Chapter 4: Political Parties

Ans: Political parties fulfill the following functions in a democracy: 

• Candidates are nominated by political parties to run in elections. These candidates may be picked by the party's top leaders or by party members.

• Parties provide their policies and programs for voters to choose from.

• Political parties play a significant role in the creation of legislation for the country. No law can become a bill unless it has the backing of a majority of the legislature.

• Political parties create and govern governments.

• Parties that lose elections serve as the opposition to the party in power.

• Political parties shape public opinion.

• Political parties serve as a vital link between the government and the general public. The public can access their local leader more easily than a government official. The local leader must respond to public demand or risk losing the next election.

Ans: The various challenges faced by political parties are shown below: 

Lack of Internal democracy: 

• Every member of the party does not have a say in the decision-making process.

• Before making a decision, no member is consulted.

• There is no proper organization or member registration.

• Power is still concentrated in the hands of a few elite leaders, who do not consult with common members.

• Ordinary members have no knowledge of the party's internal operations. 

Dynastic Succession: With authority concentrated in the hands of a few top leaders, all party positions are filled by family members. These members may not be competent or capable of holding their positions. 

Money and Muscle Power: 

• Funding is required to organize demonstrations, public gatherings, and speeches in order to publicize the party's image. Parties select candidates who can collect funds for the party and win elections using their resources. 

• Parties may also endorse criminal candidates if they believe they can win elections. 

Meaningful choice to others: 

The majority of political parties share the same fundamental and ideological issues. Voters do not have a meaningful alternative. Even leaders switch parties, which confuses voters.

Ans: Some reforms to strengthen parties are shown below. 

• A law should be enacted to govern political parties' internal affairs.

• Political parties should be required to provide a certain number of tickets, around one-third of which should go to female candidates.

• Elections should be funded by the state. The government should provide funds to political parties to help with election expenses. 

Ans: A political party is a group of people who share an ideology and hence band together to run for office and hold power in government. 

Ans: The characteristics of a political party are given below. 

∙ A political party is made up of members who agree on certain goals and programs for society in order to promote the common good.

• It aims to put plans into effect by gaining popular support through elections.

• The presence of a party leader, employees, and followers.

• It is a collection of people who band together to run for office and hold power in government.

Ans: Political Party

Ans: c

Ans: A. Kanshi Ram 

Ans: D. Modernity

Answer. (b) A and B