Electoral Systems Read and précis notes will be checked before this Lecture is delivered … 1.
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Parties, Party Systems, and Social Cleavages
Political Parties And Election Systems. Political Parties & Democracy  In democracies, citizens organize their political activity through political parties.
Exam feedback DO NOW Play the game of political Jeopardy by trying to work out the key term from its definition. You must rely on your memory. Do not consult.
Developing better exam technique
Unit 4 Chapter 9 Notes “Elections”-Answers
Industrialized Democracies An overview. Political system Inputs –types: support & demands –channels: interest groups and parties Decision making –institutions.
Political Parties. In the Constitution… Find the explanation of how political parties must form Outline the steps it takes to form a party.
Elections and Electoral Systems
Vocabulary Political Party- An association of voters with common interests 2 Party System- A political system where 2 major political parties win almost.
Political Parties and Elections in Canada
Chapter 10 Parties, Party Systems and Interest Groups.
Section 18.1 Role of Political Parties. Political Parties Political Party = An organized group that seeks to win elections.  Issues are used to win!
Questions to answer What factors influence commissioners in the decisions they make? How might a commissioner decide what is best for the county as a whole.
U.S. Political Parties Democrats vs. Republicans Ms. Dennis & Mr. Patten PIG Fall 2014.
Objective Assess the reasons for the two-party system in the U.S., and decide whether there should be reforms fostering 3 rd parties. Assess various electoral.
What divides the main political parties? DO NOW Mind map the issues raised by the current scandal involving former foreign secretaries Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
Do Now: 1. ) What is the function of Political Parties. 2
Political Parties Chapter 5. Political Parties An organized group of persons who seek to control government through the wining of elections and holding.
Chapter 5 – Political Parties. What is a Political Party? A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding.
The “-isms” and the Parties January 31 st. ws/Satisfaction+with+Canadian+ democracy+hits+rock+bottom+su rvey+finds/ /story.html.
Political Parties AS Politics. Political Parties and the need for them What are political parties? What are political parties? Why are parties important.
Political Parties Taking a Part in the Political Process.
Political Parties. Political Ideology Quizzes… Did you agree with your placement? In reality- which issues may someone weigh more heavily when considering.
Elections Lecture Notes produced By Dr Peter Jepson Edited by W Attewell Course Leader Read & précis Chapter 2 & 3 ‘The Essentials of UK Politics’ by Andrew.
Civics Review. The Supreme Court decision referred to by the phrase “one person, one vote” made our state governments fairer by…
NOT THAT KIND OF PARTY… POLITICAL PARTIES! Party Time!
Objective 4.01 : Political Parties. Political Party Purpose - win elections. Political party – group of people with common interests Anyone can join a.
Political Parties. Political party: An organization that seeks to gain political power by electing members to public office so that their political ideas.
Political Parties A group of people who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the hold of public offices.
The Political Spectrum Radicals Man are by nature, good and cooperative. Focused on the idea of the perfect society. Government can become corrupt and.
Ideology An ideology is a set of ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions. To understand political changes we need to determine the.
How democratic are the main parties? DO NOW We began this topic by identifying five key functions of political parties that operate at three different.
Political Parties SSCG8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national elections. Describe the organization, role, and constituencies.
Chapter 9.  In 2003 Iraq held its first real election in more than 30 years?  Despite threats of terrorism there was a very good turn out to vote...
American Political Parties
Key topic: Political parties
Proportional Representation (Additional Member System) Arguments For & Against.
 starter activity Parties are created around broad ‘ideologies’. The terms left-wing and right-wing broadly classify the main differences. Where would.
Political Parties. What is a Political Party?  A political party is a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections.
American Political Parties… What’s the Purpose? 1. bring people together to achieve control of the government 2. develop policies favorable to their interests.
Political Parties & Party Competition or The pervasive, perennial problem of political parties preempting personal preferences.
Allison Botkin M1L1 BLOG ASSIGNMENT.  Democracy is a type of government where the power is derived from the people based on their preferences  The people.
Chapter 17 Political Parties. What is a Political Party?  An organization of people  Share the same ideas of government  Members committed to party.
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1. Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc.Slide 2 Chapter 5, Section 1 Objectives 1.Define a political party. 2.Describe.
Political Parties in the US :. Political Parties Political Party - group of voters with common interests who want to influence the government The U.S.
Comparison Systems. Electoral Systems: Single Member District Plurality vs. Proportional Representation.
 Political Party- An association of voters with common interests  2 Party System- A political system where 2 major political parties win almost all elections.
Ideology or Party Ideology Party Liberal Conservative
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Key Features of FPTP.
Additional Member System
Slide Deck 4: Municipal Elections
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Additional Member System
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
U.S. Government and Politics
Voting Systems in the UK –
Chapter 17 : Lesson 1 Development of Political Parties
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 1
Political Parties and the Political Spectrum
United Kingdom.
Elections and Electoral Systems
Lesson Starter Explain, in two sentences or less, the difference between PLURALITY electoral systems and PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION electoral systems.
Presentation transcript:

Political parties in the UK DO NOW Complete the table, providing precise definitions for each of the key terms. Use the comparison below to guide your work. Unacceptably vague Reassuringly precise First-past-the-post is an electoral system with some sort of geographical basis. First-past-the-post is an electoral system in which candidates compete for a simple plurality of votes in single member constituencies.

