functions of political parties

what is a political party?

• a group of people that is organised for the purpose of winning government power

• in a democracy, this means putting candidates up for election and hoping to gain representation to ultimately form the government

• there are 3 main features of a political party:

  • aim to exercise government power by winning political office

    • historically, only Conservatives and Labour parties could hope to win power in a general election

    • smaller parties may use elections to gain a political platform rather than power

    • a wider range of parties can win at a local and devolved level

  • a broad issue focus addressing each of the main areas of government policy

  • a unity through shared political preferences and a general ideological identity, although these are often loose and broadly defined

Key Word:

ideology: an ‘ism’ like conservatism, liberalism or socialism, which is a more or less coherent set of ideas, values and theories 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; a mandate therefore confers legitimacy on a political actor.

Catch-all party: a party that develops policies will that will appeal to the widest range of voters, by contrast with a more ideological party.

functions of political parties:

• representation

• policy formulation

• recruitment of leaders

• organisation of government

• participation and mobilisation of the electorate

policy formulation:

• political parties play a vital role in setting collective goals and formulating public policy.

• seeking power, parties develop government programs and present policy options for the electorate.

• major parties' distancing from traditional ideologies has led to less interest in larger societal goals and ideas.

• parties now follow public opinion rather than shape it with clear ideological stances.

• lack of a clear party identity and voter choices contributes to political apathy and low turnout.

recruitment of leaders:

• as a party member, a budding politician gains experience in canvassing, debating issues, and helping run a constituency party.

• some progress to senior roles, and parties recruit and train future political leaders.

• governments rely on a small talent pool from the majority party, often favouring popularity over competence.

• party leaders, elected by a small percentage of the population, lack democratic accountability.

• this can lead to leaders not aligning ideologically with the majority of party MPs, as seen with Corbyn (2015-20).

• the prime minister's selection by a small band of paying party members, like Boris Johnson, undermines the democratic principle of equal participation.

organisation of govt:

• a political party plays a crucial role in organizing government by forming governments, ensuring stability, and facilitating cooperation between parliament and the executive.

• it provides a source of opposition and criticism, scrutinizing government policies and serving as a "government in waiting."

• however, a decline in party unity since the 1970s has weakened majority party control of the commons.

• instability can arise even with a single-party majority, as seen in major's conservative government of 1992 (majority 21) and cameron, then may's government of 2015-2017 (majority 12).

majorities in govt:

participation & mobilisation:

• parties achieve citizen involvement through membership, shaping policies and educating the electorate through canvassing, public meetings, advertising, and campaigns.

• however, voter loyalty has declined (partisan dealignment), dropping from 44% in 1964 to 9% in 2015.

• general election turnout has sharply fallen since 1997, even 2015 being 9% lower than historical trends.

• membership of political parties has also declined, and party leaderships have assumed greater control over election campaigns.

representation:

• parties in liberal democracies primarily link government to the people by responding to and articulating public opinion. they develop policies appealing to the mass electorate, rooted in the idea of universal suffrage.

• with the shift away from heavy industry, most parties have become catch-all parties, abandoning traditional ideological roots.

• however, the effectiveness of parties in ensuring representation is questioned. by moving away from traditional groups, like labour distancing from trade unions under tony blair, parties may sideline representing specific interests to capture uncommitted voters.

• modern pressure groups are often seen as better at articulating interests to policymakers.

• additionally, the first-past-the-post electoral system means parties only need 35-40% support to win a general election, raising questions about parties caring if some people don't vote.

how effectively do political parties support democracy in the uk?