CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Political Parties Worksheet

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 program for the society with a view to promote the collective good.
A political party tries to convince people that its policies are better than other’s policies. They try to win elections so that they can implement their policies.
Thus, parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are about a part of the society and hence involve “partnership”. A party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds.

A political party has three components:
(a) The Leaders
(b) The Active Members
(c) The Followers

WHY DO WE NEED POLITICAL PARTIES?

Functions of Political Party

The main function of a political party is to occupy political office and exercise political power. For achieving this, a political party performs following functions:

• Contesting Elections : Political parties contest elections. A political party nominates its candidate for the electoral contest in various constituencies.
• Policies : Political parties put forward different policies and program so that the voters can choose from amongst them. A political party brings a large number of similar opinions under one umbrella. These opinions are channelized to form policies and program. The policies and program of the ruling party generally become the government policies.
• Making Law : Political parties play a decisive role in making laws for the country. You may be aware that it is the legislature which passes a law after proper debate. As most of the members belong to political parties, so a political party has direct say in law making for the country. Individual members usually follow the party line of thinking on such issues.
• Formation of Government : Political parties form and run governments. The executive body is formed by people from the ruling party. Various political leaders are assigned different ministries to carry out the task of governance.
• Playing Opposition : A party which does not get majority or come under the majority coalition, needs to play the role of opposition.
• Shaping Public Opinion : Political parties shape public opinion. They do so by raising and highlighting issues in the legislature and in the media. The activists of a political party are spread all over the country. These activists raise public awareness on issues close to their party.
• Providing Access to Government Machinery : Political parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. Parties need to be responsive to people’s needs and demands. This helps them in winning the election.

Necessity of Political Parties

• If there were no political parties, then each and every candidate would be independent.
• They would only have interests for their own constituencies.
• They would not think about the collective interest of the country.
• Thus, political parties are necessary to bring diverse people on a common platform, so that bigger issues can be taken care of.
• The democracy which is being practiced all over the world is called representative democracy. In this system, governance is done through people’s representative because it is impossible for each citizen to directly participate in governance. The need for representative democracy has given rise to political parties.

HOW MANY PARTIES SHOULD WE HAVE?

Multi-party System or Two-party System

• In some countries only one party is allowed to control and run the government, e.g., China. These are called one-party systems. This cannot be a good option because this is not a democratic option.
• Any democratic system must allow at least two parties to compete in elections and provide a fair chance for the competing parties to come to power. In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Such a party system is called two-party system. The United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples of two-party system.
• If several parties compete for power, more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system.
• Though multi-party system appears messy and can lead to political instability, but it also allows various interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

A particular party system takes time to evolve in a country. It depends on the nature of society, social and regional diversities. It also depends on its history of politics and its system of elections. Because of great diversity in India, it may not be easy for two or three parties to cover all its aspects. It is quite natural that a multi-party system has evolved in India. We should keep in mind that each system has its pros and cons.

Popular Participation in Political Parties

In India the common perception about political parties are as follows :
(a) Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people in South Asia. The proportion of those who say their trust in political parties is ‘not much’ or ‘not at all’ is more than those who have ‘some’ or ‘great’ trust.
(b) Though political parties are one of the least trusted institutions all over the world, yet the level of participation in the activities of political parties is fairly high.
(c) The proportion of those who said that they were members of some political party was higher in India than many advanced countries like Canada, Japan, Spain and South Korea.
(d) Over the last three decades the proportion of those who report to be members of political parties in India has gone up steadily.

Political Parties : India has very diverse multi party political system. As on April 13, 2018 there are three types of political parties in India i.e. National parties, State recognized parties and Registered unrecognized parties. Every political party in the country has to register with the Election Commission. While the Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a unique symbol – only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol. Parties that get this privilege and some other special facilities are ‘recognized’ by the Election Commission for this purpose. That is why these parties are called, ‘recognized political parties’. These can be National parties or State parties.

NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES

A party that secures at least six per cent of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a National party.
Now, India has seven Recognized National parties.

National parties and Symbol	Brief introduction
All India Trinamool Congress Flowers and Grass	The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is an Indian political party based in West Bengal. Founded in 1998, the party is led by its founder and current Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. After the 2014 general election, it became the fourth largest party in the Lok Sabha with 34 seats. It has a national party status, because AITC got above 6% vote from five different states (West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, Jharkhand, Assam)
Bahujan Samaj Party Elephant	Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. It represents the bahujan samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities. The party draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb Ambedkar. The party stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people. It has its main base in the state of Uttar Pradesh and substantial presence in neighboring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab. The party formed government in Uttar Pradesh several times by taking the support of other parties at different times.
Bharatiya Janta Party Lotus	It was founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The party wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics. Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion and a ban on religious conversions. Earlier limited to north and west and to urban areas, the party expanded its support in the south, east, the north-east and to rural areas. The party came to power in 1998 as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance that included several state and regional parties. It won the 2014 election by large margin and is currently the ruling party at the centre; under the Prime Ministership of Shri Narender Modi.
Communist Party of India Ears of Corn and Sickle	Formed in 1925. The party believes in Marxism-Leninism, secularism and democracy. Opposed to the forces of secessionism and communalism. Accepts parliamentary democracy as a means of promoting the interests of the working class, farmers and the poor. CPI, became weak after the split in the party in 1964 that led to the formation of the CPI(M). It has significant presence in the states of Kerala, factory workers, farmers, agricultural laborer and the intelligentsia.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Hammer, Sickle and Star	Founded in 1964. Believes in Marxism Leninism. Supports socialism, secularism and democracy and opposes imperialism and communalism. Accepts democratic elections as a useful and helpful means for securing the objective of socioeconomic justice in India. It has been the ruling party for long periods in Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal. The party enjoys strong support among the poor factory workers, farmers, agricultural laborer and the intelligentsia. Critical of the new economic policies that allow free flow of foreign capital and goods into the country. It was in power in West Bengal without a break for 33 years.
Indian National Congress Hand	Popularly known as the Congress Party. It is one of the oldest political parties of the world. Founded in 1885 and has experienced many splits. Played a dominant role in Indian politics at the national and state level for several decades after India’s Independence. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to build a modern secular democratic republic in India. It was the ruling party at the centre till 1977 and then from 1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support declined, but it continues to be present throughout the country, cutting across social divisions. A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation, the party espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Supports new economic reforms but with a human face. Emerged as the largest party with 145 members in the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004.
Nationalist Congress Party Clock	Formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress party. Espouses democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice and federalism. Wants that high offices in government be confined to natural born citizens of the country. A major party in Maharashtra and has a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur and Assam. A coalition partner in the state of Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress. Since 2004, a member of the United Progressive Alliance.

