CHAPTER-6

POLITICAL PARTIES

Q.1 Why do we need political parties?   

1.Political parties are easily one of the most visible institutions in a democracy.

2.For most ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties.

3. Political parties in a populated country like India helped in forming the government

political parties have become omnipresent in democracy all over the world.

Q.2What are the main features/characteristics of a political party?

Ans. Feature/characteristics

1.They agree on some politics and programs for the society with a view to promote the

collective good.

2.Since there can be different views on what is good for all, parties to try to persuade people why their policies are better than others.

3.They seek to implement these policies by wining popular support through citizens.

4.Parties are a part of society and thus involve partnership

5.Thus, a party is known by which part is stands for, which policies its supports and whose interests it upholds.

Q.3 Which party system can be ideal for any country? Why India choose to have a multiparty system?

1.Party system is not something any country can choose. It evolves over a long time,

depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics and its system of elections.

2.These cannot be changed quickly. Each country develops a party

system that is conditioned by its special circumstances. India has evolved multi party system. It is because the social and geographical

diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties. No system is ideal for all countries and all situations.

Q.4 What is difference between a national party and a state party ?

1.National parties have influence all over the country or in

several states of India. The

influence of a state party is limited to a state or region.

2.National parties take interest in national as well as international issues whereas

regional or state parties are interested in promoting regional / state interest only.

3.The national parties have to harmonize the national as well as state interests whereas

state parties usually stands for greater autonomy for states.

Q.5 Suggest some of the ways taken in our country in reforming political parties and its leaders.

Ans. Suggestions to reform political parties and its leaders

1.The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing

parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in

defection. Now the law says that if any MLAs or MPs changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature.

2.The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals.

Now its mandatory for every candidate who contests cases pending against him. The

new system has made a lot of information available to the public.

3.The election commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have

started doing so but sometime it is mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to greater internal democracy in political parties.

Q.5 Suggest some of the ways taken in our country in reforming political parties and its leaders.

Ans. Suggestions to reform political parties and its leaders

1.The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing

parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in

defection. Now the law says that if any MLAs or MPs changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature.

2.The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals.

Now its mandatory for every candidate who contests cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public.

3.The election commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to

hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have

started doing so but sometime it is mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to

greater internal democracy in political parties.

Q.6 What other suggestions can reform political parties?

Ans. Suggestions to reform political parties

1.A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be

made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow

its own constitution, to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of

party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest post.

2.It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one third to women candidates.

3.There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kindI.ie. petrol,

paper, telephone etc. or could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by

the party in the last elections.

Q.8 What is the role of an opposition party?

1.Opposition parties mobilize opposition to the government.

2.It keeps it different views in the parliament and criticized government for its failure.

3.By doing this it can keep a check on the ruling party, which is made to move on atrack.

Q.9What are the main function of a political parties?

Ans. Main functions of a political parties:

1.To contest elections: In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. Parties select their Candidates different ways. In

our country top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.

2.Forming policies and programs: Parties put forward different policies and programs and the voters choose from them. Each of us may have different opinion and views on

what policies are suitable for the society.

3.Making laws: Parties, when come to power make laws for the country. Formally laws

are debated and passed in the legislature. Members of ruling party, follow the

direction of party leaders, irrespective of their personal opinion.

4.Parties form and run government: Parties Recruits leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run government in the way they want.

5.Role of opposition: Parties that loose in elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power by criticizing government for its failures or wrong policies.

6.Shaping public opinion: They raise and highlight issues. Parties have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country. Many of the pressure groups are the

extension of political parties among different sections of society. Parties, sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people.

7.Access to government machinery and welfare schemes: For an ordinary citizens it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer. That is why, they feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them. Parties have to be responsive to peoples needs and demands.

Q.10 Why modern democracies cannot exist without political parties?

1.We can understand the necessity of political parties by imagining a situation without parties. Every candidate in the elections will be independent. So no one will be able to

make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.

2.Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in

the locality. But no one will be responsible for how the country run.

3.We also have non-party based election to the panchayats in many states. Although

parties do not contest formality, it is generally noticed that the village gets split into

more than one faction, each of which puts up a panel

of its candidates. This is what exactly what the party does. That is why we have political parties in almost all the countries of the world.

4.The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative

democracies, large scale societies need representative democracy. Large societies

needed some way to bring various representatives together so that a responsible

government could be formed. We can say that parties are a necessary condition democracies.

Q.11 Describe the various party systems existing in various countries?

Ans. Party systems

1.One-party system:

a)In some countries only one party is allowed to control and run the government. It is called one-party system.

b)We cannot consider one party system as a good option because this is not a

democratic option.

c)Any democratic system must allow at least two parties to compete in elections and

provide a fair chance for the competing parties to come to power. For ex-Communist party of China.

