Compare: Democracy

Question 1

5

Describe the similar factors that create a 2-party dominance in the US and UK

Answer 1

• FPTP means that 3rd parties enjoy little success
• Competing ideologies and factions within broad church parties
• Expense of campaigns → main parties more easily able to control funding
• Main lobby groups/pressure groups aligned with major parties
• Many MPs/Congress members simply re-elected in safe seats

Question 2

3

Describe the similarity in party system in the US and UK

Answer 2

• National legislatures both dominated by major 2 parties
• FPTP, campaign expense and co-optation of policies leads to limited influence for 3rd party
• 3rd parties can have ‘spoiler effect’ by splitting vote

Question 3

3

Describe the difference in party system in the US and UK

Answer 3

• Greater 3rd party influence in UK - coalitions and supply-and-confidence
• Federalism entrenches two-party dominance in US vs devolution allows for regional smaller parties in UK
• Defections lead to smaller parties gaining legislative representation in UK (e.g. Reclaim) v rare in US due to local primaries (e.g. Strom Thurmond switched from Dem to Rep in 1964)

Question 4

3

Describe the similarity in internal unity between US and UK parties

Answer 4

• Ideological breadth of parties feeds into factionism
• All parties recently embroiled in intraparty debate over specific issues and direction of party
• Development of partisanship has masked internal divisions in both parties (e.g. Brexit, Kavanaugh)

Question 5

2

Outline disunity over party direction in the US and UK

Answer 5

• Both Lab/LD and Democrats influenced by figures pulling party to left - Corbyn and Sanders
• Both Con and Rep influenced by figures pulling party to right - Liz Truss and Trump/Cruz

Question 6

4

Describe the differences in internal unity between US and UK parties

Answer 6

• Party controls candidate selection for constituency seats in UK vs local primaries allows voters control over who is nominated in US
• Stronger whip system in UK → stronger party discipline in voting
• Patronage powers in UK vs inelligibility clause in US
• Smaller 3rd party representations leads to greater ideological disunity in US parties

Question 7

This card is just to get me thinking

Policy profiles of each party in US and UK

Ensure I have examples for Con/Lab and Rep/Dem

Answer 7

• Social welfare
• Education
• Defence
• Environment
• Economy
• Immigration

Question 8

3

Describe similarities in campaign finance between the US and UK

Answer 8

• Recent controversies in both US and UK (Obama campaign fined $375k over violating federal laws surrounding donation disclosure in 2013)
• Reform to law has proven a challenge in both nations
• Can be of great consequence to results

Question 9

2

Describe differences in campaign finance between the US and UK

Answer 9

• Substantially greater regulation in UK - PPERA 2000 and Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Act 2014
• Much lower election cost in UK

Question 10

3

Describe the similarities in party funding between the US and UK

Answer 10

• Both have aspects of state funding: ‘short money’ and Policy Development Grant (UK) ; ‘matching funds’ (USA)
• Similar advocacy for state funding: greater third-party access, reduce role of lobbying, reduce cost of elections
• state funding does little to aid 3rd parties

Question 11

2

Describe ‘matching funds’ (USA)

Answer 11

• Govt matches donations party recieves dollar for dollar if it acts within certain spending limits
• Recent presidential candidates from both parties have found it more lucrative to ignore limits and therefore ‘matching funds’

Question 12

3

Describe differences in party funding between the US and UK

Answer 12

• State funding more effective in UK - ‘short money’ and ‘policy development grant’
• Overall level of party funding much lower in UK
• 3rd parties enjoy greater funding in UK

Question 13

3

Outline the difference in 3rd party funding in the UK and US

Answer 13

• UK 2019 GE: Brexit Party £4.2m vs Labour £5.6m
• US 2020 Presidential election: Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian) raised $3m vs over $1bn spent by both Biden and Trump campaigns

Question 14

3

Describe the similarities between interest group methods in the US and UK

Answer 14

• Can both access legal routes, especially SC (e.g. Liberty B&B case)
• Both access points at multiple levels - growing due to devolution in UK
• Both utilise NVDA and lobbying methods

Question 15

6

Describe the differences between interest group methods in the US and UK

Answer 15

• Entrenched understanding of SCOTUS makes it a more attractable proposition for US interest groups through amicus curie briefs/bringing cases vs Parliament remains sovereign in UK → targeting Parliament a more effective route
• Cannot submit amicus curie briefs in UK
• Much stricter lobbying rules in UK
• US more able to form closer links with exective agencies through ‘iron triangles’ vs most have outsider status in UK
• US interest groups more likely to form PACs to influence elections/legislative actions vs resort to traditional methods in UK
• US interest groups less restricted in campaining tools: campaigning during elections, donations to individuals or parties

Question 16

3

Describe the similarities in interest group influence in the UK and US

Answer 16

• Can both influence SC decisions
• Both have expanding access points
• Both defined by unwillingness to hold political power themselves

Question 17

5

Describe the differences in interest group influence in the UK and US

Answer 17

• Endorsements (e.g. NRA) much more fundamental in US; play more insignificant role in UK
• Short election cycle in US creates greater opportunities for ‘electioneering’ and mobilisation by interest groups vs 5-year cycle permits parties/candidates greater freedom to ignore groups between election years
• Greater ability to finance campaigns in US
• Parliament sovereign in UK → SC influence weaker compared to US
• Greater access points in US due to UK asymmetry

Question 18

2

Describe ‘iron triangle’ networks

Answer 18

• Policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups
• Permits US interest groups to affect legislative process by proposing and suggesting amendments to legislation

Question 19

3

Describe the absence of ‘iron triangle’ networks in the UK

Answer 19

• Pressure groups in UK can and do suggest amendments and propose legislation
• Unable to form iron triangles due to fusion of powers in UK
• Requirement for Register of Members’ Interest further limits - more scrutiny