Topic: What do we need political parties for?

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

8th grade primary school student.

Core curriculum:

XI. Democracy in the Republic of Poland.

The student:

4) explains what political pluralism is; names political parties that have representatives in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and in local self‑government bodies; explains what the purpose of political parties is and that they compete in public life; finds information on the activity of a selected party (its regional or central structures).

The general aim of education:

The student presents the principles of the political system of the Republic of Poland.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• provides the definition of a party system.

• analyses the most common party systems.

• discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the most common party systems.

• explains the difference between a majority voting system and proportional representation, and analyses the consequences of these two systems.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences.

Teaching methods:

• discussion,

• mind map,

• SWOT analysis,

• teaching conversation using infographics, movies, interactive exercises.

Forms of work:

• self‑learning,

• work in pairs,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: You will analyse the most common electoral and party systems and determine the consequences the functioning of each of them entails.

2. The teacher asks the students to write out on the board, based on their knowledge, the political parties currently active in Poland and their leaders. The teacher says that they should be divided into those with and without seats in the Parliament, and into the ruling parties and the opposition. The teacher also assigns five students who are to search for information on the Internet and then act as experts verifying their classmates’ propositions.

Implementation:

1. The teacher tells the students that at the beginning of the lesson they will try to work out the definition of a “party system” together. In a teaching conversation, the teacher asks auxiliary questions to help the students formulate the definition:

• What do you understand by “system”? What does it mean that something is a “system” (e.g. sound system, operating system)? The students should establish that a system comprises certain elements and relationships between them.

• What are the elements of a party system?

• What are the relations between the elements of a party system, i.e. parties? In what ways can parties be related to one another?

2. The teacher asks the students to read the definition of a party system in the abstract and find out whether they managed to determine the same most important components of the definition. The teacher tells the students that different party systems are in place in different countries, and asks them what questions should be asked based on the definition in order to characterise such systems. Willing students indicate the criteria for characterising party systems. The teacher writes the students’ proposed questions on the board. These should include:

• How many parties are there in the system?

• What are the relations between parties in the system?

3. Next, the teacher displays on the interactive board the “Party systems” diagram which shows the two most common party systems. The teacher asks the students to answer the questions they came up with earlier, writing down the answers in their notebooks, and thus define what a two‑party and a multi‑party system is. Then, the teacher asks the students to pair up and check, and if needed, complement and correct their answers using the explanations in the diagram. The teacher asks two willing students to read out loud the correct answers.

4. The teacher tells the students that they have already established all the necessary definitions and so they shall move on to a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of either system. The teacher divides the students into four groups and tells them they will be working using a SWOT analysis, explaining it if needed. The students are to formulate the strengths and weaknesses of a two‑party system and a multi‑party system, and the opportunities and threats related to the functioning of these systems. The students do Exercise 1 in preparing their answers; they write the conclusions of their group on the interactive board. All four groups hold a discussion and analyse the two systems (every group has the same task; the division serves to facilitate the discussion). The teacher sets the time to complete the exercise.

Next, the teacher displays both tables on the interactive board and asks the students to complete them based on the results of their group’s work:

a. Group 1 write the strengths; group 2, the weaknesses; group 3, the opportunities; group 4, the threats — in both tables (for a two‑party and a multi‑party system).

b. Next, the teacher asks the other students to analyse the table entries and based on the results of their group’s work to suggest what more could be added.

c. Once the tables are completed, the teacher asks willing students to provide a summary: an evaluation of each party system.

5. The teacher tells the students that the next part of the class will concern electoral systems. The students are going to watch a video on the subject (“Electoral systems”). The teacher asks the students to write down the answers to the following questions while watching:

• What is an electoral system?

• What are the two most common electoral systems?

• What are the principles of every system presented in the video?

After watching the video, willing students answer the questions so that every student can complete their notes.

6. The teacher initiates a discussion: “Which system is better, proportional or majoritarian representation?” The students present their arguments. Then, the teacher asks four students to sum up the discussion; every willing/selected student summarises the advantages/disadvantages of the proportional representation / majoritarian representation system, respectively.

Summary:

1. The teacher asks the students to do exercises 2 and 3. The correct answers are discussed in class.

2. At the end of the lesson the teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer?

Probably the students will name: the definition of a party system, the characteristics as well as advantages and disadvantages of a two‑party and a multi‑party system, the definition of an electoral system, and the characteristics and consequences of the functioning of a proportional representation and a majoritarian representation system.

If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions.

3. Homework proposal:

a. What party system would now be best for Poland? Justify your answer.

b. What electoral system would now be best for Poland? Justify your answer.

c. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

What do we need political parties for?

Political parties significantly influence the socio‑political reality of every democratic state, including Poland. They prepare their members to rule the state and society, strive to gain power, shape the consciousness, attitudes and political behaviours of people. Political parties are constantly trying to gather the greatest number of supporters and mobilize them to be active. To this end, they form election committees and run election campaigns. Voters decide which of the political parties will dominate the political scene of the state, win the majority in the legislative bodies or form a government.

Watch the animation that presents the electoral systems in the world and in Poland.

A party system is the whole of relations between political parties and between parties and institutions of state power. It refers to the typical structure of parties within a political system. One of the possible ways to differentiate party systems is based on indicating the number of parties that are capable of actually participating in political life and exercising power.

Democratic systems of the modern world are dominated by two main systems. Study the scheme below and find out, what they are like.

In undemocratic states, a one‑party system is usually in place, where only one party can legally function, gathering all the power. There are no opposition parties and opponents of the only party are subject to repression.