Political Parties — Class 10 Social Science
Political Science — Democratic Politics-II · Chapter 4
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Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Political party
- A group that contests elections to gain power and pursue shared policies.
- Ruling party
- The party or alliance that forms and runs the government.
- Opposition
- Parties that are not in power and check and criticise the government.
- Multi-party system
- A system in which many parties compete and contest for power.
- Defection
- Changing party allegiance after being elected on a party’s ticket.
- National party
- A party recognised across many states by the Election Commission.
- Partisan
- A person strongly committed to a party or faction.
- Affidavit
- A signed legal document candidates file declaring their details.
Extra questions & answers
Why are political parties necessary in a democracy?
They contest elections, form governments, make and oppose policies, shape public opinion and link citizens to the government, making large-scale representative democracy workable.
What are the main functions of political parties?
Contesting elections, framing policies and programmes, making laws, forming and running governments, acting as the opposition and shaping public opinion.
What challenges do political parties face?
A lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, the growing use of money and muscle power, and offering voters little real choice between them.
Suggest some reforms to strengthen political parties.
Enforce the anti-defection law, make internal elections and the disclosure of finances compulsory, ensure a minimum share of tickets for women, and regulate party funding.
How are national and state parties recognised?
By the Election Commission, on the basis of the proportion of votes and seats a party secures in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections across states.
Why are political parties necessary in a democracy?
They contest elections, form governments, make and oppose policies, shape public opinion and link citizens to the government, making large-scale democracy workable.
What are the main functions of political parties?
Contesting elections, framing policies and programmes, making laws, forming and running governments, acting as the opposition and shaping public opinion.
What challenges do political parties face?
A lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, the growing use of money and muscle power, and offering voters little meaningful choice.
Suggest some reforms to strengthen political parties.
Enforce the anti-defection law, make internal elections and disclosure of finances compulsory, ensure a fair share of tickets for women, and regulate funding.
How are national and state parties recognised?
By the Election Commission, on the basis of the proportion of votes and seats a party secures in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.
Let us revise
Categorise these photographs by the functions of political parties they illustrate. Find one photograph or news clipping from your own area for each of the functions listed above.
Photograph 1 shows party activists raising a public issue and organising a demonstration against price rise; this illustrates how parties shape public opinion and mobilise people. Photograph 2 shows a minister helping the families of victims through a welfare payment; this illustrates how parties provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes. Photograph 3 shows opposition parties organising a protest against a government decision; this illustrates the role of opposition parties in criticising policies and mobilising opposition. For the other functions, suitable local clippings could show parties contesting an election, announcing policies in a manifesto, participating in a legislative debate, forming a government, and helping citizens obtain public services.
Let us revise
Let us apply what we have learnt about party systems to the various states within India. Here are three major types of party systems that exist at the State level. Can you find the names of at least two States for each of these types?
• Two-party system
• Multiparty system with two alliances
• Multiparty system
Examples are: two-party system—Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, where two major parties have usually been the principal competitors; multiparty system with two alliances—Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where several parties generally contest as members of two major alliances; multiparty system—Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where several parties have significant electoral influence.
Let us revise
Can you identify which of the challenges described in this section are being highlighted in these cartoons (on pages 57 to 59)?
The cartoons highlight the concentration of power in a few leaders, the lack of internal democracy, and the growing influence of money and powerful business interests in political parties. The Berlusconi cartoon suggests that one wealthy leader can control a party and important institutions. The cartoon about Corporate America shows how large companies may influence political institutions, while the cartoon about a rich candidate points to the use of wealth for gaining political power.
What are the ways to curb the misuse of money and muscle power in politics?
The misuse of money and muscle power can be reduced by strictly enforcing limits on election expenditure, requiring parties and candidates to disclose their income, assets, donors and criminal cases, auditing party accounts independently, punishing bribery and intimidation quickly, preventing candidates with serious criminal charges from receiving party tickets through a fair legal process, providing limited state support for election campaigns, and making candidate selection within parties open and democratic. Citizens and the media should also examine candidates carefully and report violations.
