CBSE Class 10 · Political Parties

Political Parties Class 10: Meaning, Functions and Necessity

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

A political party is a group of people who unite to contest elections and hold power, agreeing on policies for the collective good. Its components are leaders, active members and followers. Parties contest elections, offer policies, make laws, form and run governments, act as opposition, shape opinion and give access to government. Representative democracy cannot work without them.

A party has three parts, leaders, active members and followers, and together they perform all six functions shown around it.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity

Visible but criticised. Political parties are among the most visible institutions of democracy; for many citizens, democracy means parties. Yet visibility is not popularity: people blame parties for much that is wrong and identify them with divisions. About a hundred years ago few countries had parties; now few do not.

Meaning. 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 society to promote the collective good. Since people differ on what is good for all, parties try to persuade voters that their policies are better and seek to implement them by winning elections.

Parties reflect fundamental political divisions; a party is about a part of society and so involves partisanship (a tendency to take a side and not a balanced view). A party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds.
Three components: the leaders, the active members and the followers.

Functions. Parties fill political offices and exercise power by:
1. Contesting elections. In the USA, members and supporters choose candidates; in India, top party leaders choose them.
2. Putting forward policies and programmes. A party reduces a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions; the government is expected to follow the ruling party's line.
3. Making laws. Laws are passed in the legislature, but most members follow their party leadership's direction, whatever their personal opinions.
4. Forming and running governments. Parties recruit and train leaders and make them ministers.
5. Playing opposition. Losing parties voice different views, criticise government failures and mobilise opposition.
6. Shaping public opinion. They raise issues, have lakhs of members and activists, have pressure groups as extensions, and launch movements; opinions often crystallise along party lines.
7. Giving access to government machinery and welfare schemes. It is easier for a citizen to approach a local party leader than an officer, so parties must stay responsive or be rejected at the next election.

Necessity: why democracy needs parties. Imagine no parties:

every candidate would be independent, so no one could promise major policy changes;
a government might form, but its utility would be uncertain;
representatives would answer to their constituency for local work, but no one would be responsible for how the country is run.

Even in non-party panchayat elections, villages split into factions that put up 'panels' of candidates, which is exactly what parties do.
The rise of parties is directly linked to representative democracy. Large, complex societies need an agency to gather views and present them to government, to bring representatives together to form a responsible government, and a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies and justify or oppose them. Parties meet these needs; they are a necessary condition for democracy.

Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity: key facts

Political party (definition): Who a group of people
Aim contest elections and hold power in government
Basis agreed policies for the collective good
Three components: Leaders, active members, followers
Seven functions: Contest elections
offer policies
make laws
form and run governments
act as opposition
shape public opinion
give access to government machinery and welfare schemes
Candidate selection: USA: members and supporters choose; India: top party leaders choose
Partisan: A person strongly committed to a party, group or faction; partisanship = taking a side, no balanced view
Why parties are necessary: Without them: all independents, no policy promises, uncertain government, no one responsible for the country; representative democracy needs them; Panchayat 'panels' show the need.

Who	a group of people
Aim	contest elections and hold power in government
Basis	agreed policies for the collective good

How to answer Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity questions

Questions ask for the meaning and components of a party, its functions, and why democracies need parties. Cases often describe a scenario without parties or a party's activity and ask which function it shows.

1Define a party with 'contest elections, hold power, policies, collective good'.
2For functions, list each as a separate point with one line of explanation.
3For necessity, imagine a world of independents and give three consequences.
4Add the panchayat 'panels' example and the link to representative democracy.
5For classification, match the activity to the function (e.g., criticising the government: opposition).

Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity in real life

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

Why democracy needs parties

Imagine a student council election where all 30 candidates stand as independents with no groups. Each promises something only for their own class. After the election, nobody can agree on the annual budget and no one is responsible for the whole school's plans.

Explain what this imagined case shows about the need for political parties.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

All independents: no one can promise major school-wide changes.
Council forms but its usefulness is uncertain.
Each member answers only to their class, so no one is responsible for the whole school.
Groups usually form anyway, like 'panels' in panchayat elections.

