Chapter 17

Question 1

Read the following text and then type the mistakes in the box below.

A political cleavage has two elements. First, there is an ethnic division with an accumulation of differences in politics and different regions. Then there is a religious emphasis on one side of that division, usually by governments that aim to promote the interests of whatever social classes are involved. The British constitution was thus as important in the creation of cleavages as objective social divisions are. In Britain the divisions that became cleavages in the nineteenth century were age, gender, and ethnicity, in that order.

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Correct Answer: The mistakes are shown below in bold (see page 394):

A political cleavage has two elements. First, there is a social division with an accumulation of differences in lifestyle and material advantages. Then there is a political emphasis on one side of that division, usually by political parties, which aim to promote the interests of whatever groups are involved. Political parties are thus as important in the creation of cleavages as objective social divisions are. In Britain the divisions that became cleavages in the nineteenth century were religion, region, and class, in that order.

Question 2

Read the following text and then type the mistakes in the box below.

Left-right differences cover all British politics, and are central to them for the following reasons:

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Correct Answer: The mistakes are shown below in bold (see pages 402 and 403):

Left-right differences do not cover all of British politics, but are central to them for the following reasons:

  • Political discussion. An important question for commentators is whether a party is moving towards the centre or the extremes, particularly in the context of elections. A party that has 'seized the centre ground' is usually considered to have a better chance of winning the election because most electors are in the middle.
  • The question of government intervention has always been central to British politics and is the crucial dividing line between the parties.
  • Centrally positioned items of party policy are more likely to be carried through into actual government policy.

Question 3

Read the following text and then type the mistakes in the box below.

In 1997 New Labour made a dramatic shift to the left, a move that paralleled that of the Conservatives to the right in the 1950s: if you can't bet 'em, join 'em! As a result in both 1997 and 2001 the Liberal Democrats were further right of Labour, But for the 2005 election Labour moved to the right, pushing the Liberal democrats back to the left of Labour. The Conservatives have moved steadily to the right since 2001. Thus, for the first time since 1992, the parties are in their 'proper' order, with Labour in the centre, the Liberal democrats on the left, and the Conservatives on the right. It appears that the 2005 election represented a mild – and temporary – departure from the 'normal' left right positions of the parties.

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Correct Answer: The mistakes are shown below in bold (see page 409):

In 1997 New Labour made a dramatic shift to the right, a move that paralleled that of the Conservatives leftwards in the 1950s: if you can't bet 'em, join 'em! As a result in both 1997 and 2001 the Liberal Democrats were further left of Labour, But for the 2005 election Labour moved to the left, pushing the Liberal democrats back in to the political centre. The Conservatives have remained virtually unchanged since 2001. Thus, for the first time since 1992, the parties are in their 'proper' order, with Labour on the left, the Liberal democrats in the centre, and the Conservatives on the right. It appears that the 1997 and 2001 elections represented a mild – and temporary – departure from the 'normal' left- right positions of the parties.