Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay Example

Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay The membership of the major political parties has declined alarmingly in recent decades. In the 1950s, Labour had a million members and the Conservatives over two million, but nowadays they have 360,000 and 335,000 respectively. Parties are keen to recruit as many members as possible as they can provide important campaigning and financial support. There must be some wider reason for this phenomenon, as it did not affect just one party. Political apathy may be one factor, as people lose interest in the political system in general. Another possible reason could be the dissatisfaction the electorate feel towards the political parties of today. The class and party de-alignment arguments could also be used to explain this contrast with yesteryear- that the changes in the class system have left people unsure about whom their natural representatives are. The huge increase in floating voters may have something to do with this decline as well. Evans (1997) suggests another possibility, rather than people not participating in politics, this generation has shifted from party politics to supporting pressure groups. A politically apathetic electorate would have no interest in politics; therefore they would not join political parties. This state of mind has increased dramatically, possibly as a result of the move by the major parties in their stances. Moves, initially, by the Labour Party but subsequently by the Conservatives have left very little distinction between the parties. As the Labour Party shifted towards the centre under Blairs early leadership period, so did the Conservatives as a reaction against the Thatcher stereotype. We will write a custom essay sample on Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This might have left the electorate feeling discontented, as there would not be as much political debate from two sides that operate so close to each other in their policies. Political apathy can be measured in a number of ways: party membership, turnout, and public opinion polls, although these are not completely reliable, as people might not vote for certain reasons and not join parties for reasons other than political apathy. Without a change in the attraction of politics and parties, this should not change. There would need to be more opportunity to get involved in politics than under the current political system, possibly an increase in referenda and initiatives. This might make the electorate more interested in politics, and consequently political parties. Parties and their politicians have also been given a poor image by the media in recent years, which may have resulted in people not supporting the political parties by not joining them. Incidents like the Neil Hamilton saga and the introduction of negative campaigning show politics up to be a dirty business and one that many people dont want to be a part of. The political parties have become much more centralised now, with less power allowed to the members, and this has been reflected by the membership figures. The politicians in comparison with the constituency groups now hold much more power and some people may think there is nothing to be gained from joining the parties other than funding something that they are not a part of. Party conferences, formerly a means of allowing the member a real vote, are now seen as a media charade. The de-centralisation of the main parties would probably considerably increase their membership, as the members would be in a position to have their say and not have their party managed by an elite. Traditionally, Labour has attracted working class support whereas the Conservatives have got their vote from the middle and upper class. However, according to Crewe (1977), following the emergence of an evolved class system, with a smaller working class, the traditional class boundaries have been eliminated with people making rational choices about their vote. This is the same with whichever party they are going to join, if any. People are not necessarily going to support their class representatives anymore. As these people become more sceptical and objective about the state of the different parties, so have the parties changed their policies to suit most people as opposed to their traditional voters. This has led to a loss of core support, and an increase in the floating vote. There is nothing to suggest that this trend of rational choice voting is going to change. On the contrary, if de-industrialisation continues, the movement towards rational choice voting would gather pace and membership figures would decrease further. For an election victory, the floating vote is very important but these voters will not join a party and will therefore not donate or participate in political activities. The floating electorate choose their affiliations in the short-term, and are the most objective of the different types of voters. Their only commitment is to the party that most attracts them with its various factors whose popularity can only be defined by the individual. They will not participate in party activities- such as assistance in election campaigns, donating money, etc. as they are not members. The increase in this group would explain any change in the party membership. During recent years, the trend has been to support single-issue groups as opposed to broad groups like political parties. In this pattern, there is a divide, where younger people are interested in these single-issue protest activities whereas the older generation are more dedicated to political party activity. Whereas only 6% of 15-34 year olds describe themselves as very interested in politics, 73% see themselves as particularly interested in the homeless situation, and similar proportions have concern about disabled rights, animal rights, and increased funding for the NHS. This could suggest that in the future party enrolment will decrease even more as the previous generation of party activists die out. In conclusion, there are five main reasons for the decline of party membership: an increase in political apathy, due in some considerable way to the move to the centre ground which has disillusioned more partisan support; the distrust surrounding politics, especially showed in the media coverage of sleaze and negative campaigning; the class-dealignment experienced by Britain as a result of de-industrialisation, which has left more people moving to a rational choice model of voting; this having resulted in an increase in floating voters who do not tie themselves down to one political party; and the younger generations tendency to be more interested in single-issue politics than the wide spectrum of issues in politics today. If the following continue as expected, party membership will decrease even further. To stop this movement, parties and the political system will need to change to allow the electorate a bigger role in political decision-making. It should be noted that these conclusions could also be used in the explanation of the decline in the faith of the electorate in the present political system.

