CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Civics: Political PartiesExplain the necessity of political parties in a democracy. What are the major functions performed by political parties?

Introduction\nPolitical parties are easily one of the most visible institutions in a democracy. For most citizens, democracy is equal to political parties. Without political parties, democracies cannot function effectively in large, modern nation-states.

Why Do We Need Political Parties? (Necessity)

• Representation of Diverse Views: In a large democracy, there are divergent views on every issue. Political parties bring these diverse representatives together so that a responsible government can be formed.
• Connecting Citizens and Government: Parties act as an agency to gather different views on various issues and to present them to the government. They form the link between the people and the government policy-making machinery.
• Accountability: Elected representatives are accountable to their constituency for what they do, but the rise of political parties ensures that the government can be held accountable for its overall governance and policy direction.

Major Functions Performed by Political Parties

1. Contesting Elections: Political parties contest elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among candidates put up by political parties.
2. Putting Forward Policies and Programmes: Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. A government is expected to base its policies on the line taken by the ruling party.
3. Making Laws: Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Laws are debated and passed in the legislature, and most members belong to some party.
4. Forming and Running Governments: The big policy decisions are taken by political executive authorities that come from political parties. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government.
5. Role of Opposition: Parties that lose in elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, voicing different views and criticizing government failures or wrong policies.
6. Shaping Public Opinion: Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues, launch movements for the resolution of problems, and have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country.
7. Access to Government Machinery: Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. For an ordinary citizen, it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer.

Conclusion\nThus, political parties are the backbone of a democratic system, providing the necessary mechanism for representation, legislation, and peaceful transition of power.