2. What is a Political Party?
A political party is a political
organization that typically seeks to
influence government policy, usually
by nominating their own candidates
and trying to seat them in political
office. Parties participate in
electoral campaigns, educational
outreach or protest actions. Parties
often espouse an expressed ideology
or vision bolstered by a written
platform with specific goals, forming
3. Partisan Style
Nonpartisan
Single Dominant Party
Two Political Parties
Balanced Multi - party systems
Components of Political
Parties
The leaders
The active members
The followers
4. Functions of a Political
Party
Contest Elections : In most
democracies , elections are fought
mainly among the candidates put up
by political parties. Parties select
their candidates is followed by
many countries. In India , top
party leaders choose candidates
for contesting elections. Generally
those candidates are given party
tickets whose chances of winning
are bright.
Law : Making : parties play a
decisive role in making laws for a
country . Formally , laws are
5. Policies and Programmes : parties
put forward different policies and
programmes and the voters choose
for them. People have different
opinions and views on what policies
are suitable for the society. But no
government can handle such a large
variety of views. In a democracy ,
a large number of similar opinions
have to be pooled to provide a
directions in which policies can be
formulated by the governments.
The parties do this job. A party
reduces a vast multitude of
6. Form and Run Governments :
Political parties form and run
governments .The big party decisions
are taken by political executive that
comes from the political parties .
Parties ewcruit leaders , train them
and then make them ministers to run
the government in the way they want
.
Shape Public Opinion : Political
parties raise and highlight issues
.Parties have lakhs of members and
activists spread all over the country
. Many of the pressure groups are
7. Access to Government machinery
and schemes : Parties provide people
access to government machinery and
welfare schemes implemented by
government . For an ordinary citizen
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 people’s needs and
demands. Otherwise people can
reject those parties in the next
elections.
8. Characteristics of a
Political Party
A Certain Organization : Every
political party has its own
structure. The group of people,
based on a specific ideology,
organized in a proper way forms a
political party. Every member is
aware of his role and responsibility
in the party
Unity Of Purpose : Every member
of party must agree on certain
policies and programmes for the
good of society. The party has its
9. Adherence To Constitutional
Methods : All the political parties
must agree to fight elections in a
fair and free manner. They should
contest the elections and gracefully
honour the results of the elections.
Implement The Policies And
Programmes If Voted To Power :
All the political parties must
adhere to the declare policies when
voted to power. They must feel
10. Challenges of a Political
Party
Lack of internal democracy : In
almost all political parties the
concentration of power remains in
one or few leaders at the top. As
a result, ordinary members of the
party do not get sufficient
information on what happens inside
the party. As such, leaders assume
greater power to make decisions in
the name of the party. Since one
or a few leaders exercise
11. Dynastic Succession : Since most
political parties do not practice
open and transparent procedures
for the functioning, there are very
few ways for an ordinary worker to
rise tom the top in a party. Party
leaders are in the position of
unfair advantage to favour people
close to them even their family
members. In many parties, the top
12. National Political Parties
Of India
Indian National Congress
Bhartiya Janata Party
Bahujan Samaj Party
Communist Party Of India-Marxist
Communist Party Of India
Nationalist Congress Party