2.Two-party system:

a)In some countries power usually changes between two main parties.

b)Here only the two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority seats to

form government. For ex-U.S.A. and U.K.

3.Multi-party system:

a)If several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable

chance of coming to power either on their own or in alliance with others, it is called

multi-party system.

b)The multi-party system often appears very messy and leads to political instability.

c)At the same time, this system allows a variety of interests and opinion to enjoy

political representation. For ex-India Coalition government-NDA, UPA, Left front.

Q.12What are the challenges of political parties?

1) Lack of Internal democracy:

a)All over the world, there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of

power in one or few leader at the top.

b)Parties do not keep membership resister.

c)They do not regularly hold organizational meetings.

d)They do not conduct internal elections regularly.

e)Ordinary members of the party do not have sufficient information on what happens inside the party.

f)As a result the leaders assure greater powers to make decisions in the name of the party.

2)No transparency:

a)Since most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedure for their

functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary workers to rise to the top in a

party.

b)Those who happen to be the leader are in a position of unfair advantage to favour people close to them or even their family members.

c)In many parties, the top position are always controlled by members of one family.

d)This is also bad for democracy since people who do not have adequate experience or

popular support come to occupy positions for power.

3)Money and muscle power:

a)Since parties are focused only on winning election, they tend to use short-cuts to win

elections.

b)They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.

c)Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have influence on the policies and decisions of the parties.

d)In some cases parties supports criminals who can win elections.

e)Democrats all over the world are worried about the increasing role of rich people and big companies in democratic politics.

4)Meaningful choice:

a)In order to offer meaningful choice, parties must be significantly different.

b)In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties in most part of the world.

c)Those who want really different policies have no opinion available to them.

Sometimes people cannot elect every different people either, because the same set of

leaders keep shifting from one party to another.

Q.13What is an alliance or a front?

Ans. When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front, for ex-UPA.

Q.14 What is a national party?

Ans. A party that secures at least six percent of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four states and wins at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national party.

Q.15 What are Recognized political parties?

Ans. Parties that get a unique symbol and special facilities by the Election Commission.

Parties that get these privileges and some other special facilities are

Recognized by the election commission for this purpose. That is why these parties are called Recognized political parties.

Q.16 Name some National parties of our country.  

∙Indian National Congress [INC]

∙Bhartiya Janata Party [BJP]

∙Bahujan Samaj Party [BSP]

∙Communist party of India-Marxist [CPI-M]

∙Communist party of India [CPI]                    ∙National Congress Party [NCP]  

Q. 16. Name three components of political parties.

Ans . 1. The leaders.
2. The active members.
3. The followers.

Q. 17. ‘Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.’ Explain.

1. Laws are debated and passed in the legislature. The legislature is made by parties.
2. The party in power supports the bill, whereas the opposition tries to find the negative points. So the common people can know the positive and negative points of the bill.

Q. 18 What are the limitations of a multiparty system?

Ans.1. It leads to political instability.
2. It delays the decision making power of the parliament.

Q. 19.What are the advantages of multiparty system?

Ans1. It allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
2. It provides chance even to small and local parties to flourish and, to be a part of the government.

Q. 20. What is an alliance or front?

Ans. When several parties in a multiparty system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front.

Q. 21.  What is defection?

Ans. Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected to a different party.

Q. 22 Distinguish between regional and national parties.

Ans . Regional parties
1. A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State, and wins at least two seats is recognized as a State Party.
2. These parties exist, operate and function at the regional level.
3. These raise regional issues.
4. For example, the Akali Dal, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, etc.

National Parties
1. A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in the Lok Sabha elections or the Assembly elections in four states, and wins at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha in recognized as a national party.
2. These exist, operate and function throughout India.
3. These raise national issues.
4. For example, the Indian National Congress, The Bharatiya Janata Party etc.

Q. 23. How do the political parties help in the formation of public opinion? Explain.

Ans.
1. Political parties shape the public opinion. They raise the highlight issues. Parties have lakh of members and activists spread all over the country.
2. Many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of the society.
3. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the solution of problems faced by the people. Often opinions in the society crystallize on the lies parties take.

Q. 24. Distinguish between a political party and a pressure group.

Ans .Political Party
1. It is a group of people, who come together to contest elections.
2. Political parties are generally of two types (National Party and regional party).
3. Political parties contest elections.
4. Example. BJP, Congress etc.

Pressure Group
1. It is group of people, who seek to promote the interests of a particular section or society.
2. Pressure groups are also of two types (Sectional and public interest groups).
3. They do not contest elections.
4. Example, The Trade Unions and All Indian Sikh Students Federations.