The Right to Privacy essays

The Right to Privacy essays In the United States Constitution and its subsequent amendments, there is in no place a reference to the so called Right to Privacy. But in several Supreme Court Cases, the judges have ruled in favor of a certain decision by stating that people of the United States have a Right to Privacy. How do these judges make the conclusion that there is a right to privacy guaranteed in the constitution, when it is not specifically written? The answer is, that they imply the power based on several of the already predefined amendments. In the Supreme Court Case, Gideons vs. Connecticut (1965), the Court ruled that the Connecticut law stating that no contraceptive may be used. The plaintiff argued that they should not be penalized for something they do in there own home. When the case reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, stating that there was a right to privacy in a mans home. In Mapp vs. Ohio, Police received an anonymous tip that there was a bomber inside the residence of a Mrs. Mapp. They came to her house, and she refused them in without a search warrant. The police came back later, handcuffed Mapp, and found several items of obscene material throughout her house. The supreme court ruled in favor the Mapp, stating the right to privacy in ones home, and the guarantees that the fourth and fourteenth amendments have. What gives the court the right to base a decision on the right to privacy? The first amendment to the constitution states that people have the rights of speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly. More specifically, freedom to associate. The court ruled that the disclosure of membership lists of a constitutionally valid association, was invalid. It also ruled that we have protection in the associations that are not political in the customary sense, but pertain to the social, legal, and economic benefit of the...

Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and the modern world Essay

Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and the modern world - Essay Example The play illustrates how long term arguments between privileged families can get out of hand. Young men feel obliged to take up arms to defend the family honour. It shows how the normal rules which keep society in order break down in this atmosphere of prejudice and hate. The strongest theme in the play is the way that young people suffer because of the mistakes of their older relatives, and they are prevented from growing up to experience normal young love and passion with their chosen partner. The parents decided for them when and whom they should marry and this causes a lot of trouble. One result of this is that the younger members rise up against their families and lose respect for their elders. The only way to end this kind of situation is to find a way to stop the senseless violence and let peace come out of a new appraisal of each person’s human value, regardless what family they come from. These themes all exist in the modern world, from the gang cultures of our inner cities to the arranged marriages that occur in some cultural groups. Many couples still love each other in spite of the opposition of their families and this is one reason why Romeo and Juliet still makes sense to a modern audience, even though it was written over four hundred years ago. The play opens with the words â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity,/In fair Verona, where we lay our scene† (Prologue: lines 1-2) and this tells the audience what the fundamental tension of the play will be. The chorus reveals that the main characters will love each other and will die, and that this will be the way that the â€Å"ancient grudge† between the two families will be removed. One indication of the strength of the hatred that exists between the families is the way that they call each other names such as â€Å"A dog of the house of Montague† (Act 1 , scene 1, line 7) or â€Å"A dog of that house (Act 1, scene 1, line 10) and â€Å"Thou villain Capulet (Act 1, s cene 1, line 76). The young men challenge each other to draw their swords, and it is clear that the only reason they want to fight is because they are sworn enemies. Gang rivalry is very often carried out by men. They are motivated by pride and arrogance, wanting to show off their strength . Tybalt even reveals that he hates the idea of peace as much as he hates the Montagues. (Act 1, scene 1, line 67-68) There does not seem to be any reason for the hatred other than that the people who bear the opposite name are the enemy. This kind of unthinking prejudice leads to all kinds of violence even in the present day and the carrying of weapons is a sign that this is a real grudge with serious consequences. The women seem to be more reasonable, and Montague’s wife tries to hold him back, even though he resists her. This kind of behaviour can be seen in the modern world when very strict fathers try to lock up their daughters and prevent them from going out and seeing other people, e specially men. They have too much power over others, and they use it to make people obey their will. In gang warfare it is a matter of pride to carry guns or knives, and very often the only people who try to stop the violence from getting worse are the mothers, sisters and girlfriends who have lost their loved ones. The Prince in the play represents the force of law and order. There was no such thing as a police force in the time of Shakespeare, and so the rulers had to find other ways to make sure that people kept the law of the land. In this case he summons the two older representatives of the families to come and see him. Capulet has to go with him immediately, and Montague is to come in the afternoon. This is a bit like them being arrested so that they can be told what is right and what is wrong, and they