Political Parties - Q&A
Exercises1. State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.
Political parties perform the following key functions in a democracy:
1. Contesting Elections: Parties recruit candidates and put them up to fight elections. In India, top party leaders usually choose candidates.
2. Putting Forward Policies: Parties put forward different policies and programmes, reducing a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions that the government can support.
3. Making Laws: Parties play a decisive role in making laws. Laws are debated and passed in the legislature, but members usually follow the direction of the party leadership.
4. Forming and Running Governments: Parties recruit leaders, train them, and make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
5. Role of Opposition: Parties that lose elections play the role of opposition by voicing different views and criticising the government for its failures.
6. Shaping Public Opinion: Parties raise and highlight issues using lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country.
7. Access to Government Machinery: Parties provide ordinary citizens access to government machinery and welfare schemes.
2. What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Political parties face four major challenges:
1. Lack of Internal Democracy: Power is concentrated in the hands of one or a few leaders at the top. Ordinary members do not get sufficient information or have the means to influence decisions.
2. Dynastic Succession: Top positions are often controlled by members of one family. This is unfair to other members and bad for democracy as people without adequate experience occupy positions of power.
3. Money and Muscle Power: Parties focus on winning elections and often use short-cuts, such as nominating rich candidates or supporting criminals who can win votes.
4. Lack of Meaningful Choice: There has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties (e.g., economic policies in India), leaving voters with no distinct options.
3. Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well?
Here are some suggestions to reform political parties:
1. Internal Affairs Law: A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties, making it compulsory to maintain a register of members, follow their own constitution, and hold open elections for top posts.
2. Reservation for Women: It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
3. State Funding of Elections: The government should give parties money to support their election expenses (in cash or kind like petrol, paper, etc.) to reduce the influence of big money.
4. Public Participation: Ordinary citizens, pressure groups, and media should put pressure on parties through petitions, publicity, and agitations to force them to reform.
4. What is a political party?
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.
5. What are the characteristics of a political party?
The main characteristics of a political party are:
1. Organised Group: It is a group of people with a common political agenda.
2. Goal of Power: Their primary aim is to contest elections and hold power in the government.
3. Collective Good: They seek to implement policies that promote the collective good.
4. Partisanship: A party is known by which part of society it stands for, which policies it supports, and whose interests it upholds.
5. Three Components: A party consists of the leaders, the active members, and the followers.
6. A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is called a political party.
7. Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| 1. Congress Party | A. National Democratic Alliance |
| 2. Bharatiya Janata Party | B. State party |
| 3. Communist Party of India (Marxist) | C. United Progressive Alliance |
| 4. Telugu Desam Party | D. Left Front |
(a) 1-C, 2-A, 3-B, 4-D
(b) 1-C, 2-D, 3-A, 4-B
(c) 1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B
(d) 1-D, 2-C, 3-A, 4-B
Answer: (c) 1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B
Explanation:
1. Congress Party leads the United Progressive Alliance (C).
2. BJP leads the National Democratic Alliance (A).
3. CPI(M) is part of the Left Front (D).
4. Telugu Desam Party is a regional or State party (B).
8. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?
A. Kanshi Ram
B. Sahu Maharaj
C. B.R. Ambedkar
D. Jotiba Phule
Answer: A. Kanshi Ram
Explanation: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.
9. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party?
A. Bahujan Samaj
B. Revolutionary democracy
C. Integral humanism
D. Modernity
Answer: C. Integral humanism
Explanation: The BJP draws inspiration from India's ancient culture and values, and Deendayal Upadhyaya's ideas of integral humanism.
10. Consider the following statements on parties.
A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people.
B. Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders.
C. Parties are not necessary to run governments.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, and C
(b) A and B
(c) B and C
(d) A and C
Answer: (b) A and B
Explanation: Statements A and B are true as per the text (parties are one of the least trusted institutions). Statement C is incorrect because political parties are necessary to form responsible governments and facilitate representation in large democracies.
11. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
Muhammad Yunus is a famous economist of Bangladesh. He received several international honours for his efforts to promote economic and social development for the benefit of the poor. He and the Grameen Bank that he started jointly, received the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2006. In February 2007, he decided to launch a political party and contest in the parliamentary elections. His objective was to foster proper leadership, good governance and build a new Bangladesh. He felt that only a political party different from the traditional ones would bring about new political culture. His party would be democratic from the grassroots level. The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti (Citizens' Power), has caused a stir among the Bangladeshis. While many welcomed his decision, some did not like it. "Now I think Bangladesh will have a chance to choose between good and bad and eventually have a good government," said Shahedul Islam, a government official. "That government, we hope, would not only keep itself away from corruption but also make fighting corruption and black money a top priority." But leaders of traditional political parties who dominated the country's politics for decades were apprehensive. "There was no debate (over him) winning the Nobel, but politics is different - very challenging and often controversial," said a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Some others were highly critical. They asked why he was rushing into politics. "Is he being planted in politics by mentors from outside the country," asked one political observer.
Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party?
Yes, floating a new political party is a right decision in a democracy if one believes that the existing parties are not serving the people well. Yunus aimed to create a new political culture based on good governance and proper leadership, which provided a necessary alternative to the traditional parties.
Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various people?
I agree with the statement of the government official that a new party offers a chance to choose between "good and bad." However, the fears expressed by traditional leaders seem to stem from insecurity about their own power. The suggestion that he is "planted by mentors from outside" appears to be a cynical political attack to discredit a new entrant.
How do you want this new party organised to make it different from other parties?
To be truly different, this party should ensure internal democracy. It should have transparent elections for party posts, allow open debate on policies, and not be controlled by a single leader or family. It should also have strict mechanisms to prevent the influence of criminals and black money.
If you were the one to begin this political party, how would you defend it?
I would defend it by saying that democracy requires competition and choice. If the current parties are corrupt or ineffective, it is the duty of responsible citizens to step forward. Launching a party is not "rushing" into politics but taking responsibility to build a better nation and offering people a clean, democratic alternative.