Political Parties Class 10: Functions, Challenges and Reforms

What Political Parties is about

Weightage: Political Science carries 20 of the 80 theory marks; this chapter shares them with Power-sharing, Federalism, Gender, Religion and Caste and Outcomes of Democracy.Source: CBSE Social Science syllabus 2026-27, Political Science

In real board papers: asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.7 marks per paper. See the questions

Key concepts

Meaning and components of a political party

NCERT section Meaning

A political party is an organised group that puts up candidates in elections so that it can run the government. Its members share a set of policies and programmes that they think will benefit everyone in society.

Why do parties compete at all? Because people hold different views on what is good for everyone. Each party tries to convince voters that its policies are better. It then tries to carry them out by winning popular support in elections.

So a party always stands for a part of society. That is why parties involve partisanship, which means taking a side. You can identify a party by three things: which part of society it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds. This is how parties reflect the basic political divisions in a society.

Every party has three components: the leaders, the active members and the followers. The rest of the chapter (functions, party systems, challenges) builds on this definition, so learn it well.

Worked example

'Parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society.' Explain the statement. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A party is a group that contests elections and seeks power, agreeing on policies it believes promote the collective good. (1)
2. Since people differ on what is good for all, each party persuades voters that its policies are better, so it represents only a part of society and involves partisanship. (1)
3. A party is therefore known by which part of society it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds. (1)

Answer: A party is a group that contests elections to hold power, sharing policies for the collective good. People disagree about what is good for all, so each party argues its policies are better and stands for one part of society. A party is known by the section it represents, the policies it backs and whose interests it upholds.

Functions of political parties

NCERT section Functions

At the most basic level, parties fill political offices and use political power. They do this through seven functions:

• Contest elections: most elections are fought between party candidates. In the USA, members and supporters choose candidates. In India, top party leaders choose them.
• Put forward policies and programmes: no government can handle millions of separate opinions. Parties group similar views into a few basic positions that voters can choose from.
• Make laws: laws are passed in the legislature, but most members follow their party leadership's direction.
• Form and run governments: parties recruit and train leaders and make them ministers.
• Play opposition: losing parties voice different views, criticise government failures and mobilise opposition.
• Shape public opinion: they raise issues through lakhs of members, pressure groups and movements.
• Give access to government machinery and welfare schemes: a local party leader is easier to approach than a government officer.

The last point explains why people feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them. Parties must respond to people's needs, or voters can reject them at the next election.

Worked example

Describe any five functions that political parties perform in a democracy. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Contest elections: parties put up candidates; in India top leaders select them. (1)
2. Offer policies and programmes: they reduce a vast range of opinions into a few positions for voters to choose from. (1)
3. Make laws: legislators mostly follow the direction of their party leadership. (1)
4. Form and run governments: parties recruit and train leaders and make them ministers. (1)
5. Act as opposition: losing parties criticise government failures and wrong policies and mobilise opposition. (1)

Answer: - Contesting elections: parties put up candidates; in India top leaders choose them.
- Policies and programmes: parties group many opinions into a few positions, and voters choose among them.
- Law-making: legislators mostly vote as their party leadership directs.
- Forming governments: parties recruit and train leaders and make them ministers.
- Opposition: losing parties criticise the government's failures and wrong policies and mobilise people against them.

Also accepted: shaping public opinion, and giving people access to government machinery and welfare schemes.

Necessity of political parties

NCERT section Necessity

The list of functions already shows why we need parties. The deeper question is why modern democracy cannot exist without them. The best way to see this is to imagine a democracy with no parties.

• Every candidate would be independent, so no one could promise major policy changes.
• A government might be formed, but its usefulness would always be uncertain.
• Each representative would answer to his or her constituency for local work, but no one would be responsible for running the country.

There is a clue from real life too. Many states hold panchayat elections on a non-party basis. Even there, villages split into factions, and each faction puts up a 'panel' of candidates. That is exactly what a party does.

The rise of parties is directly linked to representative democracy. Large, complex societies need an agency to collect different views and present them to government. They also need a way to bring representatives together into a responsible government, and to support or restrain it. Parties meet these needs, so they are a necessary condition for democracy.