STATE PARTIES

A party that secures at least 6 per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognized as a State party.
There are 24, State Recognized Parties in India.
Rise of Regional Parties: Many regional parties have grown in prominence over the last three decades. This is a sign of expansion and deepening of democracy in India. Samajwadi Party,Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK, DMK, etc. are examples of regional parties.

CHALLENGES TO POLITICAL PARTIES

Popular dissatisfaction and criticism has focused on four problem areas in the working of political parties. Political parties need to face and overcome these challenges in order to remain effective instruments of democracy.

1. Lack of Internal Democracy : In most of the political parties, the power is concentrated in the hands of one or few leaders. Ordinary members of the party cannot even dream of rising to the top as there are no internal elections.

2. No Records : There are hardly any records of registered members. The top leadership is often disconnected with the grassroots workers. Loyalty to the policies and principles of the party has less value than the loyalty to the top leadership.

3. Dynastic Succession : The top positions in many political parties are usually controlled by members of one family. A person born in a particular family becomes the leader by virtue of his birth; which is not the sign of a healthy democracy. Dynastic succession is present in most of the political parties in India. This is not the case in India alone, but in many other countries as well.

4. Money and Muscle Power : Winning an election is the ultimate challenge for a political party. For this, a political party leaves no stone unturned and spends huge sum of money on electioneering. Parties often select candidates who have large financial backing and also the backing of criminals and goons to terrorize voters and polling officers.

5. Lack of a Meaningful Choice : Most of the political parties sound similar to one another. Very few political parties give any real alternative. For example, there is practically no ideological difference between the British Labor Party and the Conservative Party. The same is true for Indian political parties.
People have no choice than choosing the better of the two evils. In some states, the party in power just changes every five year but people seldom experience change on the ground.

HOW CAN PARTIES BE REFORMED?

Way to Reform Political Parties

Following are some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country to reform political parties and its leaders:

1. Anti-defection Law : The law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring down defection. At the same time this has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.

2. Details of Property and Criminal Proceedings During Nomination: It is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system of check if the information given by the candidates is true and complete.

3. Mandatory Organizational Elections and IT Returns : The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality.

Suggestions for Future
(a) A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. This includes having a proper constitution of the party and maintaining the records of the registered members.
(b) Political parties should implement reservation for women. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates. Women party members should be allowed to take part in decision making process.
(c) There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in : petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election. There are two other ways in which political parties can be reformed and they are : people’s pressure and people’s participation.

Important words and Terms
Partisan : A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction. Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an issue.
Ruling Party : Political party that runs government
Defection : Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different party.
Affidavit : A signed document submitted to an officer, where a person makes a sworn statement regarding his/her personal information.

 

Question. The Bahujan Samaj Party stands for what cause? 
(A) Securing the interest of the oppressed people.
(B) Equal rights for women.
(C) No discrimination on the basis of religion.
(D) Economic emancipation of women.

Answer : A

Question. Find the incorrect options:
(A) In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments.
(B) That is what the parties do.
(C) A party reduces a vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions which it supports.
(D) A government is expected to base its policies on the line taken by the opposition party.

Answer : D

Question. 


(A) (i)-(d) , (ii)- (c), (iii)-(b), (iv) -(a)
(B) (i)-(c), (ii)-(a), (iii) -(d), (iv)-(b)
(C) (i) -(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
(D) (i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(b), (iv) -(a)

Answer : B

Question. If all the decisions of a political party are made by a single family and all other members are neglected, then what challenge is being faced by that party?
(A) Challenge of alliance formation.
(B) Challenge of dynastic succession.
(C) Challenge of partial elections.
(D) Challenge of power.

Answer : B

Question. Find the incorrect options:
(A) Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission.
(B) While the Commission treats all parties equally.
(C) It offers some special facilities to large and established parties.
(D) These parties are given an ordinary symbol–only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol.

Answer : D

Question. 

(A) (i)-(d), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b)
(B) (i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(d)
(C) (i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(c)
(D) (i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)

Answer : A

Question. Study the following picture and answer the question that follows:

Which of the following best signifies this cartoon?
(A) People hate politics.
(B) People want to throw away the politicians in Niagara Falls.
(C) Political parties are one of the least trusted institutions all over the world.
(D) People of Canada think that the Liberals should be in power.

Answer : C

Question. What is meant by ‘Political Party’? 
(A) A group of politically sound people.
(B) A group of people comes together to contest elections to hold power in the government.
(C) A group of people who want to be in power.
(D) A group of people who want to amend the Constitution.

Answer : B

Question. What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party? 
(A) Bahujan Samaj
(B) Revolutionary democracy
(C) Integral humanism
(D) Modernity

Answer : C

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
Founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. Wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values; and Deendayal Upadhyaya’s ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya. Cultural nationalism (or ‘Hindutva’) is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.
(A) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
(B) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
(C) Indian National Congress (INC)
(D) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Answer : A

Question. Name the alliance formed by the Congress Party. 
(A) National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
(B) All India Congress (AIC)
(C) All India Congress Committee (AICC)
(D) United Progressive Alliance (UPA)

Answer : D

Question. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party? 
(A) Kanshi Ram
(B) B. R. Ambedkar
(C) Shahu Maharaj
(D) Jyotiba Phule

Answer : A

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
One of the oldest parties in the world. Founded in 1885 and has experienced many splits. Played a dominant role in Indian politics at the National and State level for several decades after India’s Independence. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the party sought to build a modern secular democratic republic in India.
(A) Communist Party of India (CPI)
(B) All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
(C) Indian National Congress (INC)
(D) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Answer : C

Question. Bharatiya Janata Party believes in the Philosophy of: 
(A) Cultural nationalism.
(B) Religion above all.
(C) No discrimination on the basis of caste.
(D) Equal opportunity for all.

