Question

What are the characteristics of a political party?

Answer 1

A political party has three components – followers, active members of the party, leaders. Some of the characteristics of political parties are given below:

Contesting Elections

• Elections are contested by parties.
• Elections are mainly fought among the candidates put up by political parties, in most of the democracies.
• Selection of candidates in parties are done in different ways.
• In countries like the USA, candidates are chosen by the supporters and members of a party. Now this method is chosen in more and more countries.
• In India, candidates are chosen by top party leaders, in many of the parties

Shaping Public Opinion

• Public opinion is shaped by the Political parties.
• Issues are highlighted and raised by the Political parties.
• Spread across the country Political parties have lakhs of activists and members.
• In different sections of society, many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties.
• For the resolution of problems faced by people parties sometimes also launch movements.
• Based on the lines parties take, often opinions in the society crystallise. .

Policies and Programmes

• Different programmes and policies are put forward by the parties and voters make a choice from those manifestos.
• A vast multitude of opinions are reduced into a few basic positions by political parties.
• Based on the line taken by the RULING PARTY, a government is expected to base its policies

Access to government machinery and welfare schemes

• Access to welfare schemes implemented by governments and access to Government machineries are provided to people by the Political parties.
• For an ordinary citizen it is difficult to approach a government officer when compared to a local party leader.
• Parties have to be responsive to people’s demands and needs must be responded to by the political parties.
• This is the reason why people feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them.

Role in Making Laws

• In making laws for a country, parties play a very important role.
• In the legislature laws will be debated and passed formally.

Form and Run Governments

• From the political parties comes the political executives who take big decisions on policies.
• Leaders are recruited, trained by political parties and they are made as Ministers to run the Government in the manner the Party wants.