Functions & features of political parties

• Political parties


  • Members hold broadly similar values
  • Seek either power or influence those who hold power
  • Usually have an organisation whose purpose is to develop policies and recruit candidates for election
  • Have formal membership
• Functions of political parties

  1. Convert political ideas and aspirations into policies that may be adopted within political system and become decisions

  2. Convert political demands into practical political programmes of action

  3. Provide organised opportunities for people to participate in politics

  4. Recruit people to stand at election who can represent people at local, regional, national level

  5. Manage election campaigns presenting voters with choices between sets of policies

  6. Educate public about political issues

  7. When in opposition call government to account
• Manifesto


  Collection of beliefs, promises, commitments, aspirations presented to electorate by parties at election time
• Mandate


  Gives legitimacy to manifesto commitment e.g. party that won has mandate to carry out manifesto
• Right-wing party


  Party is on right side of political spectrum and advocates for private ownership
• Left-wing party


  Party on left side of political spectrum and advocates for public ownership
• Left-wing ideas


  • Redistributing income from rich to poor through taxation and welfare
  • Strong support for the welfare state
  • Support for workers' rights and trade union power
  • The state should support industries which are vital to society and the economy
  • Support for measures designed to create equality of opportunity
  • A stress on equal rights for all groups in society
• Right-wing ideas


  • Low levels of taxation to encourage private enterprise and create incentives to work
  • Acceptance of private sector involvement in the provision of public services
  • The state should not interfere with the working of the economy save for exceptional circumstances
  • Support for free markets in goods, finance and labour, including reducing trade union power
  • Keeping welfare benefits relatively low as an incentive for people to find work and not become too dependent on the state
  • A strong position on law and order
  • A stress on national unity and patriotism
• Consensus politics


  General agreement
• Adversary politics


  Lots of disagreement