Answer : A

Question. Study the following picture and answer the question that follows:

Which of the following leaders is shown in this cartoon?
(A) Berlusconi
(B) Putin
(C) Kwame Nkrumah
(D) Mussolini

Answer : A

Question. Analyze the information given below, considering one of the following correct options:
Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Seeks to represent and secure power for the bahujan samaj which includes the dalits, adivasis, OBCs and religious minorities. Draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.
(A) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)
(B) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
(C) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
(D) Indian National Congress (INC)

Answer : B

Question. In countries like India, _________ choose candidates for contesting elections.
A. Top party leaders
B. Members of party
C. Supporters of party
D. Government officers
Answer : A

Question. Berlusconi was the Prime Minister of ________. His company owns TV channels, the most important publishing company, a football club (AC Milan).
A. Italy
B. France
C. Poland
D. Germany
Answer : A

Question. Match list I with list II and select the correct answer using the Code below in the lists
     List 1                                                               List 2
1 Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP):                            a.1964
2 Indian National Congress (INC):                       b. 1980
3 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)                     c.1885
4 Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M)       d. 1999
A. 1.b, 2.c, 3. d ,4. a
B. 1.c, 2.b, 3. d ,4. a
C. 1.c, 2.a, 3. b ,4. d
D. 1.b, 2.c, 3. a ,4. D
Answer : A

Question. Which of the following challenges to political party is depicted in this cartoon?
A. Meaningful choice to the voters
B. Dynastic succession
C. Money and muscle power
D. Lack of internal democracy

Answer : C

Question. How many numbers of parties are registered with The ElectionCommission of India?
A. 7100 Parties
B. Less than 750 parties
C. 700 parties
D. More than 750 parties
Answer : D

Question. What is the meaning of ‘Alliance’?
A. Two parties together form the government.
B. Leftist and Rightist together form the government.
C. When state and national parties together form the government.
D. When several parties in a multiparty system join for the purpose of contesting election and winning power
Answer : D

Question. Which of these is a National Party?
A. INC
B. CPI
C. BJP
D. All of these
Answer : D

Question. Match list I with list II and select the correct answer using the Code below in the lists
List 1                                         List II
a. Congress party                     1.National Democratic Alliance
b. Bharatiya Janata party          2.State party
c. Communist party of India      3.United Progressive Alliance
d. Telugana Rashtra Samiti        4.Left Front
A. a3, b1,c2,d4
B. a3,b4, c1,d2
C. a3,b1,c4, d2
D. a4,b3,c1,d2
Answer : C

Question. Countries having Bi-party system:
A India
B UK
C China
D None of these
Answer : B

Assertion and Reason Based MCQs :

Directions : In the following questions, A statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice as:
(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 and R is true.

Question. Assertion (A): Political parties are easily one of the most visible institutions in a democracy.
Reason (R): For most ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties.

Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): Council Members form and run governments.
Reason (R): Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.

Answer : D

Question. Assertion (A): Most people tend to be very critical of political parties.
Reason (R): They tend to blame parties for all that is wrong without democracy and our political life.

Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
Reason (R): Opposition parties also mobilize opposition to the government.

Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A): The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.
Reason (R): As societies became large and organised, they do not need any agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government.

Answer : C

Question. Assertion (A): India has multi party system.
Reason (R): The multi party system often appears very messy and leads to political instability.

Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A): Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.
Reason (R): Each of us has similar opinions and views on what policies are suitable for society.

Answer : C

Case-based MCQs :

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:

Democracies that follow a federal system all over the world tend to have two kinds of political parties: parties that are present in only one of the federal units and parties that are present in several or all units of the federation. This is the case in India as well. There are some countrywide parties, which are called National parties. These parties have their units in various states. But by and large, all these units follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the National level. Every party in the country has to register with the Election Commission. While the Commission treats all parties equally, it offers some special facilities to large and established parties. These parties are given a unique symbol – only the official candidates of that party can use that election symbol. Parties that get this privilege and some other special facilities are ‘recognised’ by the Election Commission for this purpose. That is why these parties are called, ‘Recognised Political Parties’. The Election Commission has laid down detailed criteria of the proportion of votes and seats that a party must get in order to be a recognised party. A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State party. A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a National Party.

Question. Every party in the country has to register with:
(A) Prime Minister
(B) President
(C) Election Commission
(D) All of these

Answer : C

Question. Two regional parties of West Bengal are:
(A) Forward Bloc and Trinamool Congress
(B) All India Trinamool Congress and Forward Bloc
(C) National Congress Party and Forward Bloc
(D) Indian National Congress and Forward Bloc

Answer : A

Question. What does the Election Commission of India allot to all Parties so that they are called 'RecognisedPolitical Parties'?
(A) Emblem
(B) Motif
(C) Symbol
(D) Flag

Answer : C

Question. A party is called 'National Party' only when it polls _________ of total valid votes in at least ______ states and in addition it wins _________Lok Sabha Seats.
(A) 2%, Four, 4
(B) 6%, Four, 4
(C) 4%, Four, 4
(D) 2%, Four, 3

Answer : B

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:

Let us look at some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country to reform political parties and their leaders:
l The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in DEFECTION in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring defection down. At the same time this has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.
l The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system of checking whether the information given by the candidates is true. As yet, we do not know if it has led to decline in the influence of the rich and the criminals.
The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to greater internal democracy in political parties.
Besides these, many suggestions are often made to reform political parties:
l A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow its own constitution, to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.
l It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
Similarly, there should be a quota for women in the decision-making bodies of the party. l There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone, etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

Question. Changing Party allegiance from the Party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different Party was done normally by:
(A) Only MPs
(B) By both MPs and MLAs
(C) Only MLAs
(D) By none of them

Answer : B

Question. It should be made mandatory for Political Parties to give a minimum of about one-third of tickets to:
(A) Women
(B) SCs
(C) STs
(D) All of them

Answer : A

Question. The Government should give parties state funding of elections as:
(A) Diesel, Petrol, Kerosene oil, etc.
(B) Paper, Stationery, Printed forms, etc.
(C) Mobile Phones, Telephones, Computer, etc.
(D) Petrol, Paper, Telephone, etc.

Answer : D

Question. The Supreme Court has passed an order to file ___________ giving details of the property and criminal cases pending against every candidate who contests elections.
(A) writ
(B) case
(C) an affidavit
(D) charge

Answer : C

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:

In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Several other parties may exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the National legislatures. But only the two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority of seats to form government. Such a party system is called twoparty system. The United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples of two-party system. If several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength
or in alliance with others, we call it a multi party system. Thus, in India, we have a multi party system. In this system, the government is formed by various parties coming together in a coalition. When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front. For example, in India there were three such major alliances in 2004 parliamentary elections–the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front. The multiparty system often appears very messy and leads to political instability. At the same time, this system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

Question. The multi-party system:
(A) appears very messy.
(B) leads to political instability.
(C) not free to form a political party.
(D) Both (A) and (B)

Answer : D

Question. The Government is formed by various parties coming together in a/an ________.
(A) alliance
(B) front
(C) coalition
(D) opposition

Answer : C

Question. Countries having Bi- party system:
(A) USA
(B) India
(C) China
(D) All of these

Answer : A

Question. Which party leads the ruling NDA government at the Centre?
(A) Indian National Congress
(B) Bharatiya Janata Party
(C) Bahujan Samaj Party
(D) Communist Party of India

Answer : B

Very Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. Examine the reason to accept multi – party system in India . 
Answer : Because it is easy to absorb different social and geographical diversities in multi- party system.