Dave says: “We are on the road to stronger exam results.” Put the following dates in your diary for extra lessons: Friday, 13th February, 10-11.30am Wednesday, 18th February, 10-11.30am

Homefun Go to the iSideWith website and take the policy quiz to determine which political party you side with on most major issues. https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

Learning objectives To define the characteristics and functions of political parties To explain how the party system functions in the UK To evaluate the similarities and differences between political parties and Pressure Groups

What are political parties? 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”. P. Lynch and P. Fairclough (2010) “… a group of people that is organised for the purpose of winning Government power, by electoral or other means”. Andrew Heywood (2010) “… an organisation whose members share a common ideology and/ or policies, and come together to seek election to political office”. P. Fairclough (2008)

Represent voters’ views and interests What do they do? Parties in the electorate Parties as organisations Parties in government Represent voters’ views and interests Simplify choices for voters Recruit political leadership based on suitability for office Create workably majorities in the HOC Educate citizens Compete for governmental office Create stability in government Generate symbols of political identification/loyalty Train political elites Implement policy Encourage/organise political participation Aggregate and articulate political interests Control the administration Take responsibility for government actions Organise opposition/ Hold government to account

Different party systems There are different types of party system: Single- Party System (e.g. North Korea, China and Eritrea)- One party has total control, there is no political opposition and no real means of protest. Elections may be held but the state controls the result. Dominant- Party System (e.g. Japan, Brazil and Russia) – These are democratic countries but one party is dominant and has held the bulk of power, e.g. in Japan the Liberal Democratic Party has held power almost continuously for the past 55 years. Multi-Party System (e.g. Italy, Germany and Australia) – There are numerous parties all competing for power. Larger parties are likely to form coalitions with smaller parties in making a Government.

Pluralism and democratic equilibrium Pluralism as a political philosophy is the recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions and lifestyles.  Pluralism in political science is the view that politics and decision making are located mostly in the framework of government, but that many non-governmental groups also exert influence.  The idea of democratic equilibrium (Held, 1987) describes the state of open competition for electoral support among a significant part of the adult population. This competition ensures relative equality of group interests and relative freedom of choice for the individual. On the other hand, since the participants in this process constitute only a tiny fraction of the populace, the public acts mainly as bystanders.

The party system in the UK Bogdanor (2004) identifies four distinct phases of the evolution of the UK party system during the past ~100 years 1906-1914 two-’block’ system (led by Conservatives, Liberals) 1918-1931 three party system (Conservatives, Labour, Liberals) 1945-1970 two party competition (Conservatives, Labour) 1974-present

The decline of the two-party system

Left-right infographic Study the infographic on the difference between left-wing and right-wing politics—this is based mainly on the state of politics in the United States Using this as a model, design your own infographic for the state of politics in the United Kingdom. Try to include: core beliefs, social basis of support, key policies, etc. The best examples will include relevant detail from UK current affairs, e.g. Devolution, Immigration, the NHS, the EU, the deficit, etc.

The political spectrum People’s views on how the country should be run are often referred to as an Ideology. A person or party’s political ideology can be plotted on a ‘Political Spectrum’ running from Left to Right. Left Wing Right Wing Liberalism Socialism Conservatism Communism Fascism

Typical ideological positions Left-wing beliefs Emphasis on people as social beings working together for common good. The state is chosen by the people and should reflect their views. The state be proactive in providing the poorer in society with similar opportunities to the rich. The state should provide welfare and opportunities for people to better themselves. Right-wing beliefs Emphasis on the individual and the need to preserve order in society. People need strong government. This can only be achieved with strong leadership that cares for the very needy. Believe in slow gradual change in society rather than radical reform. Belief in a small state and minimal welfare provided by the state, with more emphasis on the private sector.

The political spectrum - expanded The higher on the scale, the more powerful the state. The lower on the scale, the smaller/less powerful the state.

Race to the centre Since the collapse of Communism in the Eastern bloc, all the main political parties in the UK have begun to move towards the ideological ‘centre ground’. This area of ideology is commonly referred to as Liberalism and has some of the following features: Minimal welfare state (aimed at “the needy”) Balance between public and private sector Pragmatic policies (right place, right time) Protection of Civil Liberties and Human Rights Maintaining sovereignty of the state.

What is that like in practice?

Single-issue and ‘fringe’ parties There are a whole world of fringe parties which actively play a role in Britain today.

Single-issue and ‘fringe’ parties Single issue and fringe parties have been growing in support over the past decade. These groups tend to do better in Local Elections and slowly but surely they are gathering support. Year BNP Green SNP UKIP 2002 31,000 59,000 160,100 100,000 2003 55,000 53,000 95,000 160,000 2004 79,000 63,000 109,000 260,000 2005 65,000 71,000 110,000 190,000 2006 70,000 126,000 2007 98,000 74,000 139,000 159,000 2008 118,000 80,000 151,000 146,000

Political parties vs pressure groups Political Party Broad policies for broad groups. Open Membership and structure Win seats to Win Power Grassroots organisation Internal Democracy Donations from across society to party. Pressure Group Specific policy or issue. Exclusive or selective membership Win seat to raise public awareness Grassroots based. Run by small group of individuals Usually donations from local community.

Two- or multi-party system? The Question is often asked as to whether the UK is a multi-party or a two-party system. What do you think?

Student resources

Key term Definition First-past-the-post Additional Member System Proportional Representation ‘Wasted’ votes Representative Constituency Hybrid electoral system Secondary elections Popular vote Disproportionality

The Ayes Have It... The Ayes Have It Twos Company Realistically only Labour and the Conservatives have the size, structure and experience to run the country. In 2010 Conservatives and Labour secured 65.1% of the vote and won 86.8% of the seats available. Even the 3rd Party Liberal Democrats are a long way off forming a Government. The current electoral structure doesn’t favour the growth of new parties. Threes a Crowd 34.9% of voters didn’t vote for Labour and the Conservatives. Whilst the Liberal Democrats are 3rd Nationally. In individually seats they are sometimes 2nd or 1st preference. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland contests are a lot closer and there is genuine choice in which party to vote for. Some 34.9% of the Population don’t vote. If ANYONE could win them over they would win an election.