Party System/2 Party State:
- Culturally the UK has had a two party system due to devolution leading to the rise of nationalist parties e.g SNP. Currently, no such cultural traits exist in the USA.
- Devolution has also led to structural changes too.
- Culturally, the USAs history is nothing like the UK which leads (in the USA) to a 2 party system between the Republicans and the Democrats.
- In the USA, there have been no structural changes in the electoral system. “two fairly equally balanced large parties dominate the party system and alternate power” – Caramani 2011.
- Half a century ago, the UK was a two party state (1955 election – 96% of votes went to Conservative or Labour). Again there have been no structural changes in the electoral system but there have been cultural changes in devolved matters.
- By 2015 6/8 parties in the Commons were nationalist parties.
- 2 party system in the USA because of the structure of the country where the President has come from one of the two main parties and Congress has been the opposite party of the President e.g Trump as a Republican and House being in Democrat control in 2019.
- Further seen in that candidates from the two main parties can gather huge amounts of money within 24 hours of announcing their intention to run e.g Sanders and Biden who got record amounts of money.
- “The British style divide between government and opposition is therefore absent” – Watts 2000
- Structural Theory: Nature of the Presidency which is seen as the ultimate prize in American politics, this can only be won by those who enjoy broad, national support.
- Unlike the UK where parties can enjoy support in certain regions of the UK.
Campaign
Finance:
- Issues crop up as scandal takes place.
- USA: Watergate (Nixon using funding to send buglers to the Democrat headquarters) and Chinagate. UK: MP Expenses & Cranbourne Money/Short Money (Viable to use this in other ways)
- This leads to calls for state funding. This may be the answer but is not without its’ problems.
- Arguments of how parties get money, Labour claim the Conservatives are in the hands of “big businesses” and this is true most come from the city of London. Conservatives claim that Labour are in the hands of “big trade unions”
Should Parties Be State Funded:
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Yes:
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No:
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Ends dependence on wealthy donors which than ends influence being
brought e.g Ecclestone £1 million to Labour for F1.
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Reinforces the advantages given by FPTP |
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Means political parties can perform better functions e.g educate |
May disconnect voters |
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Fill gap left by declining membership |
Would make parties “legacies” of the state |
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Means parties have equal resources |
People don’t want to bankroll parties they do not support.
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Could lead to greater influence
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Reinforces party role in democracy.
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Will be a dependable source of income for parties |
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Internal
Unity/Factions:
- Factions arise because it is hard to unite members under one manifesto when an election is not taking place (A rational view) – party renewal
- Factions do keep members a part of a political party who would otherwise leave
- Democrat: Blue Dog – conservative wing, fiscal conservatism
- Republican: Tea Party Movement
- Labour: Momentum bringing the hard left back
- Conservative: ERG uniting some members over Brexit and the issue of Europe.
- Factions become important during elections which may lead to negative campaigns e.g 1992 Bush (ultimately forced to choose Gore as his VP) vs Clinton, 2016 Clinton vs Sanders wing.
- UK: Conservative 1992 GE. Split over Europe. 2015 Labour (?) split over centrist or hard left position later resolved through Corbyn’s election as leader bringing the party to the hard left.
- Factions can champion the party greats e.g Thatcherites and Reganrites
- Cultural: SPD broke away from Labour and formed with the Liberals. 2019 with the Independent group (Change)
- Cultural: The two parties keep themselves a part because there is nowhere else to go (structural). Rational choice of one of the other between the Presidential nominees
- Structure is flexible due to the broad churches of the two main parties in the USA.
- Individuals use rational choice to change or transform a party e.g people choosing Trump in 2016 Primaries changed the structure of the Republican Party in that it become “America First.”
Party
Policy:
- Cultural reasons why parties adopt certain policy e.g Labour born out the trade union groups therefore more likely to have policy which the unions agree on or like.
- The Republicans are to the right of the Conservatives whilst the Democrats are to the right of Labour. There are some policy similarities.
- Republican/Conservatives: Dislike ‘big government’, low tax, strong on law and order, high spending on defence, equality of opportunity
- Democrat/Labour: Support minorities, secure workers’ rights, equality of outcome, money back into education, high tax for the rich.