Question. When was the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) formed?
Answer : CPI-M was formed in 1964.

Question. Name a country that has one party system. 
Answer : China.

Question. What is an important function of a political party in India? 
Answer : To contest elections.

Question. Why do political parties involve partisanship?
Answer : Because parties are about a part of the society and thus they involve partisanship.

Question. Why is one party political system not considered a good democratic system?
Answer : Because one party system has no democratic option.

Question. Name any two regional parties of West Bengal.
Answer : (i) Forward Bloc
(ii) Trinamool Congress

Question. Why political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy?
Answer : 1Political parties bring various representatives together to form a responsible Government

Question. What you mean by partisan?
Answer : Partisan: A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction. Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an issue

Question. What are the two ways of carrying out political reforms in a democratic country?
Answer : a). By empowering people.
b). By spreading political awareness

Question. Give the reason why a multiparty system has evolved in India.
Answer : It is because the social and geographical diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties. No system is ideal for all countries and all situations.

Question. What do you understand by a ‘recognised party’?
Answer : A party that gets some privilege such as a unique symbol and other special facilities is called a ‘recognised’ party by the Election Commission.

Question. What is defection? Why do MLAs and MPs commit defection?
Answer : Defection: Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different party MLAs and MPs do this in order to become ministers or for cash rewards.

Question. How is dynastic succession related to lack of internal democracy in political parties?
Answer : When there is a lack of internal democracy in a political party it means that the power to make decisions on behalf of the party rest with one or a few individuals.
These individuals now have an unfair advantage to vest the power to make decisions in people who are close to them or their family members.

Question. Describe the Three Types of Party Systems
Answer : In some countries, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. These are called one-party systems.
In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Such a party system is called two-party system
If several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system.

Question. What is bi-party system?
Answer : In countries, like USA and UK, power usually changes between two main parties. It is bi-party system. Several other parties exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the elections but only the two main parties have a chance to form a government

Question. “No party system is ideal for all countries and in all situations.” Justify the statement.
Answer : Parties are a necessary condition for a democracy. The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. Party system is not something any country can choose. It evolves depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics and system of elections. Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances

Question. Define Political party.
Answer : Political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and to hold power in the government.

Question. ‘Rashtriya Lok Dal’ is the regional party of -------------------- state?
Answer : Uttar Pradesh

Question. Define multiparty system.
Answer : It is a system in which several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming into power either on their own or in alliance with others.

Question. Name the oldest party in India.
Answer : Indian National Congress.

Question. Define National party
Answer : A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or wins four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national party.

Question. Define Defection.
Answer : Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different party.

Question. Observe the symbols and identify the political party
Answer : All India Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

 

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. How are Political Parties recognized as Regional and National Parties in India? Explain with examples. 
Answer :  In India, Political Parties are recognized as Regional and National parties in the following ways: 
(i) A Regional Party refers to the party that obtains a minimum of 6% of the total votes in State Assembly elections and acquires a minimum of two seats. On the contrary, if a party occupies 6% of the total votes polled in the elections of the lower house of Parliament or Legislative Assembly elections in four states and gains four seats in the lower house then that party is granted the status of the National Party.
(ii) A Regional Party’s symbol can be changed and repeated in another state. Conversely, the symbol of a National Party is permanent which cannot be repeated.
(iii) A Regional Party influences a particular region or state. In contrast, a National Party influences over the entire country.
(iv) A Regional Party must win seats of at least two states. While, a national party must win seats in at least four States.
(v) A Regional Party aims at promoting regional interest. On the other end, a national Party aims at resolving National and International Issues.
Examples of national parties: BJP, CPI (M), INC, BSP, etc.
Examples of regional parties: AAP, Shiv Sena, All India Forward Bloc, etc.

Question. What is meant by a ‘National Political Party’? State the conditions required to be a National Political Party. 
Answer : National Political Parties have units in the various States, they follow the same policies, programmes and strategy that is decided at the National level.
Conditions required:
(i) A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in general elections of Lok Sabha or Assembly elections in four states.
(ii) Wins at least 4 seats in Lok Sabha.

Question. What is a Multi-party system? Why has India adopted a Multi-party system? Explain.
Answer : Multi-party system: If several parties compete for power and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their strength or in alliance with others, we call it a Multi-party system. India adopted a Multi-party system because:
(i) There is social and geographical diversity in India.
(ii) India is such a large country, which is not easily absorbed by two or three parties.
(iii) The system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.

Question. Describe the role of political parties in India.
Answer : Role of Political Parties:
(i) Parties contest elections.
(ii) Parties put forward different policies and programmes.
(iii) Parties form and run the government.
(iv) Parties that lose in the election play the role of opposition.
(v) Parties shape public opinion.
(vi) Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes.

Question. “Nearly every one of the State Parties wants to get an opportunity to be a part of one or the other national level coalition.” Support the statement with arguments.
Answer : State Parties seeking National Level Coalition: Before the general elections of 2014, in three General Elections, no one National Party was able to secure on its own a majority in Lok Sabha. As a result, the national parties were compelled to form alliances with state or regional parties. Since 1996, nearly every one of the state parties has got an opportunity to be a part of one or the other National Level Coalition Government.
This has contributed to the strengthening of Federalism and Democracy.

Question. Describe any three main features of Two-party system. 
Answer : Main features of the Two-party system: 
(i) Power usually changes between two parties, several other parties may exist.
(ii) In such a system, people get a clear choice. 
(iii) The party that wins the majority forms the government and the other sits in Opposition.
(iv) Strong opposition is good for democracy.
(v) Prompt decisions are taken and implemented.
(vi) More development and less corruption.

Question. Name the National Political Party which espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Mention any four features of that party.
Answer : The National Political Party which espouses secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities in the Indian National Congress.
Four features of this party are as listed below:
(i) Founded in 1885.
(ii) Dominated Indian Politics, both at the national and State levels, for several decades after India’s Independence.
(iii) Ruling party at the centre till 1977 and then from 1980 to 1989. After 1989, its support declined.
(iv) A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation.

