Political parties: key terms

ideology

an ‘ism’ (like conservatism, liberalism or socialism), which is a more or less coherent set of ideas and values that help to explain the world and guide political action

partisan dealignment

the process where individuals no longer identify themselves on a long-term basis as being associated with a certain political party

mandate

an instruction or command that gives authority to a person or body to act in a particular way; it confers legitimacy on to a political actor

catch-all party

a party that develops policies that will appeal to the widest range of voters, in contrast with a more ideological party

pragmatism

the belief that action should be shaped by practical circumstancess and goals (“what works”) rather than abstract principles or systems of thought

tradition

in a conservative view, this reflects the accumulated wisdom of the past, and institutes and practices that have been ‘tested by time’

organic society

society is seen as a living being where the ‘we’ is more important that the ‘I’, and where traditional values, institutions and a common culture bind the people together

one-nation conservatism

aims to heal the divisions in society in order to reinforce the ties that bind people together and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to flourish

paternalism

acting in the interests of others who are unable to make informed decisions; supposedly as a father would do with a child

new right

refers to the economic policy of neoliberalism, an updated version of the classic liberal belief in the free market and self-reliant individual tied to a neoconservative view of society, with emphasis on order, discipline and authority

privatisation

the act of selling off nationalised industries and other state assets, transferring them from the public sector to the private sector

deregulation

in line with free-market principles, the removal of many government restrictions and controls on the economy

minimal state

a state that maintains only domestic order, enforces legal agreements and protects against external attacks, leaving other matters in the hands of the individual

eurosceptism

opposition to the process of European intergration, based on a defence of national sovereignty and identity

nationalisation

the extension of state control over the economy through the transfer of industries like coal, steel, ship building, railways, gas and electricity from private ownership to public ownership

Old Labour (social democracy)

principles embodying the redistribution of wealth from rich to poor and the provision of continually improving welfare and state services; closely linked to nationalisation

Third Way

developed by sociologist professor Anthony Giddens , the Third Way moves away from old class-based divisions to focus on community; it aims to merge together the centre-left social policies with centre-right economic policies