Answer: Like a democracy without parties, the council has only independents, so no one can promise or deliver school-wide policy. It forms, but its usefulness is uncertain, and each member answers only to their own class, so no one is responsible for the whole school. Soon students would form groups with shared plans, just as villages form 'panels' in non-party panchayat elections. Parties exist because representative bodies need them.

Memory hook: No parties, no one answers for the whole.

Tricks to remember Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity

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

L-A-F components
Leaders, Active members, Followers.
Use it when: Components of a party.
C-P-L-G-O-O-A functions
Contest, Policies, Laws, Government, Opposition, Opinion, Access: 'Clever People Love Good Open Online Access'.
Use it when: Seven functions.
USA members, India leaders
Who picks candidates: USA = members and supporters; India = top leaders.
Use it when: MCQs.

Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Candidate selection in India · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

In India, candidates for elections are usually chosen by:
(a) members and supporters of the party
(b) the Election Commission
(c) top party leaders
(d) the President

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT contrasts the USA (members and supporters) with India (top party leaders) (1 mark).

Answer: (c) top party leaders

Example 2: Meaning and components (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

What is a political party? Name its three components. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in government, agreeing on policies to promote the collective good (1 mark).
Components: leaders, active members and followers (1 mark).

Answer: A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power, agreeing on policies and programmes for the collective good. Its three components are the leaders, the active members and the followers.

Example 3: Assertion-reason: parties and laws · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Political parties play a decisive role in making laws.
Reason (R): Most legislators belong to parties and follow the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.
(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

NCERT gives R as the reason parties decide law-making (1 mark).

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 4: Functions of parties (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

'Political parties do far more than contest elections.' Examine the statement with reference to any five functions they perform in a democracy. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Contest elections, with candidates chosen by members (USA) or top leaders (India) (1 mark).
Put forward policies and programmes, reducing many opinions to a few positions for voters to choose (1 mark).
Make laws, as legislators follow the party line; and form and run governments by recruiting and training leaders as ministers (1 mark).
Losing parties act as opposition, criticising the government and mobilising opposition (1 mark).
Shape public opinion by raising issues and launching movements; give citizens access to government machinery and welfare schemes (1 mark).

Answer: Parties contest elections; in India top leaders choose their candidates. They put forward policies and programmes, reducing a vast range of opinions to a few positions voters can choose from. They play a decisive role in law-making, since most legislators follow their party's line, and they form and run governments by recruiting and training leaders to become ministers. Parties that lose act as the opposition, voicing different views and criticising government failures. They also shape public opinion by raising issues and launching movements, and they give ordinary people access to government machinery and welfare schemes through local leaders.

Example 5: Case: non-party panchayat elections · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read the case and answer the questions.

NCERT notes that in many states, panchayat elections are held on a non-party basis: parties do not formally contest. Yet it is generally observed that the village splits into more than one faction, and each faction puts up a 'panel' of its own candidates. NCERT says this is exactly what a party does, which is why parties are found in almost all countries, big or small, old or new, developed or developing.

(i) What does each village faction put up during non-party panchayat elections? (1)
(ii) What would happen to accountability if every candidate were independent? (1)
(iii) Explain why the rise of political parties is linked to representative democracy. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) A 'panel' of its candidates (1 mark).
(ii) Representatives would answer to their constituency for local work, but no one would be responsible for how the country is run (1 mark).
(iii) Large, complex societies need an agency to gather different views and present them to government (1 mark).
(iii) They need a way to bring representatives together to form a responsible government and to support or restrain it; parties do this (1 mark).

Answer: (i) A 'panel' of its candidates. (ii) Each representative would answer only to their constituency for local matters, and no one would be responsible for how the country as a whole is run. (iii) Large and complex societies need representative democracy, and representatives need an agency to gather views and present them to government, to come together to form a responsible government, and to support or restrain it. Parties meet these needs, which is why their rise is tied to representative democracy.

Example 6: Why parties are necessary (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Why can modern democracies not exist without political parties? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Without parties, every candidate would be independent and no one could promise major policy changes (1 mark).
A government may form, but its utility would be uncertain; no one would be responsible for running the country (1 mark).
Representative democracy needs an agency to gather views, form responsible governments and support or restrain them; parties do this (1 mark).

