What Determines The Number And Nature Of Political Parties??

University Degree Social studies

What Determines The Number And Nature Of Political Parties??
How Do Differences In These Respects Matter??
United States and United Kingdom

United States
Relies on a strictly Two-Party system – presidential candidates can only ever (realistically) be successful when nominated by Democrats or Republicans.
Unique power system originating from:
The rejection of the Party system due to perceived danger of partisan alliances as a basis for social and political strife by the founders of US politics, and the immediate reliance of politics upon a singular personality, eg George Washington.
Parties were prohibited from developing by preventing members of Congress from gaining membership of the Presidential Electoral College.
Despite opposition to the Party system (loyalty to Government and Constitution heavily interlinked) factions did evolve, largely along the North/South divide, based on competition between the commercial (Northern and Coastal) and the rural (Southern and Western).
The legacy of the Civil War, and the establishment of the US as a Republic meant revolutionary values, preventing any major Tory or Socialist parties emerging, despite periods of progressive social reform.
Emergence of national party divisions as opposed to state divisions limited the development of localised, smaller parties. A series of 5 party systems followed this – Virginia Dynasty (1800-24), Jacksonian Democracy (1824-56), Civil War (1856-96), Republican Majorities (1896-32), and The New Deal Democratic Coalition (1932-).
The progression of these show that from a four party system (Virginia Dynasty), Republicans and Democrats gradually came to represent national interests (over slavery, for example), marginalising local parties, and reducing the party system to a clear Two-Party coalition.
The immediate catalyst for this system was the Wall Street Crash (1929), producing Democrat dominance under Roosevelt, and an enduring Republican-Democrat coalition.

United Kingdom
Strictly speaking, Britain also runs on a (far more diluted) Two-Party system. Labour and Conservative parties regularly collect 90% of the seats in Parliament.
Parliamentary/Cabinet government.
Cabinet dominance of the Commons, stable government, and the duality of government and Opposition are all contributors to this.
However – evidence from the electorate and declining percentages for these show that the British party system is more diverse, and constantly changing through History.
Presence of Liberal Democrats, Nationalist Parties (eg. BNP), the Green Party, and historical developments of Irish Nationalists, Social Democrats, constituency parties, and countless others dilute an ...

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United Kingdom
Strictly speaking, Britain also runs on a (far more diluted) Two-Party system. Labour and Conservative parties regularly collect 90% of the seats in Parliament.
Parliamentary/Cabinet government.
Cabinet dominance of the Commons, stable government, and the duality of government and Opposition are all contributors to this.
However – evidence from the electorate and declining percentages for these show that the British party system is more diverse, and constantly changing through History.
Presence of Liberal Democrats, Nationalist Parties (eg. BNP), the Green Party, and historical developments of Irish Nationalists, Social Democrats, constituency parties, and countless others dilute an otherwise clear cut party power balance.
Power system originating from:
Low level of political violence during the development of mass politics – a relatively permissive political society eg unlike other European states and the US, Socialist parties allowed to participate in politics, preventing radicalisation.
A system of the Houses of Lords and Commons, the monarchy, common law, hereditary peerage, has resulted in complex power dynamics spread throughout government as a whole.
Adaptation, and non-radical social progress, as opposed to widespread, radical reform has meant that no clear-cut party dominance has emerged.
No written constitution.
The influence of Trade Unions, and other quasi-political organisations, whilst active in the political process (eg Mining strikes in the 70’s and 80’s) have not been radicalised, leading to another factor in British politics.
Split of the dominant Liberal party in 1886 and 1916 – leaving a vacuum for other parties to gain the majority and credibility.
Influence of Scottish, Welsh, and Irish Nationalist movements in British politics as a whole, ie politics is far more regionally orientated, as well as based around social cleavages eg class.
The rapid (comparatively) extension of the franchise from 1918, introducing the working classes and helping the rise of Labour as well as diversification of British politics.

How Do These Differences Matter??
United States
Parties have no mass membership, and control of party by the leaders is severely limited by the combination of separation of powers and Federalism.
The power balance varies from state to state – some having only one of the two dominant parties in control for long periods of time; others are two-party competitive. None has three major parties.
National party organisations have power over state organisations, resulting in limited parties in power through limiting autonomy of State organisations and their ability to nominate Presidential candidates.
Parties are ‘quasi-public’ institutions – not private organisations.
They are subject to (and to some extent determine) State Law – leading to some fragmentation of parties due to Federalism.
The two dominant parties lack ideological coherence, depending on presidential candidates to articulate policy – the aim being to win elections, not to control government.
Due to lack of party and therefore policy variation, both Democrats and Republicans are remarkably broad ideologically, removing the need for a multiple party system based around narrow ideologies.
United Kingdom
Parties staff and organise government – they play the main role in political recruitment, however not registered or formally recognised by law.
Private organisations funded by party members, and encouraging mass participation and membership.
Relatively narrow ideologically (due to the number and diversity of political parties), often resulting in overlapping policies and legislation.
Government based on a balance between exerting governmental authority (mahor interests in parliament), and limitations on such authority, mediated by the Monarchy and the constitution.
Parties based around issue of legitimacy – ie control of the government and public confidence as well as the authorities. Not such concentration on winning the vote.
MP’s elected to Parliament in the name of a specific party represent primarily their region’s interests – but regional divisions do not cause fragmentation to the extent of US politics.
Summary
The evolution of political parties in the US and the UK have led to two very different models emerging – one based around a strict protocol of two dominant parties, the other mediated through many different factors. The two dominant British parties – Labour and Conservative neither command the majority in such a way as their American equivalents, Democrat and Republican, nor do they have such undiluted legislative power in the executive. There is a far less clearly defined political process in the UK due to the lack of a written constitution, which in America, serves to bolster the power of the two-party system. Ideological differences, and the reliance in American politics on the individual in power to formulate policy further consolidates the highly centralised American party system. This means that although both rely on a democratic process through which to operate, the party composition and their role in government are very different.

What Determines The Number And Nature Of Political Parties??

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