CBSE Class 10 - Political Science - CH 6 - Political Parties (Q and A)

Political Parties

(Q & A)

Q1: What is a political party?

Answer: A group of people holding similar opinion on policies and programmes, who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is known as a political party.


Q2: State the various political parties functions that they perform in a democracy?



Answer: The political parties fill political offices and exercise political powers by performing following series of functions:

1. Parties contest elections: Most of the countries have different types of political establishments. Parties provide training ground for politicians, equip them with skills, knowledge and experience. The parties give public platform to their politicians emerge as leaders. In general top leaders of the parties choose candidates to contest elections.
2. Political parties put forward different policies and programmes in front of voters to choose from. It provides a link between the citizens and the government. It presents different choices and alternative goals to voters.
3. Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Formally laws are debated and passed in the legislature but most of the members belong to a party. Political parties issue whip and direction and form political opinion about the laws to be made.
4. Parties form and run the government. Policy decisions whether big or small by the executive on the basis of opinion made by the parties represented by the executive. Parties forming the government recruit leaders, train them and assign them as ministers to run government as per their political objectives.
5. Political parties form the opposition, which checks the wrong polices of the government. Parties though elected but are in opposition raise their voices and present views against government wrong policies and decisions. They mobilize people and form public opinion against the government policies.
6. Political parties help to express and shape public opinion.  Parties mobilize public opinion. educate the people about the problems of the country. Sometimes they commence movements to resolve problems faced by the people.
7. Political parties provide access to government machinery and implement welfare schemes resolve common people issues. Parties fulfill their political promises that they made before elections otherwise people would reject them in next election.

Q3: Define coalition government.
Answer: When several parties come together to form a government, it is called coalition government.


Q4: Differentiate among different types of party systems in the world.


Answer:

Single Party System	Bi-Party System	Multi-Party System
Exists only one political party.	Exist two political parties	Exist more than two political parties.
Russia, Poland and china	England and the United States	India, France and Italy
Single party is all – powerful and autocratic	The opposition party is strong and keeps an effective check on the ruling party	The cabinet cannot become dictatorial. Voters have wider choices.

Q5: What are the challenges of political parties?


Answer: 

1. Lack of Internal Democracy
2. Dynastic succession
3. Money and muscle power
4. Absence of meaningful choice

(In progress...)