Worked example

Suppose a country bans all political parties and every candidate must contest as an independent. Explain three problems this country would face, and use the example of non-party panchayat elections to show that parties are necessary. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Independent candidates cannot promise major policy changes, so the usefulness of any government formed stays uncertain. (1)
2. Representatives answer only to their constituency for local work; nobody is responsible for running the country. (1)
3. Even in non-party panchayat elections, villages split into factions that put up panels, doing what parties do, so representative democracy needs parties. (1)

Answer: Without parties, no candidate could promise major policy changes, so the government's usefulness would be uncertain. Each representative would answer only for local work, and no one would be responsible for running the country. Even non-party panchayat polls split villages into factions fielding panels, which shows that some party-like body always emerges in a representative democracy.

Party systems: how many parties should we have?

NCERT section How many parties should we have?

Any group of citizens in a democracy may form a party. More than 750 parties are registered with the Election Commission of India, but only a handful are serious contenders.

• One-party system: only one party is allowed to control and run the government, as in China with the Communist Party. It is not a democratic option because there is no free competition for power. A democracy needs at least two parties with a fair chance of winning.
• Two-party system: power usually changes between two main parties. Others may win a few seats, but only the two main parties have a serious chance of a majority. Examples are the USA and the UK.
• Multiparty system: more than two parties have a reasonable chance of power, alone or in alliance. India follows this system. When parties join hands to contest and win power, it is an alliance or front. In 2004 there were three: the NDA, the UPA and the Left Front.

A multiparty system can look messy and unstable, but it gives many interests a voice. No system suits every country. A party system evolves from a country's society, its social and regional divisions, its political history and its system of elections. India's diversity is too great for two or three parties to absorb.

Worked example

Read the passage and answer the questions. (4 marks)

A civics teacher asked her class to compare three imaginary countries. In Country X, the law allows people to form parties, but elections are arranged so that only one party ever controls the government. In Country Y, many parties contest, yet power keeps passing between the same two big parties, while the rest win only a few seats. In Country Z, a large and very diverse nation, several parties have a fair chance of power. Usually no party wins a majority alone, so some parties join hands before the elections, and the government is formed by a group of parties together. One student said Country Z must have the worst system because it looks so messy. The teacher replied that a party system is not simply chosen. It grows over a long time.

(i) Name the party system in Country X and state why it is not considered democratic. (1)
(ii) What is the term for parties in Country Z joining hands before elections to win power? (1)
(iii) Do you agree with the student's view about Country Z? Give two reasons. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (i) One-party system: it is not democratic because it does not allow free competition for power with a fair chance for other parties. (1)
2. (ii) An alliance or a front. (1)
3. (iii) Disagree: a multiparty system lets a variety of interests and opinions enjoy political representation. (1)
4. (iii) A party system evolves from a country's society, social and regional divisions, history and electoral system, and a diverse country like Z cannot easily be absorbed by two parties. (1)

Answer: (i) One-party system. It is not democratic because there is no free competition, and other parties get no fair chance to come to power.

(ii) An alliance or front.

(iii) No. A multiparty system may look messy, but it allows many interests and opinions to be represented. A party system also grows from a country's social and regional divisions, history and electoral system. A large, diverse country like Z cannot easily be represented by just two parties.

National parties and recognition by the Election Commission

NCERT section National parties

Every party in India must register with the Election Commission. The Commission treats all parties equally. However, it gives large, established parties some special facilities, the main one being a unique election symbol that only their official candidates can use. These are called recognised political parties.

Recognition depends on votes and seats:

• State party: it must win six per cent or more of the votes in an election to a State's Legislative Assembly, plus at least two seats there.
• National party: it must win six per cent or more of the votes either in a Lok Sabha election or in Assembly elections in four States, and it must also win at least four Lok Sabha seats.

National parties have units in many states. By and large, these units follow the policies, programmes and strategy decided at the national level.

The Election Commission's 2023 notification lists six national parties:

• Aam Aadmi Party (formed 2012)
• Bahujan Samaj Party (1984, under Kanshi Ram)
• Bharatiya Janata Party (1980)
• Communist Party of India-Marxist (1964)
• Indian National Congress (1885)
• National People's Party (2013, under P.A. Sangma), the first party from North East India to become a national party

Worked example

Read the statements and choose the correct option. (1 mark)

Assertion (A): Every political party in India must register with the Election Commission.
Reason (R): The Election Commission gives a unique election symbol only to parties it recognises on the basis of votes and seats.

