CBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Political parties Assignment

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Assignment for Class 10 Civics Democratic Politics II Chapter 6 Political Parties

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Democratic Politics II Chapter 6 Political Parties Class 10 Civics Assignment

INTRODUCTION
Political parties are one of the most visible institutions in a democracy. for the ordinary citizens, democracy is equal to political parties. thus, it is important to know the nature and working of political parties.

POLITICAL PARTIES

(a) Meaning :
"A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government." They agree on some policies and programmes for 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. They seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through elections. A political party has following three components.
(i) The Leader (ii) The Active members (iii) The followers

(b) Functions :

CBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Political parties_4

(c) Necessity :
The rise and growth of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies.
 As societies became large and complex, they also needed some agency to gather different views on famous issues and to present these to the government. They needed some way to bring various representatives together, so that a responsible government could be formed. Societies also needed a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. Hence, the growth of political parties fulfils these needs that every representative government has. Thus, we can say that political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy

HOW MANY PARTIES SHOULD WE HAVE

(a) One-Party System :
(i) There is no competition in this system. The only party nominates the candidates and the voters have only two choices - (i) Not to vote at all or (ii) write 'yes' or 'no' against the name of the candidates nominated by the party. This system has been popular in Communist countries and other authoritarian regimes. The countries following this system are China, North Korea and Cuba.
(ii) Supporters of single-party system claim that this system enables the government to mobilise every citizen to use his talents and energies towards a common goal.
(iii) Single-party systems, however, limit the choices and freedoms of the citizens.

(b) Bi-party system :
(i) The two party system is one in which the power alternates between two parties.
(ii) The government in this party system would be very stable as it comes to power by a majority and thus there will be continuity of policies and programmes.
(iii) The opposition will be very strong and effective as only one party forms the opposition.
(iv) This system best reconciles responsiveness with order and representative government with efficient governance.
(v) Sometimes the two–party system is considered as undemocratic as the ideological choice is very limited between two parties. The opinion of people cannot be expressed properly.
(vi) Since the party comes to power by an absolute majority, it is difficult to remove it and it can result in the dictatorship of the cabinet, i.e., the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.

(c) 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 own strength or in alliance with others, this type of system is known as multi-party system.

(d) Which of these is better ?
Party system is not something a country can choose. 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.

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES
(i) A national party has influence all over the country or in many states of India. The influence of a state party is in a state or a few regions.
(ii) National parties care for national interests, whereas regional parties promote mainly regional interests.
(iii) Regional parties stand for greater autonomy for the states. The national parties, on the other hand, have to harmonise various conflicting regional interests. They try to end regional imbalances.
(iv) An exclusive symbol (such as lotus for B.J.P. and hand for I.N.C.) is reserved for a national party throughout India. But in case of a regional party a symbol for it is reserved for it in the state which it is recognised.

(a) National Political Parties :
A party that secures at least six percent of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four states and win atleast four seats in the Lok Sabha is recognised as a National Party. There were six national parties in the country in 2006.

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) :
(i) Mamta Banerjee launched this party on 1 Jan 1998 with its commitment to secularism and federalism.
(ii) This party has been in power in West Bengal since 2011 and was recognized as a national party in 2016. It is also influential in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.
(iii) In the general elections held in 2014 , it received 3.84% votes and won 34 seats making it the fourth largest party in Lok Sabha.

