Definition and features of a political party

Definition of a political party

• Group of people organised for the purpose of winning power (nationally and locally)

• In a democracy: put candidates up for election to gain popular support and therefore power

3 main features of political parties

1. Aim to exercise power by winning office

2. Adoption of a broad issue focus

3. Shared ideology

Feature 1: aim to exercise power by winning office (national and local level)

• National level

  • Historically: only L and C have won office

  • Smaller parties: use GEs to gain political platform as opposed to power as only win a few seats

• Local level

  • Wider range of parties have won and exercised power

Feature 2: adoption of a wide issue focus

• Parties have to address areas of govt policy, which span from education to housing and foreign policy

• Produce a manifesto pre-GE to do this

• Some parties (Brexit Party, 2019) can have a narrower/single-issue focus and seem more akin to pressure groups

Feature 3: shared ideology

• Allows voters to see where they want to vote

• Shown in party’s policies

• Examples: 

  • Labour = socialist (historically, def not anymore)

    • Loose committment to creation of more equal society

  • Conservatives = conservative

  • Liberal democrat = liberal