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A is true: registration with the Election Commission is compulsory for every party.
2. R is true: only recognised parties get a unique symbol, based on the vote and seat criteria.
3. R does not explain why every party must register; it describes a privilege given only to some parties. So the answer is (b). (1)

Answer: (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

State parties and their role in federalism

NCERT section State parties

Most other major parties are classified by the Election Commission as State parties, commonly called regional parties. Be careful here: a State party need not be regional in its ideology or outlook.

• Some are all-India parties that have succeeded only in some states. The Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, for example, have units in many States and a national-level organisation.
• Others, such as the Biju Janata Dal and the Mizo National Front, put strong stress on their own State's identity.

Over the last three decades, the number and strength of State parties have grown, making Parliament more politically diverse. Until 2014, no single national party could win a Lok Sabha majority on its own. So national parties had to form alliances with State parties. Since 1996, nearly every State party has had a chance to be part of a national coalition government.

This links to the Federalism chapter. By sharing power at the Centre, State parties have strengthened both federalism and democracy in India.

Worked example

'The rise of State parties has strengthened federalism and democracy in India.' Justify the statement. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Over the last three decades the number and strength of State parties grew, making Parliament politically more diverse. (1)
2. No single national party won a Lok Sabha majority on its own until 2014, so national parties had to ally with State parties. (1)
3. Since 1996 nearly every State party has been part of some national coalition government, giving States a share of power at the Centre. (1)

Answer: State parties have grown in number and strength over three decades, making Parliament more diverse. Until 2014, no national party won a Lok Sabha majority alone, so national parties had to ally with State parties. Since 1996, almost every State party has shared power in a national coalition, which strengthens federalism and democracy.

Challenges to political parties

NCERT section Challenges to political parties

Parties are the most visible face of democracy, so people blame them for whatever goes wrong. Public criticism centres on four problem areas.

• Lack of internal democracy: power is concentrated in one or a few top leaders. Parties do not keep membership registers, hold organisational meetings or conduct regular internal elections. Ordinary members lack information and influence. Those who disagree find it hard to stay, and personal loyalty to the leader counts more than loyalty to principles.
• Dynastic succession: without open procedures, ordinary workers rarely rise. Leaders favour people close to them or family members. This is unfair to other members, and it puts people without enough experience or popular support into power.
• Money and muscle power: parties nominate candidates who have or can raise lots of money. Rich donors and companies influence party decisions, and some parties back criminals who can win.
• No meaningful choice: ideological differences have declined. In Britain, Labour and the Conservatives differ only in details. In India, differences on economic policy have reduced, and the same leaders keep shifting parties.

The second challenge grows directly out of the first.

Worked example

In a party, the top post has stayed within one family for three generations. A worker with twenty years of service finds no open procedure to rise, while a relative of the leader with little experience is given a senior post. Which challenge does this show? (1 mark)
(a) Lack of meaningful choice to voters
(b) Dynastic succession
(c) Growing role of money and muscle power
(d) Defection by elected representatives

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Top posts controlled by one family, and a relative favoured over an experienced worker, are the features of dynastic succession.
2. (a) concerns similar ideologies, (c) concerns wealth and criminals, and (d) concerns changing parties after election, so none of them fits. Answer (b). (1)

Answer: (b) Dynastic succession.

How can parties be reformed?

NCERT section How can parties be reformed?

Reform is hard because the final decisions are made by party leaders themselves. People can replace them, but only with another set of party leaders. Still, three steps have been taken in India:

• Anti-defection amendment: an MLA or MP who changes party loses the seat. Defection has come down, but dissent has become harder.
• Supreme Court order: every candidate must file an affidavit giving details of property and pending criminal cases. More information is public, but there is no system to check whether it is true.
• Election Commission order: parties must hold organisational elections and file income tax returns. They now do this, but sometimes only as a formality.

