Political Parties Flashcards
What are political parties?
A political party is 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.
A political party has three components:
the leaders,
the active members and
the followers
Partisanship
A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction. Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an issue.
What are the functions of political parties?
Political parties fill political offices and exercise political power. Parties do so by performing a series of functions:
1. Parties contest elections. Parties select their candidates in different ways. In some countries, such as the USA, members and supporters of a party choose its candidates. In other countries like India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.
2. Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped together to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments. This is what the parties do. A party reduces a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions which it supports. A government is expected to base its policies on the line taken by the ruling party.
3. Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature. But since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.
4. Parties form and run governments. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
5. Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, by voicing different views and criticising government for its failures or wrong policies. Opposition parties also mobilise opposition to the government.
6. Parties shape 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 extensions of political parties among different sections of society. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people.
7. Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. Parties have to be responsive to people’s needs and demands. Otherwise people can reject those parties in the next elections.
Why modern democracies cannot exist without political parties?
If parties will not exist then:
1] 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] The government may be formed, but its utility will remain ever uncertain.
3] Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency. But no one will be responsible for how the country will be run.
4] There will be no mechanism to support the government, to make policies and justify or oppose them.
5] We also need political parties also to perform various functions like contesting elections, shaping public opinion, provide access to government machinery etc.
6] We need political parties to represent citizens in a representative democracy. In this system, governance is done through people’s representative because it is impossible for each citizen to directly participate in governance.
The need for representative democracy has given rise to political parties and parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.
What is an alliance or a front?
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 example, in India there were three such major alliances in 2004 parliamentary elections– the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front.
Mono party system
In some countries, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. These are called one-party systems.
Eg: China (communist party)
Two party system
• In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Such a party
system is called two-party system.
• Only the two main parties have a serious chance of winning a majority of seats to form a government.
• Other parties may exist, may win few seats but the chances of winning majority is with these two parties.
• Eg:-The United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples of a two-party system.
Multiparty system
• If several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multi-party system.
In this system, the government is formed by various parties coming together in a
coalition.
• Eg:-India.
“Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.” Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons.
• Party system is not something any country can choose.
• A particular party system takes time to evolve in a country.
• It depends on the nature of society, social and regional diversities.
• It also depends on its history of politics and its system of elections.
• Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.
• Eg:-India has evolved a multiparty system because of its social and geographical diversity which is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties.
• No system is ideal for all countries and all situations.
Criteria to become a recognised party in India
• Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission.
• While the Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special facilities to
large and established parties.
• These parties are given a unique symbol which only the official candidates of that
party can use.
• Parties that get this privilege and some other special facilities are ‘recognised’ by the Election Commission for this purpose. That is why these parties are called, ‘recognised political parties’
National parties
• There are some country-wide parties, which are called ‘national parties.
• These parties have their units in various states.
• But, all these units follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the national level.
• 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 four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a national party.
State parties
• A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a state party.
• Most of the major parties of the country are classified by the Election Commission as ‘State parties’.
• These are commonly referred to as regional parties.
• Some of these parties are all India parties that happen to have succeeded only in
some states.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Formed on 26 November 2012, following the 2011 anti-corruption movement.
The party was founded on the idea of accountability, clean administration, transparency and good governance.
In the year after its formation, AAP emerged as the second largest party in the Delhi Legislative Assembly election.
It formed a government with the support of Indian National Congress (INC).
It also emerged as the third front in the politics of Gujarat after 2022 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election.
Presently, AAP formed governments in Punjab and Delhi. In the Lok Sabha election held in 2019, it secured one seat in the Lok Sabha.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.
Seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities.
Draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.
It has its main base in the state of Uttar Pradesh and substantial presence in neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab.
Formed government in Uttar Pradesh several times by taking the support of different parties at different times.
In the Lok Sabha elections held in 2019, it polled about 3.63 per cent votes and secured 10 seats in the Lok Sabha.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951.
Wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values; and Deendayal Upadhyaya’s ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya.
Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.
Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion, and ban on religious conversions.
Its support base increased substantially in the 1990s.
Earlier limited to north and west and to urban areas, the party expanded its support in the south, east, the north-east and to rural areas.
Came to power in 1998 as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) including several regional parties.
Emerged as the largest party with 303 members in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Currently leads the ruling NDA government at the Centre.
