Political party

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A political party is an organization dedicated to gaining political power for both the party and its members.

A typical political party will endorse a "platform," which represents their stands on various issues of the day. Depending on the party, and the issue, adherence to every point of these platforms is not necessarily required. Often what is more important in governing situations among larger parties is what is called "party discipline," where members are expected to vote a certain way on certain bills, however close or distant the issue at hand is to the actual platform.

So-called "catchall" parties will usually have very long, intricate, and watered-down platforms that reflect their large base of member voters. Smaller parties, which often form in reaction to a single issue or small group of issues being neglected (in their opinion) on the political stage, will often have short, concise platforms.

Contents

[edit] Party systems

National party systems differ considerably in the number and relative strength of their parties. This is mostly due to two factors: the severity of social fault lines ("cleavages") in a society, be they ethnic, economic or religious; and the voting system a country employs. Highly pluralistic societies and proportional voting systems tend to increase the number of parties, while uniform societies with majoritarian elections usually have fewer of them. At the most basic level, the party systems are classified as one-, two- or multiparty systems. A one-party-system doesn't necessarily mean that the state in question is authoritarian and doesn't allow competition — maybe one party is just so awesome that nobody else wants to vote for another (the Swedish Social Democrats used to dominate the system in this manner, for example). Two-party systems tend to be most closely associated with majoritarian first-past-the-post election systems, as in the United States.[1] Sometimes, these systems do allow other parties to rise, like the British Liberal Democrats, but the aftermath of the 2010 election was the first occasion on which their existence had an actual impact on government formation. Finally, multiparty systems with many smaller parties tend to occur in countries with many deep social divisions (Belgium) or very low entry hurdles (Israel). Studying and comparing party systems is a major branch of political science, and there is a multitude of studies that explore these relationships in more detail.[2][3]

[edit] Party systems around the world

[edit] Americas

[edit] Canada

Main article: Political parties of Canada

The parties having seats in the parliament:

  • Liberal Party (Centre-left to center)
  • Conservative Party (Centre-right to right-wing)
  • Bloc Québécois (Centre-left to left-wing, Separatist, nationalistic)
  • New Democratic Party (Centre-left to left-wing)
  • Green Party (Centre-left, environmentalist)

[edit] United States

The United States has a two party system, with these two parties:

In addition, some of these parties have won seats at very local levels, but never at a national level. Some Senators and Representatives, however, do have views that fall in line with some of these.

[edit] Chile

  • Independent Democratic Union (Far-right, nearly integrists)
  • National Renewal (Centre-right)
  • Christian Democratic Party (Centrist, mostly socially conservative)
  • Socialist Party (Centre-left, Third Way)
  • Party for Democracy (Same as above)
  • Radical Party (Same as above)
  • Communist Party (Ehh... Commies)

[edit] Brazil

  • PT - Workers Party (Centre-left, democratic socialist, populist)
  • PSDB - Social Democrat Party of Brazil (Centre-right, social liberal)
  • PMDB - Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (Centre to centre-left)
  • PDT - Democratic Labour Party (Centre-left, populist)
  • PV - Green Party (Centre-left, Environmentalist)
  • Democratas - "Democrats" (Centre-right, ironic)
  • PP - Progressive Party (Right-wing, also ironic)
  • PSC - Social Christian Party (Centrism, Christian democracy)
  • PR - Party of the Republic (Centre-right, Populism, Conservatism)
  • PTB - Brazilian Labour Party (Centre-right, Brazilian nationalist and populist, more irony)
  • PSOL - Socialism and Freedom Party (Left-wing to far-left)
  • PCdoB - Communist Party of Brazil (Left- to far-left, Communism, Marxism-Leninism)
  • PSB - Socialist Party of Brazil (Left, Social-democracy, Democratic Socialism)
  • PCO - Workers' Cause Party (Far-left, Trotskyism)
  • PCB - Brazilian Communist Party (Yeah, another one, Far-left, Marxism–Leninism)
  • PHS - Humanist Party of Solidarity (Distributism, Christian Democracy, Monarchism)

And other 15 or more smaller parties

[edit] Oceania

[edit] Australia

[edit] New Zealand

  • Labour (Centre-Left)
  • National (Centre-Right)
  • Greens (Left to Far-Left)
  • Progressives (Left)
  • Act (Right)
  • New Zealand First (Centrist [4] anti-immigration)
  • Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (Left and Right)
  • Maori Party (Maori Rights)[5]