Suggestions not yet accepted by parties:

• a law to regulate parties' internal affairs
• about one-third of tickets for women, and a quota for women in party decision-making bodies
• state funding of elections

NCERT warns that over-regulation can backfire, because parties may simply find ways to cheat the law. There are two other routes. People can put pressure on parties through petitions, publicity and agitations. And those who want better politics can join parties, because bad politics is cured by more and better politics.

Worked example

Evaluate the efforts made in India to reform political parties and their leaders. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Constitution amended: an MLA or MP who changes party loses the seat. (1)
2. Limitation: defection fell, but dissent became harder; members must accept leaders' decisions. (½)
3. Supreme Court order: candidates must file affidavits on property and pending criminal cases. (1)
4. Limitation: there is no system to check the truth of the information. (½)
5. Election Commission order: parties must hold organisational elections and file income tax returns. (1)
6. Limitation: this is sometimes a mere formality; greater internal democracy is unclear. (½)
7. Conclusion: public pressure and wider participation in parties are also needed. (½)

Answer: - Anti-defection amendment: an MLA or MP who switches party loses the seat. Defection has fallen, but dissent is now harder, since members must follow the leaders.
- Supreme Court order: every candidate files an affidavit on property and pending criminal cases. The public gets more information, but nobody checks whether it is true.
- Election Commission order: parties must hold organisational elections and file income tax returns. This is sometimes a mere formality, and its effect on internal democracy is unclear.

So legal steps help only partly. Pressure from citizens and the media, and more people joining parties, are also needed.

Political Parties in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity
• Party Systems: How Many Parties Should We Have?Coming soon
• National Parties and State Parties
• Challenges to Political Parties
• How Can Political Parties Be Reformed?Coming soon

Political Parties: key facts

Political party

A group that contests elections and holds power, agreeing on policies for the collective good

Use as the opening line of any 'what is a party' or 'meaning' answer.

Three components

Leaders, active members, followers

Quick 1-mark fact; also supports the meaning answer.

Partisan

Someone strongly committed to a party, group or faction; partisanship means being unable to take a balanced view

Use when explaining why parties represent a part of society.

Ruling party

The political party that runs the government

Use in the function 'form and run governments'.

One-party system

Only one party is allowed to control and run the government, e.g. the Communist Party in China; not democratic

For party-system MCQs and case questions; state why it is undemocratic.

Two-party system

Power usually alternates between two main parties, e.g. the USA and the UK

Do not give India as an example.

Multiparty system

More than two parties have a reasonable chance of power, alone or in alliance, e.g. India

Pair it with its merit (many interests represented) and its drawback (can look messy and unstable).

Alliance or front

Parties joining hands to contest elections and win power; in 2004: NDA, UPA, Left Front

Use for 1-mark term questions and multiparty answers.

Registered parties

More than 750 parties are registered with the Election Commission of India

Shows that formally there are many parties but few serious contenders.

State party recognition

At least 6% of votes in a State Assembly election and at least 2 seats

For criteria questions; do not mix it up with the national party rule.

National party recognition

Vote share	at least 6% in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections
States	in 4
Lok Sabha seats	at least 4

Recognised parties get a unique election symbol.

National parties: founding facts

INC	1885
BJP	1980 (revived Bharatiya Jana Sangh of 1951)
CPI-M	1964
BSP	1984 (Kanshi Ram)
AAP	26 November 2012
NPP	July 2013 (P.A. Sangma)

For MCQs on founders and dates; NPP is the first North East party to gain national status.

State parties and coalitions

Until 2014	no single national party won a Lok Sabha majority alone
Result	national parties had to ally with State parties
Since 1996	nearly every State party has shared power in national coalitions

Use to explain how State parties strengthened federalism and democracy.

Defection and the anti-defection law

Defection: changing party after election; the amended Constitution makes an MLA or MP who changes party lose the seat

Reform answers: mention the gain (less defection) and the cost (less dissent).

Affidavit order

Supreme Court order: candidates file a sworn statement of property and pending criminal cases

Credit the Supreme Court, not the Election Commission; the limitation is that there is no truth check.

Election Commission order

Parties must hold organisational elections and file income tax returns

Aimed at internal democracy; the limitation is that it is often a formality.