Question. Name any six ‘Regional Political Parties’ of the four Southern States of India. 
Answer : Tamil Nadu — AIADMK (All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), DMK.
Andhra Pradesh — Telugu Desam, Lok Satta
Kerala — Kerala Congress (Joseph)
Puducherry — AINRC (All India N. R. Congress)

Question. What is a Political Party? State any two points of the ideology of Bharatiya Janta Party?
Answer : 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 the society with a view to promoting the collective good.
The Ideology of BJP:
(i) Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
(ii) A uniform civil code for all people living in the Country irrespective of Religion.
(iii) Cultural Nationalism. 

Question. Explain any three functions of Opposition Political Parties. 
Answer :  Three functions of Opposition Political Parties are:
(i) The main function of an Opposition Party is to force the ruling party or the party in power to function properly and fulfill their promises made during the electoral campaign.
(ii) They are very important for any bill to pass or any law to implement in the House of the Legislature.
(iii) Because in a democracy such as India, a complete majority is not possible therefore, opposition parties also hold power in certain areas and are equally important.

Question. What is meant by ‘Regional Political Party’? State the conditions required to be recognized as a ‘Regional Political Party’.
Answer : A Regional Party is a party that is present in only some states.
Conditions required for a party to be recognized as a Regional Political Party are:
(i) A Party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State.
(ii) Wins at least two seats in the Legislative Assembly.

Question. Explain the three components of ‘Political Party’.
OR
Analyse the three components of a Political party.
OR
Describe the three components of a Political party. 
Answer : The three components of the political parties are:
(i) Leaders: The leaders are those who take major decisions of the party and their decisions are the supreme command for the party.
(ii) Active Members: Another component of political party is the active members who contest elections for the party and are elected as representatives. 
(iii) Followers: The last one is the followers who support a political party and in elections make their party victorious.

Question. Which three challenges do you feel are being faced by Political Parties in India? Give your opinion.
OR
What are the various challenges faced by Political Parties? 
Answer : The three challenges faced by political parties in India are:
(i) Lack of Internal democracy.
(ii) Challenge of Dynastic succession.
(iii) Growing role of money and muscle power.
(iv) Often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.

Question. “Serious efforts were made by the legal organizations to reform political parties in India.”
Support the statement. 
Answer : Efforts made by the legal organizations to reform Political Parties in India are:
(i) To check defection, the Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA’s and MPS’s from changing Parties.
(ii) The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals, by making it mandatory to produce an affidavit giving details of the property and criminal cases pending against the Candidate.
(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their Income tax returns. 

Question. What do you understand by the Bi-party system?
Write its one merit and one demerit. 
Answer : Bi-party system: In some countries, power usually changes between the two main parties. It is also known as the two party system. In this system, the government is formed by one party and the other plays the role of opposition.
Merit: This system allows stability of the government as no coalition is there.
Demerit: In this system, only two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority seats to form the government. 

Question. Name the ‘Regional Political Parties’ that are predominant in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha respectively with their symbols.
Answer : Jharkhand—JMM—Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, its symbol is Bow & Arrow.
Maharashtra—INC—Indian National Congress, its symbol is Hand.
Odisha—BJD—Biju Janata Dal, its symbol is Conch.

Question. Describe the necessity of political parties in a democratic country? 
Answer : Political parties are necessary for democratic countries because:
(i) Without political parties, democracies cannot exist.
(ii) If we do not have political parties, in such a situation every candidate in elections will be independent.
(iii) No one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.
(iv) The government may be formed, but its utility will remain uncertain.
(v) Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in their locality. But no one will be responsible for how the country will run.
(vi) The role of an opposition party in a democracy necessitates the existence of political parties.
(vii) As societies become large and complex, they also need some agencies to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government, that’s why, political parties are needed. 

Question. “Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the Political Parties”. Analyse the statement.
Answer : Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the Political Parties because: 
(i) Most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning. 
(ii) There are few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top of a Party.
(iii) In many Parties, the top positions are always controlled by Members of one family.
(iv) This practice is unfair to other members of that party and is also bad for Democracy.
(v) People who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy a position of power. 

Question. State the conditions as laid down by the Election Commission to recognize a ‘State Party’ and ‘National Party’. 
Answer : The difference between a State and a National Party can be identified as follows:
(i) In a State Party, the party members aim to highlight regional interests. On the other hand, a national Party gives due importance to national interests. 
(ii) A State Party can contest in elections only in a particular state, whereas a national party can contest in elections all across the Country.
(iii) Example: BJP and Congress are National Parties, whereas Akali Dal and Trinamool Congress are State-level Parties.

Question. Describe about the ideology and organization of Bahujan Samaj Party.
Answer : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Its main aim is that it seeks to represent and secure power for the Bahujan Samaj which includes the Dalits and Adivasis, OBCs and Religious Minorities.

Question. Exhibit the role of money and muscle power among Political Parties during Elections.
OR
How do money and muscle power play an important role in Elections? Explain.
Answer : Role of money and muscle power among Political Parties during Elections:
(i) Since Parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use shortcuts to win Elections.
(ii) They tend to nominate those Candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
(iii) Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to influence on the Policies and Decisions of the Party.
(iv) In some cases, Parties support criminals who can win elections.
(v) Democrats all over the world are worried about the increasing role of rich people and big companies in Democratic Politics.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. What is meant by National Parties? State the criteria for recognizing a party as National and State party. 
Answer : Democracies that follow a Federal System all over the world tend to have two kinds of Political Parties—Parties that are present in only one of the federal units and parties that are present in several or all units of the federation.
Those parties, which are countrywide, are called National Parties.
National and State Parties:
(i) A Party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognized as a State Party.
(ii) A Party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a National Party.

Question. “Political Parties are a necessary condition for a Democracy”. Analyse the statement with examples.
OR 
Why can’t Modern Democracies exist without Political Parties? Explain any four reasons.
Answer : “Political Parties are a necessary condition for a democracy” because:
(i) Without Political Parties, Democracies cannot exist.
(ii) If we do not have political parties, in such a situation every candidate in Elections will be independent.
(iii) No one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes.
(iv) The government may be formed but its utility will remain uncertain.
(v) Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in their locality.
(vi) But no one will be responsible for how the country will run.
(vii) The role of an opposition party in a democracy necessitates the existence of Political Parties.
(viii) As societies become large and complex, they also need some agencies to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government, that’s why, Political Parties are needed.

