Objective Type Questions

Question. Which party was the principal opposition party in Lok Sabha in 2004?
(a) Congress
(b) DMK
(c) Bharatiya Janata Party
(d) Aam Aadmi Party
Answer : (c) Bharatiya Janata Party.

Question. Which of these is a regional party of West Bengal?
(a) Congress
(b) DMK
(c) AIADMK
(d) Trinamool Congress
Answer : (d) Trinamool Congress

Question. The Bahujan Samaj Party stands cause? for what
(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) Securing the interest of the oppressed people.

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) Challenge of dynastic succession

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question. What is the role of money and muscle power in elections ?
Answer : Rich and influential people often contribute towards the party’s campaigns and in return try to influence the policies and decisions of the party.

Question. Suggest any one way to make political parties more responsive to the people’s need and demand.
Answer : Peaceful protest or mass mobilisation.

Question. Discuss one advantage of multi-party system.
Answer : One advantage of multi-party system is that it is based on democratic principles and offer ample choices with different opinions.

Question. Does one party system comply with the principles of democracy ?
Answer : No, one party system doesn’t comply with the principles of democracy. Every democratic system should have at least two parties for giving a fair chance to compete and come into power.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. “No party system is ideal for all countries and all situation.” Justify the statement with argument. 
Answer : No political party system is ideal for all countries and all situations. No country can choose a Party system for it, but 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. Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances. For example, India has a multiparty system because the social and geographical diversity in such a large country is not easily absorbed by two or even three parties.

Question. Explain any three functions of opposition political parties.
Answer : The Opposition’s main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public. In legislature, the Opposition Party has a major role and must act to discourage the party in power from acting against the interests of the country and the common man. They hustle to present themselves as a suitable alternative government. Following are the three functions of opposition parties :
(i) They question the ruling government and make them accountable to the public.
(ii) Their role is to ensure that the government should not take any step which is against the interest of the public.
(iii) Their duty is to check and ensure that the action of the ruling party is for the benefit of the masses and to support the government in such things. They, thus, facilitate formation of public opinion and are a way in which the schemes of government are checked and communicated to the public.

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. 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. “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. With the 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. 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 welfare of weaker sections and minorities is the Indian National Congress.
Four features of this party are 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. Describe any three main features of two-party system.
Answer : Main features of 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 ‘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. How do money and muscle power play an important role in elections? Explain.
OR
Exhibit the role of money and muscle power among political parties during elections.
Answer : Role of money and muscle power among political parties during elections –
(i) Since parties are focussed 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 have an 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.

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 :
(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 criminal, 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. Explain any five functions of the ruling party.
Answer : Functions of Ruling Party are follows :
(i) A ruling party is one which has anchored dominant part in elections and has framed the legistalure. Ruling party guarantees that the nation keeps running according to set belief systems and projects.
(ii) Ruling Party offers portrayal to different enthusiasm for society, they offer acknowledgment to minorities and give access to individuals to government machinery. The nationals can likewise lodged their complaints to nearby local party leaders regarding any arrangement and its execution.
(iii) Party in the power reassures and makes individuals mindful about its welfare plans, it encourages individuals to think about its accomplishments, its plan and profit and its advantages.
(iv) It establishes foreign relations and decide the foreign policy of the country. Thus, the future and the reputation of the country is upheld by them.
(v) Ruling Party organises schemes and compaigns for the welfare of the people. It makes schemes for the development of society both culturally and economically.

Question. Explain the three components of ‘political party.’
Answer : (i) Leader : A leader is the one who takes the major decisions of the party and his decision is the supreme command for the party. He contests elections and performs the administrative job. (ii) Active Members : Another component of political party are the active members who contest elections for the party and are elected as representatives. They are the ones, who climb the ladder from being the follower and become the assistants of the leaders to gain knowledge about the politics.
(iii) Followers : The last one are the followers who support a political party and in elections make their party victorious. They are simply the ardent followers of the leaders and work under the able guidance of the active members.