How the board asks Political Parties

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Political Parties

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Seven functions: C-P-L-G-O-S-A

  "Clever Parties Like Getting Opposition Support Always": Contest elections, Policies and programmes, Laws, Government (form and run), Opposition, Shape public opinion, Access to government machinery and schemes.

  Use it when: Recall all seven functions quickly for a 5-mark answer, then choose your best five.

• Four challenges: I-D-M-C

  "Inside, Dynasty, Money, Choice": Internal democracy lacking, Dynastic succession, Money and muscle power, no meaningful Choice.

  Use it when: For the 5-mark challenges answer. Write four points, then expand the first two or add the link between them.

• Recognition numbers: 6-2 and 6-4-4

  State party: 6% votes, 2 seats. National party: 6% votes, 4 States, 4 Lok Sabha seats.

  Use it when: Avoid mixing up the two criteria in MCQs and assertion-reason questions.

• Three steps taken: A-A-E

  Amendment (anti-defection), Affidavit (Supreme Court), Election Commission (organisational elections and income tax returns). Each one has a 'but'.

  Use it when: For 'efforts to reform' answers. Pair each step with its limitation.

• Party systems by examples

  One: China. Two: USA and UK. Many: India.

  Use it when: Quick check before answering party-system MCQs or case questions.

Political Parties: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Political Parties

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up lack of internal democracy with dynastic succession

  The two challenges are closely linked, so students describe one under the heading of the other.

  Wrong working

  Dynastic succession: parties do not keep membership registers or hold meetings.

  Right working

  Lack of internal democracy: no membership registers, meetings or internal elections; power with a few leaders. Dynastic succession: top posts controlled by one family, so ordinary workers cannot rise.

  ✓Do this: Remember: internal democracy is about how decisions are made; dynasty is about who gets the top posts. Link them, but keep the points separate.

  Usually costs: 1 mark per wrongly explained point in a 5-mark answer.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the Election Commission gives symbols to all parties

  Students know every party registers and assume every party gets a symbol too.

  Wrong working

  Every party registers with the Election Commission and gets a unique election symbol.

  Right working

  Every party must register, but only recognised parties, which meet the vote and seat criteria, get a unique symbol that only their official candidates can use.

  ✓Do this: Separate registration (all parties) from recognition (only some parties).

  Usually costs: The full 1 mark in MCQ or assertion-reason questions.

• ✗Mistake: Calling India a two-party system

  Students think of two big alliances and confuse alliances with a two-party system.

  Wrong working

  India has a two-party system because two alliances compete.

  Right working

  India has a multiparty system. More than two parties have a reasonable chance of power, often through alliances such as the NDA, the UPA and the Left Front in 2004.

  ✓Do this: Two-party examples are only the USA and the UK. Alliances are a feature of multiparty systems.

  Usually costs: 1 mark in MCQs; 1 to 2 marks in case-based parts.

• ✗Mistake: Writing only headings in a 5-mark functions answer

  Students list the functions to save time and forget that marks go to explanation.

  Wrong working

  1. Contest elections 2. Make laws 3. Form governments 4. Opposition 5. Public opinion

  Right working

  Make laws: laws are passed in the legislature, but most members follow the direction of their party leadership. (Add one explaining line like this for each function.)

  ✓Do this: Bold the function, then add one clear sentence explaining it, staying within 120 words.

  Usually costs: Up to 2 to 3 marks out of 5.

• ✗Mistake: Giving the affidavit order to the Election Commission

  Both are election-related bodies, so students swap them.

  Wrong working

  The Election Commission made affidavits on property and criminal cases compulsory.

  Right working

  The Supreme Court ordered affidavits on property and criminal cases. The Election Commission ordered organisational elections and income tax returns.

  ✓Do this: Supreme Court means Sworn statement. The Election Commission is about the party's own Elections.

  Usually costs: ½ to 1 mark per step in reform answers.

• ✗Mistake: Presenting reforms as fully successful

  Students learn the steps but skip the 'but' that NCERT attaches to each one.

  Wrong working

  The anti-defection law has solved the problem of defection.

  Right working

  The anti-defection law has brought defection down, but it has made dissent harder, since MPs and MLAs must accept party leaders' decisions.

  ✓Do this: For any 'evaluate' or 'how effective' question, add one limitation to each step.

