The Northern Ireland Political Parties

What The Northern Ireland Political Parties covers

The Northern Ireland Political Parties is examined in Unit AS 1, The Government and Politics of Northern Ireland — compulsory. It covers the role and functions of political parties, the Northern Ireland party system, the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Alliance Party, smaller parties and independents, changing party strategies since 1998, changing electoral support since 1998 and explaining electoral change.

The 11 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• The role and functions of political partiesPolitical party, five functions performed by political parties in a democracy and recruitment function of parties.Open →
• The Northern Ireland party systemEthnic tribune party, ethnic outbidding and electoral significance of transfers under the single transferable vote.Open →
• The Democratic Unionist PartyDUP's original appeal within unionism, DUP leaders who have held the post since Ian Paisley and three core policy positions of the DUP.Open →
• Sinn FéinSinn Féin's central political objective, sinn Féin's position on the Good Friday Agreement and sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism at Westminster.Open →
• The Ulster Unionist PartyHistoric position of the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, slogan that summarised unionist resistance to Sinn Féin entering government and ulster Conservatives and Unionists initiative.Open →
• The Social Democratic and Labour PartyJohn Hume's contribution to the peace process and three policy positions of the SDLP.Open →
• The Alliance PartyAlliance Party's position on the constitutional question, three policy priorities of the Alliance Party and alliance surge in electoral support.Open →
• Smaller parties and independentsTraditional Unionist Voice's central institutional demand, people Before Profit's political position and northern Ireland Women's Coalition.Open →
• Changing party strategies since 1998Argument that Sinn Féin's shift is tactical rather than fundamental and argument that Sinn Féin's shift is genuine.Open →
• Changing electoral support since 1998Each Assembly election from 1998 to 2022, the realignment of 2003, the loss of the unionist majority in 2017, Sinn Féin becoming the largest party in 2022, the growth of the other designation, and Westminster, European and local results.Open →
• Explaining electoral changeEthnic outbidding, the record of the Ulster Unionist Party in office, Sinn Féin's organisation, turnout, demographic change, the collapse of 2017, the European Union referendum and the Protocol dispute, and the arguments that change is more and less than it appears.Open →

What you need to know

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Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Define a political party.

   Model answer

   A political party is an organised group that seeks to win governmental power by putting forward candidates for election on a shared programme.

2. 2

   Name five functions performed by political parties in a democracy.

   Model answer

   Parties perform representation, participation, political recruitment, policy formulation, and the organisation of government and opposition.

3. 3

   What is meant by the recruitment function of parties?

   Model answer

   Parties select and train the candidates who become councillors, MLAs, MPs and ministers, so almost everyone who holds elected office in Northern Ireland reaches it through a party.

4. 4

   How do parties perform the function of interest aggregation?

   Model answer

   Parties gather the demands of many different groups and combine them into a single manifesto, which allows voters to choose between a small number of coherent programmes rather than thousands of separate demands.

5. 5

   How do parties provide political education?

   Model answer

   Parties explain and contest issues through campaigns, broadcasts and debates, which informs voters about choices they would otherwise have to research for themselves, although critics say parties simplify and distort as much as they inform.

6. 6

   How does the mandatory coalition change the function of organising government and opposition?

   Model answer

   Because seats in the Executive are allocated by entitlement rather than won by a majority, parties do not form a government by combining, and until the opposition legislation of 2016 there was no formal opposition for parties to organise.

What is inside Levo

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The Northern Ireland Political Parties revision questions

What does The Northern Ireland Political Parties cover in CCEA A-Level Government and Politics?

11 subtopics: the role and functions of political parties, the northern ireland party system, the democratic unionist party, sinn féin, the ulster unionist party, the social democratic and labour party, the alliance party, smaller parties and independents, changing party strategies since 1998, changing electoral support since 1998 and explaining electoral change. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is The Northern Ireland Political Parties organised?

By the CCEA 4830 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.