Answer: Without parties every candidate would be independent, so no one could promise major policy changes. A government might form, but its usefulness would be uncertain, and representatives would answer only for local work, with no one responsible for running the country. Representative democracy needs parties to gather views, form responsible governments and support or restrain them.

Where students lose marks in Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity

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

Mistake: Incomplete definition
Only 'a group that contests elections'.
Wrong working
A party is a group that fights elections.
Right working
Also holds power and agrees on policies for the collective good.
Do this: Three parts: contest, hold power, policies.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Listing functions without explanation
Names only.
Wrong working
Functions: elections, laws, opposition.
Right working
Explain each: e.g., opposition criticises government failures and mobilises opposition.
Do this: Function + one line.
Usually costs: 2-3 marks.
Mistake: Answering 'necessity' with functions only
The question asks why democracy cannot exist without parties.
Wrong working
Parties are necessary because they contest elections.
Right working
Without parties: independents, no policy promises, no responsibility for the country.
Do this: Use the thought experiment.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: Wrong candidate-selection fact
Systems confused.
Wrong working
In India, party members vote to choose candidates.
Right working
In India, top party leaders choose candidates; in the USA, members and supporters.
Do this: USA members, India leaders.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Learn all seven functions; 5-mark questions ask for any five.
For 'necessity', always use the 'imagine no parties' reasoning and the panchayat panels example.
Define 'partisan' and 'ruling party' for 1-mark items.
Political Science word limits: 40 (2 marks), 60 (3 marks), 120 (5 marks).

Practice questions on Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity

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

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction is called:
(a) a partisan
(b) a ruling party
(c) a defector
(d) an independent
Hint
Takes a side.
Answer
(a) a partisan
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
How do opposition parties contribute to democracy? (2 marks)
Hint
Voice, criticise, mobilise.
Answer
Parties that lose elections act as opposition: they voice different views, criticise the government for its failures or wrong policies, and mobilise opposition to the government, keeping it in check.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why do people feel close to political parties even when they do not fully trust them? (2 marks)
Hint
Access to government.
Answer
Parties give access to government machinery and welfare schemes; it is easier to approach a local party leader than a government officer. So people feel close to parties, and parties must stay responsive or be rejected in the next election.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a classmate says, 'Parties only divide people, so we should abolish them.' Respond using NCERT's ideas on the meaning and necessity of parties. (3 marks)
Hint
Partisanship is natural; what happens without parties?
Answer
Parties do reflect divisions, since each stands for a part of society, but that reflects real differences of opinion about the collective good. Without parties, every candidate would be independent, no one could promise major policies and no one would be responsible for the country. Even non-party panchayat polls produce 'panels'. So parties are necessary; the answer is to reform them, not abolish them.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Parties reduce a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions.
Reason (R): No government can handle a very large variety of separate views.
(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
Why group opinions?
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q6 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.' Analyse the statement, using the functions of parties and the situation in a democracy without parties. (5 marks)
Hint
Functions first, then the thought experiment.
Answer
Parties perform functions no other body does in a democracy. They contest elections and offer voters a few clear policy positions out of countless opinions. They decide law-making through their legislators, and form and run governments by training leaders as ministers. Losing parties act as opposition, criticising and checking the government. Parties shape public opinion and give citizens access to government schemes. Without parties, every candidate would be independent, no one could promise major policy changes, governments would be uncertain and no one would answer for running the country. Even non-party panchayat polls produce 'panels'. Since large societies need representative democracy, parties are a necessary condition for it.

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.What is a ruling party?Show answer
The political party that runs the government.
2.Who chooses candidates in the USA?Show answer
Members and supporters of the party.
3.What do villages put up in non-party panchayat polls?Show answer
'Panels' of candidates.
4.To what is the rise of parties directly linked?Show answer
The emergence of representative democracies.
5.Name the three components of a party.Show answer
Leaders, active members and followers.

Political Parties: Meaning, Functions and Necessity: frequently asked questions

What is a political party in Class 10?

A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in government, agreeing on policies to promote the collective good.

What are the functions of political parties?

Contesting elections, offering policies, making laws, forming governments, acting as opposition, shaping public opinion and giving access to government schemes.

Why do we need political parties?

Without them every candidate would be independent, no one could promise major policies, and no one would be responsible for running the country.

What are the components of a political party?

Leaders, active members and followers.