  Usually costs: ½ mark per step, often 1 to 2 marks in a 5-mark answer.

NCERT exercise guide: Political Parties

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Political Parties: previous year questions

• Asked in 21 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.7 marks per paper; 52 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 4 of 4 sample papers.

Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.

Solved board questions from Political Parties

Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.

Every Political Parties question, by year

Practice questions on Political Parties

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQHOTS / competency

   In an imaginary party, the president and two senior leaders take every decision. The party keeps no list of its members and has held no organisational meeting for years. Members who question decisions are eased out, and workers compete to show personal loyalty to the president. Which challenge to political parties does this best show? (1 mark)
   (a) Dynastic succession
   (b) Lack of internal democracy
   (c) Lack of meaningful choice to voters
   (d) Growing role of money and muscle power

   Hint

   Is the problem about who inherits the top post, or about how decisions are made inside the party?

   Answer

   (b) Lack of internal democracy. Power sits with a few leaders, there are no member registers or meetings, critics are pushed out and personal loyalty to the leader counts most. (a) is wrong because no family member is taking over; (c) and (d) are not described.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonBoard level

   Assertion (A): Every registered political party in India gets a unique election symbol that only its official candidates can use.
   Reason (R): Every party in India has to register with the Election Commission.

   (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   (c) A is true but R is false.
   (d) A is false but R is true.

   Hint

   Separate registration (all parties) from recognition (only some parties).

   Answer

   (d) A is false but R is true. Registration is compulsory for every party, but a unique symbol is a special facility given only to recognised parties that meet the vote and seat criteria.

3. Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

   State any two steps taken in India to reduce the influence of money and criminals in elections and to improve parties' functioning. (2 marks)

   Hint

   One step came from the Supreme Court, one from the Election Commission.

   Answer

   (1) The Supreme Court made it mandatory for every candidate to file an affidavit giving details of property and pending criminal cases. (2) The Election Commission ordered parties to hold organisational elections and file income tax returns.

4. Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

   How do political parties play a decisive role in making laws? Explain with two points. (2 marks)

   Hint

   Think about where most legislators come from and whom they follow.

   Answer

   Laws are formally debated and passed in the legislature, but most members belong to parties. They follow the direction of the party leadership, regardless of their personal opinions, so parties decide which laws pass.

5. Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   Imagine a town where every one of its thousands of voters has a different idea about schools, roads and jobs. Explain how political parties would turn these many opinions into a choice voters can actually make, and why a government needs this. (3 marks)

   Hint

   No government can handle every individual view.

   Answer

   No government can deal with thousands of separate opinions. Parties group similar opinions into a few basic positions and put them forward as policies and programmes. Voters choose among these, and the government bases its policies on the ruling party's line, which gives policy-making a clear direction.

6. Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   Explain the two effects, one positive and one negative, of the anti-defection law, and state why it was made. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Why did elected members change parties earlier?

   Answer

   It was made because many MLAs and MPs were defecting to become ministers or for cash rewards. Positive: since a member who changes parties loses the seat, defection has come down. Negative: dissent has become harder, as MPs and MLAs must accept whatever the party leaders decide.

7. Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

   'The multiparty system often appears messy, yet it has its merits.' Explain with reference to India, including the role of alliances. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Think of 2004 and the three alliances.

   Answer

   In a multiparty system governments are often coalitions, which can lead to instability, so it looks messy. Yet it lets a variety of interests and opinions get political representation. Parties form alliances or fronts to win power, such as the NDA, UPA and Left Front in the 2004 parliamentary elections.

8. Q8 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

   Describe any five functions performed by political parties in a democracy. (5 marks)

   Hint

   Choose from contesting elections, policies, laws, government, opposition, public opinion and access; add one explaining line to each.

   Answer

   (1) Contest elections: in India, top party leaders choose candidates. (2) Put forward policies and programmes from which voters choose. (3) Make laws: legislators follow party leadership. (4) Form and run governments: parties recruit and train leaders and make them ministers. (5) Opposition: losing parties criticise government failures and mobilise opposition. Parties also shape public opinion and give access to welfare schemes.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A survey in an imaginary State finds that most people say they trust political parties 'not much', yet party membership there keeps rising. A student says this is impossible. Using the chapter, explain why both can be true. (3 marks)

   Hint

   Recall what the chapter says about trust and participation in India.

