Several political parties stand for election in our country. The presence of the political party actually benefits the nation. They are giving people the choice of making an evolved and effective decision. Moreover, it drives the other political parties to outperform their competitors in order to win elections and rule the nation. This is the general background of political parties. What is a political party? Why do we need a political party? Here’s what you need to know.
Introduction to Political Party
Basically, a political party is a group of people. In order to maintain power in government, these people organize to contest elections. It is a method of mobilizing voters to support similar interests, concerns, and goals. A political party’s primary duty is to set the political agenda and policies. Each party tries to persuade people that their policies are better than those of the other parties.
A political party is a means through which the people can have a voice in the government and have a say in the decision-making process of a country. So, every political party must have three key components:
- Leaders
- Active Members
- Followers
Functions of a Political Party
There are a number of functions that every political party has to perform. Here are a few of them.
- Elections are contested by political parties through their candidates.
- In countries like the USA, candidates are chosen by members and supporters of a party.
- In countries such as India, the candidates are chosen by top party leaders.
- Each party has its own policies and programs. Voters make a choice based on what they like in terms of policies and programs.
- In a democratic country, a large group of people with similar opinions gather together and form a party. Then, direct the policies adopted by the government.
- Opposition parties are those that lose elections. They criticize the government for its failures and mobilize opposition against the government.
- Political parties shape public opinion. With the help of pressure groups, parties launch movements to solve problems faced by the people.
- Parties provide access to government machinery and welfare schemes. The local party leader serves as a link between the citizen and the government officer.
Importance of Political Parties
A democracy can’t exist without political parties, and the parties fulfill a very important function in a democracy. In case, there are no political parties then:
- Each candidate in the election would be an independent. Candidates do not have the efficiency to promise any major policy changes to the public. No one would be in charge of running the country in such a situation.
- Only representative democracy would be able to survive in the long run. Political parties gather different viewpoints on various issues and present them to the government.
Party System
There are three types of party systems:
- One-Party System
- Two-Party System
- Multi-Party System
One-Party System
There is no competition in a one-party system, and only one party nominates the candidates, and the voters have only two choices.
- Not to vote at all or
- write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ against the name of the candidates nominated by the party
Such a political system has been prominent in authoritarian regimes and communist countries such as China, North Korea, and Cuba. Before the collapse of communism, this system was also prevalent in USSR.
Two-Party System
In a two-party system, power is split between two major parties. So, the winner will have to get the maximum number of votes for winning the elections. However, please know that maximum number of votes is not equivalent to a majority of votes.
So, the smaller parties tend to merge with the bigger parties or they drop out of elections. Such a parliamentary system prevails in Canada and Great Britain, in which two parties are holding the maximum numbers of seats.
Multi-Party System
Multi-party systems are the third and most common form of government. In such a system, there are three or more parties that can gain control of the government separately or in a coalition.
Several parties can come together to form a coalition government if no one party gains a majority of legislative seats. Multiparty systems are common in countries like India, and some believe that a multi-party system often leads to political instability.
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