[edit] Europe - or something like that

[edit] Finland

  • National Coalition Party (Right-wing)
  • Social Democratic Party of Finland (Social democratic)
  • Centre Party (Centrist, agrarian)
  • True Finns (Populist, eurosceptic, social conservative, not racist but number one with racists)
  • Green League (Environmentalist, social liberal, also either right-wing or Stalinist, depending on who you ask)
  • Left Alliance (Left-wing)
  • Christian Democrats of Finland (Social conservative, centrist)
  • Swedish People's Party of Finland (Swedish speaking minority, technically centre-right but also so flexible that they fit in almost any coalition government)

[edit] France

  • Democratic Movement (MoDem) (centrist)
  • Green Party (left-wing, environmentalist)
  • New Center (center to center-right, allied with the UMP)
  • Socialist Party (PS) (left-wing to center-left, currently has the presidency)
  • Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) (conservative, from center-right to positions close to the FN's)
  • National Front (FN) (Racist, ultra-conservative, Islamophobic. Now the third largest party.)
  • Left-wing Front (includes Communist Party)
  • New Anticapitalist Party (far left)
  • Pirate Party (minor - but very popular with poor 20 and 30 somethings who need to download stuff).

[edit] Germany

Main article: Political parties of Germany
  • Christian Democratic Union (centrist, has chancellery)
  • Christian Social Union (center-right, in union with the CDU only exists in Bavaria)
  • Free Democrats (libertarian, classical liberalism, neoliberalism)
  • Green Party (centrist, environmentalist)
  • Social Democrats (centrist - or not... or still... we will wait for their decision.)
  • The Left (right-wing. Just kidding, it's what the label says.)

Since the two biggest parties have both moved to the center over the last decade, the space there is getting rather crowded, and people find it increasingly hard to figure out the differences. On the plus side, ideological differences have mostly vanished, and policies are rather stable across administrations. On the negative side, ideological differences have mostly vanished, and policies are rather stable across administrations.

[edit] Republic of Ireland

Main article: Political parties of the Republic of Ireland
  • Fine Gael (centre-right)
  • Labour Party (centre to centre left, practically in the pocket of FG)
  • Fianna Fáil (big tent party - currently the third largest party, although between 1932 to 2011 was always the largest party in the Dáil. Suffered a massive defeat in 2011, losing 57 seats due to massive economic mismanagement and corruption)
  • Sinn Féin (centre left to left wing. Pretty long and chequered history. Formerly the political wing of the PIRA. Currently led by Irelands most polarizing beard, Gerry Adams)
  • Green Party (centrist, environmentalist)
  • Socialist Party (far left Trotskyists, expelled from the Labour Party in 1991.)
  • People Before Profit Alliance (far left Hippie Trotskyists based in Kingstown)
  • Independents
  • [[Direct Democracy Ireland) (right-wing, freeman on the land nutjobs.)

[edit] Russian Federation

Note: almost every one of these lies as to its location on the political spectrum, and all these parties are loyal to Putin[6]

  • United Russia - Claims to be the centrist party, actually populist. Putin and Medvedev are members of this one. Actually Putin is the Chairman. Largest party.
  • Communist Party of the Russian Federation - Yep. They are still around. Some members openly revere Stalin. 2nd largest party.
  • A Just Russia - Claims to be a social democratic party, which comes from the fact that the Socialist and Green Parties merged into it. Nevertheless, sometimes proposes quite authoritarian laws. 3rd largest party.
  • Liberal Democratic Party of Russia - Not really liberal or democratic, actually expressing right-wing nationalist positions on the majority of issues. Currently the smallest party in the federal parliament.
  • Yabloko - The closest to a liberal party and the only major party that challenges Putin on his foreign policy. Has no seats in the federal parliament, but some regional parliaments have MPs from the party.

[edit] Sweden

  • Swedish Social Democratic Party (Social democratic)
  • Moderate Party (Liberal conservatives. What a paradox.)
  • Green Party (Environmentalist)
  • Liberal People's Party (A right-leaning but socially liberal party for the farmers and workers.)
  • Centre Party (A center-left party with a semi-environmentalist agenda.)
  • Sweden Democrats (Nationalist conservatives.)
  • Pirate Party (Let's go torrent!)
  • Christian Democrats (Socially conservative)
  • Left Party (Like their name. They are feminists and activists. They advocate socialism, as if Sweden isn't socialist already.)