Exercises
1. State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.
Political parties contest elections and nominate candidates. They present different policies and programmes from which voters can choose. They help make laws through their elected representatives, form and run governments, and recruit and train political leaders. Parties that do not form the government act as the opposition by questioning and criticising those in power. Political parties also raise public issues, shape public opinion, organise movements and help citizens gain access to government offices and welfare schemes.
2. What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Political parties face four major challenges. First, they often lack internal democracy because power is concentrated in a few leaders and regular organisational elections are not held. Second, dynastic succession gives unfair advantages to the relatives of powerful leaders. Third, money and muscle power influence candidate selection, election campaigns and party policies. Fourth, parties sometimes fail to offer a meaningful choice because their policies become similar and leaders frequently shift from one party to another.
3. Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well?
Parties should maintain proper membership records, follow their constitutions, conduct regular and transparent internal elections, and create independent bodies to settle internal disputes. Candidate selection and party finances should be open to public scrutiny. Parties should give about one-third of their tickets and decision-making positions to women. Donations, election expenditure, assets and criminal records should be disclosed and independently verified. Limited state funding may reduce dependence on wealthy donors. Citizens, pressure groups and the media should continuously demand reforms, and people committed to democratic values should participate actively in political parties.
4. What is a political party?
A political party is an organised group of people who share certain policies and programmes, contest elections and seek to gain political power in order to form or influence the government and promote what they consider the collective good.
5. What are the characteristics of a political party?
A political party is an organised group that seeks political power by contesting elections. Its members broadly agree on certain policies and programmes. It represents particular political ideas, social interests or sections of society and tries to persuade people that its policies are better than those of other parties. A political party consists of leaders, active members and followers.
6. A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is called a _____________________.
political party
1. Congress Party
United Progressive Alliance
2. Bharatiya Janata Party
National Democratic Alliance
3. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Left Front
4. Telugu Desam Party
State party
8. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?
A. Kanshi Ram
B. Sahu Maharaj
C. B.R. Ambedkar
D. Jotiba Phule
A. Kanshi Ram
9. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
A. Bahujan Samaj
B. Revolutionary democracy
C. Integral humanism
D. Modernity
C. Integral humanism
10. 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
(b) A and B. Political parties often have low public trust and may be affected by scandals involving senior leaders. Statement C is incorrect because political parties are necessary for forming and running representative democratic governments.
11. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Muhammad Yunus is a famous economist of Bangladesh. He received several international honours for his efforts to promote economic and social development for the benefit of the poor. He and the Grameen Bank that he started jointly, received the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2006. In February 2007, he decided to launch a political party and contest in the parliamentary elections. His objective was to foster proper leadership, good governance and build a new Bangladesh. He felt that only a political party different from the traditional ones would bring about new political culture. His party would be democratic from the grassroots level.
The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti (Citizens’ Power), has caused a stir among the Bangladeshis. While many welcomed his decision, some did not like it. “Now I think Bangladesh will have a chance to choose between good and bad and eventually have a good government,” said Shahedul Islam, a government official. “That government, we hope, would not only keep itself away from corruption but also make fighting corruption and black money a top priority.”
But leaders of traditional political parties who dominated the country’s politics for decades were apprehensive. “There was no debate (over him) winning the Nobel, but politics is different – very challenging and often controversial,” said a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Some others were highly critical. They asked why he was rushing into politics. “Is he being planted in politics by mentors from outside the country,” asked one political observer.
Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party?
Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various people? How do you want this new party organised to make it different from other parties? If you were the one to begin this political party, how would you defend it?
Yunus had the democratic right to form a new political party, and his decision could be considered reasonable because he wanted to offer voters an alternative based on clean government, social development and opposition to corruption. The hope that a new party might improve governance was understandable, while the warning that practical politics is difficult was also reasonable. However, suspicions about foreign control should not be accepted without evidence. To remain different, the party should practise democracy from the grassroots level, hold regular internal elections, publish its accounts and sources of funding, select candidates transparently, prevent dynastic control, include women and disadvantaged groups, and refuse tickets to people involved in serious crime or corruption. If I began the party, I would defend it by explaining that democracy allows citizens to create political alternatives and that the party would be judged by its transparent organisation, public programme and conduct rather than by unsupported allegations.