UK and US: The degree of internal unity within parties (OCR A-Level Politics): Revision Notes

22.6.2 UK and US: The degree of internal unity within parties

Overview of Internal Party Unity

• Internal Unity refers to the extent to which members of a political party agree on policies, ideologies, and strategies. High internal unity often means the party can present a cohesive front, while low internal unity can lead to public disagreements and factionalism.

Internal Unity in UK Political Parties

Tradition of Strong Party Discipline:

• UK political parties, especially the two main ones (Conservative and Labour), have historically maintained strong internal unity, enforced by strict party discipline.
• The whips system in the UK Parliament is a key tool used by party leadership to ensure that MPs vote in line with party policies. MPs who defy the whip can face serious consequences, including losing the party whip, which effectively means being expelled from the party.

Factionalism within Major Parties:

• Despite strong discipline, both the Conservative and Labour parties have experienced internal divisions and factionalism.
• Conservative Party:
• The Conservative Party has long been divided on issues such as the European Union, with prominent factions like the Eurosceptics and Europhiles. The Brexit debate significantly highlighted these divisions, culminating in high-profile resignations and leadership challenges.
• The party also has factions like the "One Nation Conservatives," who advocate for centrist, socially liberal policies, and the "Thatcherites," who support free-market policies and minimal state intervention.
• Labour Party:
• The Labour Party has traditionally been divided between its left-wing, represented by factions like Momentum, and its more centrist or Blairite wing, which supports policies associated with New Labour.
• These divisions became particularly evident during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, where the party's internal unity was severely tested, leading to public infighting and challenges to his leadership.

Impact of Internal Divisions:

• Internal divisions can weaken a party's public image and electoral prospects. For example, the Labour Party's internal conflicts during Corbyn's leadership were widely seen as contributing to its defeat in the 2019 general election.
• Conversely, a united party is better positioned to push through its agenda and maintain voter confidence, as seen with the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair's New Labour.

Internal Unity in US Political Parties

• Weak Party Discipline:

  • In contrast to the UK, US political parties generally have weaker internal discipline. This is partly due to the decentralised nature of the parties and the primary election system, where candidates often prioritise local issues and personal branding over strict adherence to national party platforms.
  • Members of Congress from the same party often vote against each other on key issues, reflecting the diversity of opinions within the party.

• Factionalism within Major Parties:

  • Both the Democratic and Republican parties in the US are broad coalitions of different factions, leading to significant internal differences.
  • Republican Party:
  • The Republican Party has several distinct factions, including traditional conservatives, fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, and the more recent rise of the populist right, particularly associated with the Tea Party movement and Trumpism.
  • The influence of Donald Trump has exacerbated divisions within the party, with "Never Trumpers" opposing his influence, while others have fully embraced his brand of populism.
  • Democratic Party:
  • The Democratic Party also contains a range of factions, from centrist Democrats, who favour more moderate policies, to progressives, who advocate for more radical reforms such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
  • The 2020 Democratic primaries highlighted these divisions, with candidates like Bernie Sanders representing the progressive wing and Joe Biden representing the more moderate, establishment wing.

• Impact of Internal Divisions:

  • Like in the UK, internal divisions within US parties can affect their ability to govern and win elections. The Republican Party's internal struggles with Trumpism have led to significant challenges in maintaining a unified platform.
  • The Democratic Party, while managing to unite against Trump in the 2020 election, continues to face tensions between its moderate and progressive wings, particularly in policy negotiations.

Comparative Analysis: Internal Unity in UK and US Parties

Aspect	UK Political Parties	US Political Parties
Party Discipline	Strong party discipline enforced through the whip system.	Weaker party discipline; members often vote independently.
Factionalism	Significant factions within major parties, e.g., Eurosceptics vs. Europhiles in the Conservative Party, and Momentum vs. Blairites in Labour.	Significant factions, e.g., Trumpists vs. traditional conservatives in the Republican Party, and progressives vs. centrists in the Democratic Party.
Impact of Internal Divisions	Can lead to public infighting and electoral setbacks, e.g., Labour under Corbyn.	Can lead to challenges in governance and election strategy, e.g., the Republican Party's struggle with Trumpism.
Centralization	More centralised party structure, with leaders exerting significant control.	Decentralised party structure, with candidates often prioritising local issues and personal branding.

Conclusion

• UK: The UK's political parties generally exhibit stronger internal unity due to centralised leadership and strict party discipline. However, internal factions do exist and can lead to significant divisions, as seen in both the Conservative and Labour parties.
• US: In contrast, US political parties are more decentralised with weaker party discipline, leading to significant internal divisions and factionalism. These divisions can impact the parties' ability to present a unified front, particularly in legislative processes and elections.

Analyse the differences in party unity between the USA and the UK

Paragraph 1:

One difference is bipartisanship

• Bipartisanship is needed in the USA to swiftly pass legislation, especially amongst a divided government, an example is Obamacare
• In the UK it is not needed as the governing party will have a majority, so legislation will be easier to pass

Paragraph 2:

Policies on healthcare

• In the UK, both Labour and Conservatives agree on an increase in funding for the NHS
• However, Democrats and Republicans disagree when it comes to healthcare
• Democrats believe that healthcare is a right for everyone
• Republicans want to repeal Obamacare and limit government spending on senior healthcare, and Trump has failed to repeal Obamacare since it was passed through bipartisanship

Paragraph 3:

Policies on the environment

• In the UK, Labour and Conservatives want to bring forwards net zero emissions and improve the environment
• However, Republicans do not see the environment as a priority
• Democrats want to re join the Paris Accord which Donald Trump removed them from.
• UK parties have a unified take on the environment, whereas US parties do not