Question. Describe the importance of Regional Political parties in strengthening democracy.
Answer : Importance of Regional Political Parties:- Over the last three decades, the number and strength of regional parties have expanded. This made the Parliament of India politically more and more diverse. No one national party can secure on its own a majority in Lok Sabha. As a result, the National Parties are compelled to form alliances with state parties since 1996. Nearly everyone of the state parties has got an opportunity to be a part of one or the other National level coalition government. This has contributed to the strengthening of federalism and democracy in our country.

Question. Examine any two institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform Political Parties and their leaders. 
OR
Elucidate some of the recent efforts taken in our country to reform Political Parties and its Leaders.
Answer : (i) The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA’s and MP’s from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in defection to
become ministers or for cash rewards. Now, if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the Legislature. 
(ii) The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests Elections to file an affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public. But there is no system of check if the information given by the candidates is true.
(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their Organisational elections and file their Income tax returns.
(iv) The Parties have started doing so but sometimes it is a mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to greater internal democracy in Political Parties.

Question. What is a Political Party? Explain any four characteristics of a Political Party. 
OR
What are the characteristics of a Political Party?
Answer : "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 promoting national interest. Since, there can be different views on what is good for all, parties try to persuade people why their policies are better than the others.
Characteristics of a Political Party:
(i) Political parties contest elections and share power.
(ii) They agree on some policies and programmes for the society to promote collective good.
(iii) If a political party is unable to win a majority, it makes an alliance with other parties to form a Coalition Government.
(iv) Political parties try to persuade people that their policies are better than others.
The above characteristics also show that political parties are necessary for a Democracy.

Question. Explain any four problem areas in the working of Political Parties. 
OR
Explain how political parties are still in the grip of some serious challenges. 
Answer : (i) Lack of Internal Democracy: The first challenge is the lack of Internal Democracy within Parties. The concentration of power in one or a few Leaders at the top.
(ii) Dynastic succession: Favour people close to them or even their family members. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by Members of one family.
(iii) Money and muscle power: The third challenge is about a growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during Elections.
(iv) Meaningful choice: The fourth challenge is that very often Parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.

Question. Explain two functions each of the Ruling Party as well as of the Opposition Parties. 
Answer : Functions of the Ruling Parties:
(i) They play a major role in making laws for the country.
(ii) They form the government and run the country.
(iii) They recruit leaders, train them and then make ministers run the government.
Functions of the Opposition Parties:
(i) They oppose the government by voicing different views.
(ii) They criticise the government for its failure and wrong policies.
(iii) They mobilise opposition to the government.

Question. Suggest any five effective measures to reform Political Parties.
OR
Suggest and explain any five measures to reform Political Parties.
OR
Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well. 
Answer : Effective measures to reform Political Parties are: 
(i) A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of Political Parties. 
(ii) It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its Members.
(iii) It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about 1/3rd to its Women candidates.
(iv) There should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies of the Party.
(v) There should be state funding of elections.
(vi) The government should give parties money to support their election expenses in kind of petrol, paper, telephone, etc. or cash.
(vii) Vote casting should be made compulsory in each election.
(viii) Data regarding castes and religions, OBCs, SCs, STs should not be utilized during election period in any form.

Question. What is meant by a Political Party? Describe the three components of a Political Party.
Answer : Political Party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.
Three components of a political party are: 
(i) The Leaders: A Political Party consists of leaders, who contest elections and if they win, they perform the administrative job.
(ii) The Active Members: They are the ones, who climb a ladder from being the follower and become the assistant of the leaders to gain knowledge about politics.
(iii) The Followers: They are simply the ardent followers of the leaders and work under the able guidance of the active members.

Question. Describe any five functions of Political Party.
OR
Explain any five needs to have Political Parties in a Democratic Country.
OR
Describe any five major functions of Political Parties performed in a Democracy.
OR
Describe the importance of Political Parties in a Democratic Government.
OR
Describe any five major functions of Political Parties. 
OR
“Political Parties play a major role in democracy.” Explain any five points to justify this statement. 
OR
“Political parties are rightly called the government in disguise.” Justify the statement in reference to democratic politics by giving five arguments. 
Answer :  Introduction: Political parties perform many crucial functions in democracy.
(a) It contest elections; parties choose candidates to contest elections. The process of choosing candidates varies, e.g., in the USA, party members choose the candidates while in India top party leaders choose.
(b) It puts forward policies and programmes and people choose them. They pile up similar opinions into a major stances that the parties support usually on the line of ruling the party.
(c) They make laws. Legislature makes laws since the majority of the members are from a party, they go by the lines parties take. Moreover, they train and make people (party members) leaders who constitutes the executive.

Question. What is a Multi-Party system? Explain Merits and Demerits of multi-party system.
Answer : In the Multi-party system, three or more parties compete to gain control of the government separately or in the coalition. When no single party gain majority votes then several parties join and form a coalition government. For example- India.
Supporters of this system point out that it allows more points of view to be presented in the government.
Merits:
(i) This system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
(ii) People can choose between several candidates.
Demerits:
(i) No one party is likely to gain power alone. Therefore, it leads to difficulty in formation of the government.
(ii) Leads to political instability and often appears to be very messy. 

Question. Illustrate the situations which display lack of Internal Democracy within a Political Party.
OR
“Lack of Internal Democracy within Parties is the major challenge to political parties all over the World.” Analyse the statement.
OR
In what way lack of Internal Democracy is seen in the Political Parties?
Answer : Situations which display a lack of Internal Democracy within a Political Party are: 
(i) Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organisational meetings and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
(ii) Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the Party.
(iii) They do not have the means or the connections needed to influence the decisions. As a result, the leaders assume greater power to make decisions in the name of the Party.
(iv) Since one or a few leaders exercise paramount power in the party, those who disagree with the leadership find it difficult to continue in the Party.
(v) More than loyalty to party principles and policies, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important.

Question. Why is there a lack of Internal Democracy within the Political Parties in India? Explain with examples. 
Answer : There are various reasons for lack of Democracy within the Political Parties in India:
(i) Concentration of power in one or a few Leaders at the top.
(ii) Details of Membership are not registered in the Parties.
(iii) No Organisational Meetings.
(iv) No Internal Elections for Membership within the Party.
(v) Top Leaders have unanimous power of decisionmaking.

Question. Differentiate between National and Regional Parties. 
Answer :National Parties:
(i) A Party that secures at least 6% of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a National Party.
(ii) National Parties have influence in more than three states.
For example: Congress, BJP, BSP, CPI-M, CPI and NCP.
Regional Parties:
(i) A Party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State Party or Regional Party.
(ii) Regional parties have influence in about three states.
For example, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, AIADMK, etc. 

