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Political Parties - Coggle Diagram
2.1 Political parties
Functions of parties
Representation
- Parties articulate and express public opinion - UK parties are 'catch-all', attempt to appeal to as many people as possible - has been argued people focus on personality of the party leader rather than policy
Formulate policy
- Create sets of policy ideas outlined in a manifesto - however has been argued parties tend to have less interest in 'larger goals' for society as their ideological nature has reduced in recent years, also tend to be more reactive to public views than proactive in forming policy
Recruit leaders
- Parties are the mechanisms by which politicians enter politics becoming MPs, leaders and PMs - however these 'leaders of the future' often come from a limited pool of talent (majority party in the Commons)
Organise government
- Parties form governments, and ensure that governments are stable, could be argued as party unity has declined since the 1970s, forming a stable government is now difficult for a single party
Foster participation
- Parties give people opportunities to become politically involved eg joining a party, becoming a candidate for an election - however party membership has declined significantly in recent years due to partisan dealignment, where people no longer feel strongly affiliated with a party
Party funding
- Private funding of parties is associated with the risk and perception of improper influence by the donor
- Reform proposals have focused on a cap on donations and an increase in public spending - however it has been difficult for parties to agree on the level of a cap on donations, and there is are both resistance and pressure to increase public funding
- The finances of parties were largely unregulated before the Labour government of 1997 passed the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which created the Electoral Commission to monitor party funding and spending
- The coalition government included a commitment to party funding reform in its coalition agreement
- The Conservative government of 2015 reduced the public funding available to opposition parties
- The Electoral Commission monitors party spending during campaigning at elections
- Traditionally, the Conservatives have received large donations from wealthy donations and companies, whereas Labour have received backing from trade unions
- Donations over £7,500 to national parties must be declared
Arguments for state funding
- Reduces reliance on private donors or trade unions with vested interests, making parties more responsive to the public
- Creates more of a level playing field for parties, reducing the unfair advantage given by large donations
- Parties could perform more effectively without the need to spend time and effort raising funds
- Parties play an important role in representative democracy, so deserve public spending
- Curbs the possibly corrupt influence of private backers on party policy
Arguments against state funding
- Parties would no longer to seek financial support, so may have their links to society weakened - isolate parties from the wishes of voters
- If as expected funding is linked to past electoral performance, this would favour existing parties
- Increased state funding could lead to calls for greater state regulation, possibly reducing parties' independence
- It is hard to decide how much support a party should have to qualify for funding
- Taxpayers would resent compulsory contributions to parties of which they disapprove
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