Political parties play several important roles in politics. They help organize governments by nominating candidates for elections and work to gain power by appealing to voters with similar ideologies. Political parties first developed to represent different views and interests within society. While they help structure competition for leadership, political parties also face criticisms that they can be divisive and less responsive to public concerns. The document discusses how to assess the role and effectiveness of political parties as well as address the view that they may no longer be important in British politics.