Question. Explain any five functions of the Ruling Party.
Answer : Functions of the Ruling Party:
(i) They contest elections by selecting their Candidates.
(ii) They form the government and run the Country.
(iii) They shape public opinion. They launch Movements for problems faced by the public.
(iv) They provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by the government.
(v) They play a decisive role in making laws. 

Question. “All over the world, people express their dissatisfaction with the failure of Political Parties to perform their functions well.” Analyse the statement with arguments.
Answer : Popular dissatisfaction and criticism: It has focused on four areas in the working of Political Parties, need to face and overcome these challenges to remain effective instruments of Democracy.
Failure of political parties:
(i) Lack of internal democracy within parties.
(ii) Dynastic succession.
(iii) Growing role of money and muscle power in parties.
(iv) There is no meaningful choice to the voters.

Question. What is a multi-party system? Why has India adopted a multi-party system? Explain.
Answer : 
A system in which a number of parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, is called a
multiparty system. India is a multi-party system. In this system, the government is formed by various parties coming together in a coalition. When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front. For example, in India there were three major alliances in 2004 parliamentary elections—the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance and the Left Front. This system on one hand leads to political instability but at the same time, allows for a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation. Each country develops a party system that is suitable for its special circumstances. India has evolved as a multi-party system because its social and geographical diversity cannot be absorbed by two or three parties. Thus, such representation strengthens democracy. Multi-party system facilitates representation of regional and geographical diversities.

Question. Describe the three components of a political party
Answer : Components of a political party are:
The leaders,
The active members
The followers.

Question. Describe the various party systems existing in various countries.
Answer : MULTIPARTY SYSTEM(several parties) eg India

Question. Distinguish between Regional party (State) and National party
Answer : STATE PARTY.
A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State party.
NATIONAL PARTY .
A party that secures at least six per cent of the total votes in Lok
Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four States and wins at
least four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a national party.

Question. In what way is an alliance different from a coalition government?
Answer : When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front.
COALITION.
When no single party gets a clear majority in the election and the government is formed by various parties coming together, it is called a coalition.

Question. Political parties play major role in democracy. Explain any three points to justify this statement.
Answer : 1Parties contest elections
2 Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.
3 Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
4 Parties form and run governments
5 Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition
6 Parties shape public opinion

Question. What are the three main functions of the Ruling party?
Answer : 1.Ruling parties Play a major role in making laws for the country
2. Form and run the Government
3.Recruit and train the leaders
4. make the ministers to run the government

Question. What is main difference between a pressure group and a political party?
Answer : A pressure group is an organized or unorganized body that seeks to promote its interests.
A political party is a body that seeks to attain political power by contesting elections

Question. Why do political parties involve partisanship?
Answer : 
Partisanship is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an issue. Parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. Parties are a part of the society and they involve partisanship.

Question. Dynastic successions is one of the most serious challenges before the political parties.” Analyse the statement.
Answer : Most political parties do not practise open and transparent procedures for their functioning. So there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party. Those who happen to be the leaders are in a position of unfair advantage as they favour people close to them or even their family members. In many parties we see a trend of dynastic succession. The top positions are always controlled by members of a particular family, which is unfair to other members of the party, and bad for democracy. This is so because people who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy positions of power. More than loyalty to party principles and policies, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important. This tendency is seen all over the world, even in older democracies.

Question. Examine the role of opposition parties in a Democracy.
Answer : Opposition parties play an important role in democracies.
1. They ensure political party in power does not misuse or abuse its power;
2. They expose the weaknesses of the ruling party;
3. They also keep a close vigil on the bills and expenditure of the government

 

SUMMARY

Political parties are one of the most visible institutions in a democracy. For most ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties. 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 the society with a view to promote the collective good.

More than 750 parties are registered with the Election Commission of India. They fulfill the needs that every representative government has. India has evolved a Multi-Party System. It is because of the social and geographical diversity. Parties need to face and overcome the challenges in order to remain effective instruments of democracy

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. What is a political party?

What is meant by National Parties? State the Criteria for recognizing a party as National Party and State Party.

2. Point out the main characters of a political party.

Ans: The following are the main characters of the political parties:

1. Goal –oriented: Political parties are goal oriented and they put forward their main programmes, policies in their manifesto.

2. Adopt constitutional means: To capture power is the main aim of political parties for which they contest elections through peaceful and constitutional means.

3. Political parties promote national interest before their party interest.

4. Uphold the constitution and agree to the fundamental principles that binding the nation together.

3. List out the elements/components of a political party.

Ans: There are three main components of a political party:

1. The leaders

2. The active members

3. The followers.

4. Analyze the main functions of a political party in a democratic system.

OR

“Political Parties play a major role in a democratic system.” Justify the statement with at least four points.

OR

How do Political Parties shape the public opinion? Explain with three examples.

Ans: Parties do so by performing a series of functions: (Any Five Points)

1. Parties contest elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. In some countries the members and supporters of the party choose the candidates and in some other countries the top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.

2. Put forwards policies and programmes. Each political party may have different views on what policies are suitable for the society. The political parties group together large number of views and provide a direction in which polices can be formulated by the government. A government is expected to base its policies on the line taken by the ‘Ruling Party’.

3. Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country. Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature. But since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.

4. Parties form and run governments. The big policy decisions are taken by political executive that comes from the political parties. Parties recruit leaders, trains them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.

5. Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, by voicing different views and in criticizing government for its failures or wrong policies. Opposition parties also mobilize opposition to the government.

6. Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. Parties have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country. Many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of society. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people.

7. 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. That is why they feel close to parties even when they do not fully trust them. Parties have to be responsive to people’s needs and demands. Otherwise people can reject those parties in the next elections.

5 What is the role of opposition parties in a democracy?

Ans: Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, byvoicing different views and in criticizing government for its failures or wrong policies. Oppositionparties also mobilize opposition to the government.

6 Why are political parties necessary in a democratic system?

OR

What is the necessity of political parties in a democratic set up? Explain any four points.

Ans:

1. The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. Large scale societies need representative democracy.

2. As societies became large and complex, they also needed some agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government.

3. They are needed in some way to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed.

4. They needed a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. Political parties fulfill these needs that every representative government has. Thus we can say that parties are a necessary condition for a democracy

7 Briefly explain the following:-

Mono Party System( One party system)

In some countries only one party is allowed to control and run the government .Eg. China, Cuba. This is called one party system. We can’t consider one party system as a good option because this is not a democratic option.