[edit] Switzerland

  • Swiss People's Party (nationalist, radical right)
  • Social Democratic Party (center-left)
  • Christian Democratic People's Party (center-right)
  • Free Democratic Party (libertarian)
  • The Greens (center-left, environmentalist)
  • The Green Liberals (a strange eco-libertarian blend)

[edit] United Kingdom

Main article: Political parties of the United Kingdom
  • Labour Party (Classically liberal, slightly center/conservative)
  • Conservative Party (Wishes it was conservative)
  • Liberal Democrats (Centre or liberal if you're a yank)
  • Scottish National Party (SNP for short, campaigns for independence for Scotland, and has no connection with the British National Party)
  • British Nazi National Party (very similar to the American Nazi Party, except slightly more subtle about it)
  • UK Independence Party (also known as Diet BNP - or BNP Lite if you don't get the reference first time)
  • Green (Environmentalist)
  • Monster Raving Loony Party (with the slogan "vote for insanity, you know it makes sense")
  • Tea Party (Wait, wasn't that in the US?)

[edit] Asia

[edit] Japan

  • Liberal Democratic Party (Hold on to your hats: conservative, they ruled for almost 54 years! Continuisly! You know, except those 11 months in 1993 and 1994)
  • Democratic Party of Japan (centre-left, in power since 2009)
  • New Komeito Party (conservatives and centrists linked to Soka Gakkai Buddhist sect)
  • Your Party (What's on the tin! No just kidding, another conservative party)
  • Japanese Communist Party (democratic libertarian-socialists - also pacifists, they kept the name, though)
  • Social Democratic Party (exactly what's on the tin)
  • People's New Party (conservative, populist, nationalist - they have a nice logo, though)
  • Sunrise Party of Japan (nationalist, right wing)
  • New Renaissance Party (conservative - yes, the irony hurts!)

[edit] North Korea

  • Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland (All these parties are loyal to the regime)
    • Workers' Party of Korea (Wins all elections, represents all workers. Oh right, everyone is employed by the government.)
    • Korean Social Democratic Party
    • Chondoist Chongu Party

[edit] South Korea

  • Grand National Party (the party name in Korean is a play on words, it can mean "Korean National" and also "Great National" - oh, yeah, they are conservative)
  • Democratic Party (liberals, social democrats)
  • Liberty Forward Party (right-wing, liberal conservatives, built around Lee Hoi-chang)
  • Future Hope Alliance (liberal conservatives, support party for Park Geun-hye, daughter of Park Chung-hee)
  • Democratic Labor Party (nationalist, left-wing, democratic socialists)
  • Creative Korea Party (centrism, centre-left)
  • New Progressive Party (centre-left)

[edit] China

  • The Communist Party (Wins all elections, represents all workers. Sure.)

[edit] Erm... "elsewhere"

  • In Antarctica:
    • The Snow and Ice Party (Supports incremental change at a glacial pace.)
  • On the Moon:
    • The Vacuum Party (Supports cleaning up all that dust, and pronto!)
    • The Gravity Party (Supports long jumpers and golfers in attempts to beat Earth records.)
    • The Secessionists (Supports leaving Earth orbit and applying for planethood status.)

[edit] Footnotes

  1. This fact is usually described as Duverger's Law.
  2. Rae, Douglas (1967): The Political Consequences of Electoral Law, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1967.
  3. Grofman, Bernard and Lijphart, Arend (eds.): Electoral Laws and their Political Consequences, New York: Agathon Press, 2003.
  4. New Zealand First is hard to place on the spectrum as they have policies that do not fit either tag very well. In the past they have formed governments with both Labour and National; strong anti-immigration, anti-foreign ownership and high superannuation are the cornerstones of its policy
  5. There was considerable debate when this party was formed as to whether it was racist to have a party that only represented one ethnic group, but given New Zealand's MMP system of government, coupled with the specifically Maori seats, this representation should end up being roughly proportional and they'll end up working with other parties that support whatever they want at that point in time, just like everyone else
  6. [1]
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