   Answer

   Evidence shows parties enjoy little trust in South Asia and worldwide, yet participation in party activities in India is fairly high and membership has risen steadily. People join and feel close to parties because parties give access to government and welfare schemes, even when people do not fully trust them. So low trust and high participation can coexist.

10. Q10 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    A group of citizens demands a strict law that controls every internal decision of political parties. Do you think this alone will reform parties? Give three reasons for your view. (3 marks)

    Hint

    The chapter warns about legal solutions to political problems.

    Answer

    A law alone is not enough. Over-regulation can be counter-productive and push parties to find ways to cheat the law. Parties will not pass a law they dislike, since leaders who decide are from parties. Real reform also needs public pressure through petitions, publicity and agitations, and more citizens joining parties.

11. Q11 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Compare the one-party, two-party and multiparty systems, giving an example of each, and explain why asking 'which system is best?' is not a very good question. (5 marks)

    Hint

    Define each system with its example, then explain how party systems come about.

    Answer

    • One-party system: only one party may control and run the government, as in China; it is undemocratic because there is no free competition.
    • Two-party system: power usually alternates between two main parties, as in the USA and the UK; others win only a few seats.
    • Multiparty system: more than two parties have a reasonable chance of power, alone or in alliance, as in India; it may look messy but represents many interests.
    • Not chosen: a party system evolves over a long time from a country's society, social and regional divisions, political history and election system.
    • No ideal system: these factors cannot change quickly, so each country's system suits its own conditions; India's diversity is too great for two or three parties.

12. Q12 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Explain the challenges of growing money and muscle power and of lack of meaningful choice before political parties. Also evaluate one step taken in India to deal with the first challenge. (5 marks)

    Hint

    Two points for each challenge, then a step with its limitation.

    Answer

    • Money power: focused on winning, parties nominate candidates who have or can raise lots of money, and rich donors and companies influence party policies.
    • Muscle power: in some cases parties support criminals who can win elections.
    • Declining differences: ideological gaps have narrowed; in Britain, Labour and the Conservatives differ only in details, and in India economic policies of major parties have become similar.
    • Same leaders: leaders keep shifting from one party to another, so voters wanting different policies or leaders have no real option.
    • Step taken: the Supreme Court made candidates file affidavits on property and pending criminal cases; more information is public, but there is no system to check whether it is true.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.What are the three components of a political party?Show answer

   The leaders, the active members and the followers.

2. 2.Who chooses party candidates in India, and who chooses them in the USA?Show answer

   In India, top party leaders choose candidates. In the USA, members and supporters choose them.

3. 3.Why is a one-party system not a democratic option?Show answer

   It does not allow free competition for power or give other parties a fair chance to come to power.

4. 4.Name the three major alliances in the 2004 parliamentary elections.Show answer

   The National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front.

5. 5.What must a party achieve to be recognised as a national party?Show answer

   At least 6% of votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States, and at least four Lok Sabha seats.

6. 6.Who led the formation of the Bahujan Samaj Party, and in which year?Show answer

   Kanshi Ram, in 1984.

7. 7.What is defection?Show answer

   Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person was elected to a different party.

8. 8.Name the three suggested reforms that parties have not yet accepted.Show answer

   A law to regulate parties' internal affairs, about one-third of tickets for women (with a quota in decision-making bodies), and state funding of elections.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you define a political party in one sentence and name its three components?
• ☐Can you list all seven functions and explain any five in under 120 words?
• ☐Can you give three consequences of a democracy without parties, plus the panchayat example?
• ☐Can you name one example country each for the one-party and two-party systems, and say why India is multiparty?
• ☐Can you state one merit and one drawback of a multiparty system?
• ☐Can you write the 6-2 and 6-4-4 recognition rules from memory?
• ☐Can you match INC, BJP, CPI-M, BSP, AAP and NPP with their founding years?
• ☐Can you explain the four challenges and show how dynastic succession links to lack of internal democracy?
• ☐Can you state the three reform steps taken in India, each with its limitation, and the three suggestions?

Political Parties: frequently asked questions