Bi-Party System( Two Party system)

In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Several other parties may exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the national legislatures. But only the two main parties have a serious chance of winning majority of seats to form government. Such a party system is called Two-party system. The United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples of two-party system. This system gives stability to the government and political system but does not give a variety of choice to people as the choice is limited between only two parties.

Multi-Party system

When more than two political parties exist in a democracy, it is called a multi party system. This give a better choice to the people especially a multi cultured country like India. The multi party system often leads to political instability.

8 Point out the demerit of ‘One Party’ system. (See answer 7)

OR

What is the main characteristic of a single party system?

9 Mention any one merit and demerit of Bi-Party system.(See answer 7)

10 State one merit and one demerit of Multi-Party system. (See answer 7)

OR

How has Multi-Party system strengthened democracy in India? Explain.

11 Explain the term ‘Coalition government’.

Ans: When several (more than one) parties in a political system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or front. A government formedby such an alliance is called a ‘Coalition government’.

12 How does a party system evolve in a country?

Ans:

1. It evolves over a long time, depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics and its system of elections. These cannot be changed very quickly.

2. Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances. For example, if India has evolved a multi-party system, it is because the social and geographical diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties. No system is ideal for all countries and all situations.

13 What is a ‘recognized political’ party?

Ans: Every party in the country has to register with the election commission and election commission offers some special facilities o large parties. These parties are given a unique symbol. The parties that are registered with election commission are called recognized parties.

14 Briefly explain the criteria of the proportion of votes and seats that a party must get in order to be a recognized party.

OR

State the conditions required for any political party to get registered as a

state party.

Ans:

1. National Political Party: A registered party is recognised as a National Party only if it fulfils any one of the following three conditions:

1. The party wins 2% of seats in the Lok Sabha (as of 2014, 11 seats) from at least 3 different States.

2. At a General Election to Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly, the party polls 6% of votes in four States and in addition it wins 4 Lok Sabha seats.

3. A party gets recognition as a State Party in four or more states.

2. Regional or State Political party: A registered party has to fulfill any of the following conditions for recognition as a State Party:

1. A party should win minimum three percent of the total number of seats or a minimum of three seats in the Legislative Assembly.

2. A party should win at least one seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to that State.

3. A political party should secure at least six percent of the total valid votes polled during general election to a Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly and should, in addition, win at least one Lok Sabha, and two Legislative Assembly seats in that election,

4. Under the liberalized criteria, one more clause that it will be eligible for recognition as State Party if it secures 8% or more of the total valid votes polled in the State. Addition to one seat in any state.

15 List out any five National parties of India and state the aims of any two of them.

Ans:

1. Indian National Congress

2. BharatiyaJanata Party

3. BahujanSamaj Party

4. Communist party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)

5. Communist Party of India

6. Nationalist Congress Party

7. All India Trinamool Congress.

1. Indian National Congress :(INC): Popularly known as the Congress Party. One of the oldest parties of the world. Founded in 1885 and has experienced many splits. Played a dominant role in Indian politics at the national and state level for several decades after India’s Independence. A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation, the party espouses secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Supports new economic reforms but with a human face. Emerged as the largest party with 145 members in the LokSabha elections held in 2004. Currently leads the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition government at the Centre.

2. BharatiyaJanata Party :(BJP): Founded in 1980 by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Cultural nationalism is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics. Came to power in 1998 as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance including several state and regional parties. Lost elections in 2004 and is the principal opposition party in the LokSabha.

16 List out any six Regional parties of India.

Ans:

1. National Conference

2. Akali Dal

3. Samajvadi Party

4.Telugu Desham Party

5. DravidMunnettaKazhagham.

6.Telangana RashtraSamithi

17 In what way state or regional parties strengthen federalism and democracy?

Ans:

1. Over last three decades, the number and strength of regional parties has expanded. This made the parliament of India more and more diverse.

2. No one national party is able to secure on its own majority in Loksabha. As a result, the national parties are compelled to form alliance with state parties.

3. Since 1996, nearly every one of the state parties has got an opportunity to be a part of one or other national level coalition government. This participation of state parties has contributed to the strengthening of federalism and democracy in our country.

18 Briefly describe the challenges faced by political parties.

OR

Why is there a lack of internal democracy within the political parties in India? Explain with examples.

Ans:

1. The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties. All over the world there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organisational meetings, and do not conduct internal elections regularly.

2. The second challenge of dynastic succession is related to the first one. Since most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.

3. The third challenge is about the growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections. Since parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use short cuts to win elections. They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.

4. The fourth challenge is that very often parties do not seem to offer a meaningfulchoice to the voters. In order to offer meaningful choice, parties must be significantly different. In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties in most parts of the world.

5. Those who want really different policies have no option available to them. Sometimes people cannot even elect very different leaders either, because the same set of leaders keep shifting from one party to another.

19 Point out the recent efforts taken to reform political parties.

Ans: The recent efforts in our country to reform political parties and its leaders.

1. The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in DEFECTION in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP Changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring defection down.

2. The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him. The new system has made a lot of information available to the public.

3. The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns. The parties have started doing so but sometimes it is mere formality. It is not clear if this step has led to greater internal democracy in political parties.

20 Suggest some reforms to strengthen political parties so that they perform their functions well.

A) The following are a few suggestions for reforming the political parties in India:

1. A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow its own constitution, to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.

2. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates. Similarly, there should be a quota for women in the decision-making bodies of the party.

3. There should be state funding of elections. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. This support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

B) There are two other ways in which political parties can be reformed.

One, people can put pressure on political parties. This can be done through petitions, publicity and agitations. Ordinary citizens, pressure groups and movements and the media can play a degree of public participation.

Two, Political parties can be improved by its members. The quality of democracy is depending on the degree of public participation. It’s difficult to reform politics if ordinary citizens do not take part in it and simply criticize from outside.

21 QUESTIONS

Name the regional political parties predominant in Sikkim, Nagaland and Manipur respectively with their symbols.

How do Political Parties shape the public opinion? Explain with three examples.

State the conditions required for any political party to get registered as a state party.

How can public play an effective role in bringing reforms within political parties? Explain.

1. Why isone -party political system not considered a good democratic system?

2. What is a political party? State any 2 points of the ideology of BharatiyaJanta Party?

3. Examine any 2 institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political party and their leaders.

4. What is the symbol of BahujanSamaj Party?

5. What is meant by two-party system? Explain its two advantages and two disadvantages.

 

Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Political Parties Worksheet