State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.
Political parties fill political offices and exercise political power by performing the following functions:
Contesting Elections: Parties select candidates to fight elections.
Putting forward Policies: Parties put forward different policies and programmes, and voters choose from them.
Making Laws: Parties play a decisive role in making laws for the country (debate and passing in legislature).
Forming Government: Parties recruit leaders, train them, and then make them ministers to run the government.
Role of Opposition: Those who lose elections voice different views and criticise the government for its failures.
Shaping Public Opinion: They highlight issues using pressure groups and movements.
Access to Machinery: Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes.
Question 2
What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Political parties face four major challenges:
Lack of Internal Democracy: Power is concentrated in the hands of a few top leaders. Membership registers are not kept, and internal elections are not held regularly.
Dynastic Succession: Top positions are always controlled by members of one family, which is unfair to other members and bad for democracy.
Money and Muscle Power: Parties focus on winning elections and often field candidates who are rich or have criminal records.
Lack of Meaningful Choice: In recent years, there has been a decline in ideological differences among parties, offering voters fewer distinct choices.
Question 3
Suggest some reforms to strengthen political parties so that they perform their functions well.
Recent Reforms: • Anti-Defection Law: MPs and MLAs lose their seats if they change parties after election.
• Affidavit: Supreme Court made it mandatory for candidates to file an affidavit regarding wealth and criminal cases.
• Organizational Elections: Election Commission made it necessary for parties to hold organizational elections and file income tax returns.
Suggested Reforms: • Internal Affairs Law: A law should compel parties to maintain member registers and hold independent inquiry in case of disputes.
• Women’s Reservation: Mandatory one-third ticket distribution to women candidates.
• State Funding: Government should give parties money (cash or resources like petrol/paper) to support their election expenses.
Long Answer Questions
Question 1
What is a political party? Explain the difference between a National Party and a State Party.
Political Party: A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good.
Components: The Leaders, The Active Members, and The Followers.
Difference between National and State Party (Election Commission Criteria):
State Party: 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 2 seats is recognised as a State Party. (e.g., AAP, Samajwadi Party).
National Party: A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States AND wins at least 4 seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a National Party. (e.g., BJP, INC).
Question 2
What is the role of the opposition party in a democracy?
The Opposition plays a crucial role in keeping the ruling party in check:
Constructive Criticism: They criticise the government for its failures or wrong policies.
Mobilizing Opinion: They mobilise opposition to the government among the public.
Restricting Power: They ensure that the ruling party does not misuse its power or violate the constitution.
Alternative: They provide a political alternative to the voters in the next election.
Objective Questions
Question 1
Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?
Which of these is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
(a) Bahujan Samaj
(b) Revolutionary Democracy
(c) Integral Humanism / Cultural Nationalism (Hindutva)
(d) Modernisation
Answer: (c) Integral Humanism / Cultural Nationalism (Hindutva)
Question 3
Consider the following statements on parties.
A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people.
B. Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders.
C. Parties are not necessary to run governments.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, and C
(b) A and B
(c) B and C
(d) A and C