Question . Complete the following table with correct information with regard to political parties : Answer

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe the necessity of political parties in democratic countries. 
OR “Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.” Analyse the statement with examples.
Answer : “Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy”, due to the following reasons :
(i) If every elected representative is independent, and then no one can make promise for any major policy changes. The government may be formed but its utility will remain always uncertain. Nonparty based Panchayat election also creates same problems.
(ii) The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. As society became larger and complicated, they also need some agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government.
(iii) Political parties inform the people about the working of the ruling party. They discuss the problems of the state, the working and failure of the government and give suggestion for the upliftment of masses.
(iv) Political party acts as a link between government and masses.
(v) Political parties from 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.

Question. Describe the efforts to reform political parties in India.
Answer : The following efforts have been made to reform political parties in India :
(i) Supreme Court has helped in reducing the influence of criminals and money in elections. It is now mandatory for every person contesting the election to give an affidavit regarding his wealth and criminal cases pending against him. With this people can acquire information about their leaders and this has also led to decline in criminalisation of politics.
(ii) These days no one can change his/her party after Anti Defection law was passed in the Parliament. Amendment was made in the constitution to prevent MPs and MLAs from changing parties. If anyone tries to change his/ her party, he/ she loses his/ her seat.
(iii) Election Commission has also ordered all political parties to hold their organisational elections and file the income tax returns for the purpose of introducing internal democracy. Parties have started to do so formally.
(iv) Regulating internal affairs in the party should be made compulsory. Registers of the existing members should be made. All parties should follow their constitution and regular elections should be held for the higher post of the party.
(v) State should provide funds for contesting elections. It can be either given in the form of cash or in the form of petrol, paper, telephone, etc. This may reduce the influence of money in the elections.

Question. Examine any two institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political parties and their leaders.
Answer : There are various institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political parties and their leaders:
(i) By Constitutional amendment: An anti-defection law has been inserted by the Constitutional amendment to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in changing parties 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.
(ii) By Supreme Court: To reduce the influence of money and criminals, the Supreme Court has passed an order. 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.
(iii) By Election Commissioner: An order passed by the Election Commission has made necessary for all 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 :
(i) In some countries, power usually changes between the two main parties. It is also known as the two party system.
(ii) In this system, the government is formed by one party and the other plays the role of opposition.
Merit—This system allows stability of 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. “Political parties play a major role in democracy.” Explain any five points to justify this statement.
OR
Describe the importance of political parties in a Democratic Government.
OR
“Political parties are rightly called the government in disguise.” Justify the statement in reference to democratic politics by giving five arguments.
OR
Describe any five major functions of political parties performed in a democracy.
OR
Describe any five major functions of political parties.
Answer : Major functions of the Political Parties are as follows –
(i) Parties contest elections.
(ii) Parties put forward different policies and programmes.
(iii) Parties play a decisive role in making laws of a country.
(iv) Parties form and run the government.
(v) Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition.
(vi) Parties shape public opinion.
(vii) Parties provide people access to the government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by the government.

Question. What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer : (i) A political party has members who agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote collective good.
(ii) It seeks to implement the policies by winning popular support through elections.
(iii) A political party has three components: the leaders, the active members and the followers.
(iv) A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.

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 are in the competition to gain control of the government separately or in the coalition. When not any single party gain majority votes then several parties join and form a coalition government. 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 make a choice 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. 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 parties, 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.
(iii) Elections in four states and wins at least four slats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national party.

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 is able to 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. “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?
OR
Illustrate the situations which display lack of internal democracy within a political party.
Answer : Situations which display a lack of internal democracy within a political party –
(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. “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 in order to remain effective instruments of democracy.
(i) Lack of internal democracy within parties.
(ii) Dynastic succession.
(iii) Growing role of money and muscle power in parties.
(iv) There is not a meaningful choice to the voters.

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 in order 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 a 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. Discuss the main policies of INC. OR When was Indian National congress party formed ? Discuss its major policies.
Answer : INC or Indian National Congress was founded in 1885. It emerged as the largest party in India in 2004, with 145 members in the Lok Sabha elections. Presently, it is the main opposition party in the Lok Sabha. Its major policies are as follows :
(i) Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, INC wanted India to become a modern, secular and democratic republic party.
(ii) It maintains its presence throughout the country by cutting across social divisions, in spite of its rises and falls.
(iii) It is a centrist party in its ideological orientation, i.e., neither rightist nor leftist.
(iv) It aims at promoting secularism and upliftment of the weaker sections and minorities.
(v) It supports new economic reforms but has a humanitarian approach.