Participation and Public Opinion Week 3 POLITICAL PARTIES "vital link between the state and civil society" (Heywood, 2014: 221) · Parties make the state and its representatives responsive and accountable . In a democracy, parties are a means for winning government power via elections . Elections are way for parties to initiate policy change i.e. democratic mandate . Parties represent and respond to societal interests - e.g. labour and the working class . Form the link between society and the state - should be reflecting what the citizens needs and preferences European Parliament - party groups that bring together parties from the same families - for example - European People's party brings together all the centre right parties GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION · Fundamental part of democracy . Elections can be a way to sanction a party as well as giving one a mandate - allow voters to say they're fed up · In the UK, opposition is essentially governments in waiting - positioned to exploit hostility towards ruling party - people in government have the harder job . The oppositions job is to criticise the ruling party and show the citizens why and how they would do a better job · Clarity of British government/opposition divide is a function of two party system born of electoral system (FPTP) · Duverger's law - FPTP structure within single-member districts favour two party system - Small parties can't get to top position - what is the point of voting for them - wasted votes - Proportional systems favour multiparty systems (leads to fragmentation and coalition) - Coalition governments means more consensus and less adversarial PUBLIC OPINION · Public Opinion associated with demand side of politics - what are we demanding from our politicians . Polls on leadership particularly strong guide to electoral success - whether or not we like the individual as a leader · Importance, especially in FPTP, of swing voters crucial to party positions · In UK, 24% of voters identify as having no party allegiance (2017) . Swing voters far more likely to have valence views rather than positional views - Less about yes/no to specific policies - More judgement about competence to handle certain issues where ends are accepted (economy, health, education) . Parties are trying to target these swing voters by saying they will solve the big problems rather than specific yes/no problems
· That comes at the exclusion of really big ideological questions - now we have softer, more wishy washy promises at targeting problems in a micro, managerial way that ticks the boxes for swing voters but might be too big promises . Would we be better off if we had parties that cared less about being power and cared more about solving the big problems of the day through ideologytt