A Study On The Political Party Subsidy System In Britain

The system of state subsidies to political parties is a system that in accordance with legislation and law, a state draws upon state funds to grant political parties subsidies so as to provide assistance to them with expenditure and election campaign. Its point lies in easing the parties’ financial strain, being more conscious to their responsibility to the public and better serving the function as political parties.The system of state subsidies to political parties came into being in the Federal Republic of Germany after WWⅡ and spread gradually in European countries. Over forty years later, this system has been burgeoned in almost all western democracies. However, owing to the dissimilar histories and basic national conditions then, the realization degree of the system and its implementation forms varied in different countries.Generally speaking, the system in Britain started from the Corrupt Practices Act of 1883, and after long period of development it was not until the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000, i.e. PPERA, got passed that the system of state subsidies to political parties was formally established in Britain.This thesis starts to analyze the system of state subsidies to political parties from the causes and its status quo in western democracies, and then teases out the system’s refine process and content in Britain from imposing restriction on one problem(huge expenditure in political campaign) in 1883 to forming complete policy normative restrictions on political parties’ financial issue in 2000. Next, the author probes the effects of the system in Britain, explaining its influences on three objects: political parties, political party system and relationship between political parties and society. Finally, the thesis focuses on the inspiration for the Communist Party of China(CCP) from the system in Britain, putting forward that the system of state subsidies to political parties is a vital guaranty for political parties to function well; formation of the system and its allocation with different emphasis vary because of the specific historical reasons and national conditions of different countries; the system should be open and transparent.