Indian National Congress (INC) :
(i) Popularly known as Congress Party, is one of the oldest parties in the world. It was founded in 1885 by Dr. A.O. Hume.
(ii) lt played a dominate role in the 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.
(iii) It was the ruling party at the centre till 1977 and then from 1980-1989, after 1989 its support declined, but it continues to be present throughout the country.
(iv) A centrist party (neither rightist nor leftist) in its ideological orientation, the party espouses secularism as the foremost task to preserve the unity and integrity of India.
(v) It aims to safeguard educational, religious and cultural rights and to promote welfare of weaker sections and minorities.
(vi) Congress Party supports new economic reforms but with a human face.
(vii) The party also advocates continuing with the policy of non-alignment as its foreign policy. It also follows the principle of Panchsheel.
(viii) It strives to give power to the people at the grass-roots level through Panchayati Raj and Municipal Corporation.
(ix) It works upon to establish big industries as well as small-scale industries for the removal of unemployment. Congress Party emerged as the largest party with 145 members in the Lok Sabha elections held in 2004. Hence, currently it leads the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition government at the centre.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) :
(i) It was created in 1980. It is one of the two major political parties in India. It champions the socioreligious values of the Hindu majority of India, conservative social policies, and strong national defence. It is strongly supported by Hindu organisations, informally known as the Sangh Parivar (league of RSS-led organisations) in which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) plays a big role.
(ii) Since its formation, the BJP has been a strong rival of the Indian National Congress. It has allied itself with regional parties to challenge the Congress party, which dominated Indian politics for 40 years. The BJP's rallying cry is "Hindutva" literally meaning 'Hinduness' or cultural Hindu nationalism. It wants full territorial integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India and a uniform civil code. The BJP, in alliance with several other parties, led the Government of India between 1998 and 2004. Its most senior leaders were then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani.
(ii) It is now the recognised opposition, and the leading party within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It wants the real life of an Indian citizen to be governed by Indian constitution and not by any religious text. It wants a developed nation, to make India a super power, to launch a second Green Revolution, peace with Pakistan, besides promoting "Hindutva".

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) :
(i) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) The Bahujan Samaj Party is a party formed to represent the OBC, SC, ST and religious minorities, those at the bottom of India's caste system. The BSP was formed in 1984 by two leaders, Kanshiram and Mayawati. In the 13th Lok Sabha (1999 - 2004) it had 14 (out of 545) members.
(ii) The main base of the party is in Uttar Pradesh. It also has a substantial following in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab.
(iii) It draws inspiration from the teachings of Sahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker. The BSP also draws inspiration from the teachings of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who was of the opinion that abolition of the caste system was indispensable for the abolition of untouchability. But the BSP does not want to abolish castes. It now wants to uplift the "Bahujan Samaj" (majority castes) and promotes "Sarva Samaj" (the whole society).

Communist Party of India–Marxist (CPI–M) :
(i) Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) supports socialism, secularism, and democracy and opposes imperialism and communalism. This party was, formed in 1964.
(ii) It believes or accepts democratic elections as a useful and helpful means for securing the objective of socio justice in India.
(iii) The party is critical of the new economic policies that allow free flow of foreign capital and goods in country.
(iv) CPI-M enjoys strong support in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, especially among the poor, factory workers, farmers, agricultural labourers and the intelligentsia. This party has been in power in West Bengal without a break for 30 years.
(v) In 2004 elections, it won about 6 per cent of votes and 43 seats in the Lok Sabha. Currently, it supports the UP A government from outside.

Communist Party of India (CPI) :
(i) The Communist party of India was formed in 1925. Till 1977, it remained an ally of the Congress. There after, it started to be anti-Congress and anti-BJP, left and democratic front.
(ii) CPI believes in Marxism, Leninism, secularism and democracy.
(iii) It opposes the forces of secessionism and communalism. It accepts parliamentary democracy as a means of promoting the interests of the working class, farmers and the poor.
(iv) It favours control over foreign trade, new and equitable international economic order. It advocates crop insurance schemes and cancellation of loans taken by small peasants; radical land reforms, including fair wages to agricultural workers, etc.
(v) CPI supports base states are Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. But its support base has gradually declined over the years. It secured about 1.4 per cent votes and 10 seats in the 2004. Lok Sabha elections. Currently CPI supports UPA government from outside.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) :
(i) The recently formed national party is Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). It was formed in 1999 following a split in the Congress Party.
(ii) This party espouses democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice and federalism. It also wants that high offices in government be confined to natural born citizens of the country.
(iii) A major party in Maharashtra, has a significant presence in Meghalaya, Manipur and Assam.
(iv) It is a coalition partner in the state of Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress. Since 2004, it is a member of the "United Progressive Alliance".

(b) State Party :
A party that secures at least six percent of total votes in Lok Sabha in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State and wins at least two seats is recognised as a State party. These are commonly referred to as regional parties. Some of these parties are all India parties that happen to have succeeded only in some states. Parties like the Samajwadi Party, Samata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal have national level political organisation with units in several states. Some of these parties like Biju Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front and Mizo National Front are conscious about their State identity.

CBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Political parties_3

CHALLENGES TO POLITICAL PARTIES

CBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Political parties_2

Popular dissatisfaction and criticism has focussed on four problem areas in the working of political parties.

(i) Lack of internal democracy : 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 hold, organisational meetings and do not conduct internal elections regularly. 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. Since one or few leaders exercise paramount power in the party, those who disagree with the leadership find it difficult to continue in the party. The personal loyality becomes more important as compared to loyality to the party principle and policies.
(ii) Unfair Advantage and Dynastic Succession : 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. In many parties the top positions are always controlled by members of one family. This is unfair to other members of that party. This is equally bad for democracy, since people who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy positions of power.
(iii) Money and Muscle Power : Parties tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money. Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have influence on the policies and decisions of the party. In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.
(iv) Absence of Meaningful Choice : Very often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice 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. 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.

HOW CAN PARTIES BE REFORMED

Some of the recent efforts and suggestions in our country to reform political parties are:
(i) 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 loose 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 election to file an Affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him.
(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns.

 CBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Political parties_1

 

Choose the correct option

Question. Political parties can be reformed by
(a) reducing the role of muscle power
(b) reducing the role of money
(c) state funding of election
(d) All of the above

Answer : D

Question. Choose the wrong statement about political party.
(a) Political party contests election.
(b) Political party acts as an opposition party.
(c) Political party does not make law.
(d) None of the above

Answer : C

Question. Bhartiya Jana Sangh is the mother party of
(a) Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
(b) Indian National Congress (INC)
(c) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
(d) Samajwadi Party (SP)

Answer : A

Question. Political parties are there in a country to give people:
(a) freedom
(b) choice
(c) protection
(d) none of the above

Answer : B

Question. The clearly visible institutions of a democracy are:
(a) people
(b) societies
(c) political parties
(d) pressure groups

Answer : C

Question. Bahujan Samaj Party stands for the cause of
(a) interest of literate
(b) interest of oppressed people
(c) interest of elite class
(d) None of the above

Answer : B

Question. Members of ruling party follows the directions of:
(a) people
(b) party leaders
(c) pressure groups
(d) None of the above

Answer : B

Question. Which is not the component of a political party?
(a) The leaders
(b) The followers
(c) The active members
(d) The ministers

Answer : D

Question. Name the party that emerged out of mass movement.
(a) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
(b) Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
(c) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
(d) Janta Dal

Answer : A

Question. Parties are a necessary condition for a:
(a) democracy
(b) authoritarian
(c) dictatorship
(d) none of the above

Answer : A

Question. Which is not a function of political party?
(a) To contest election
(b) Faith in violent methods
(c) Political education to the people
(d) Form public opinion

Answer : B

Question. How many political parties are in India (approximately)?
(a) 200
(b) 750
(c) 500
(d) 650

Answer : B

Question. The political parties of a country have a fundamental political .......... in a society.
(a) choice
(b) division
(c) support
(d) power

Answer : B

Question. Lack of Internal democracy is the challenge faced by
(a) national party
(b) regional party
(c) political party
(d) None of the above

Answer : C

Question. .......... is an organised group of person who come together to contest election and try to hold power in government.
(a) Political party
(b) Democracy
(c) Parliament
(d) None of these

Answer : A

Question. Under which system, only one-party is allowed to function?
(a) Single-party system
(b) Bi-Party system
(c) Multi-party system
(d) None of these

Answer : A

 

Question. Which of the following is the most visible institutions in a democracy?
(a) Leaders
(b) Political parties
(c) Govt.
(d) People

Answer: B

Question. How many political parties are registered with the election commission of India?
(a) Less than 100
(b) Between 100 to 500
(c) Between 500 to 750
(d) More than 750

Answer: D

Question. A Political party has to satisfy the following criteria to be recognized as a national party—
(a) 6% votes of total votes in Lok sabha or assembly elections of four status
(b) At least 6 Lok sabha seats
(c) 12% votes of total votes in Lok sabha
(d) At least 12 Lok sabha seats

Answer: A

Question. How many political parties were recognized as National parties in India in 2006?
(a) 06
(b) 16
(c) 750
(d) 21

Answer: A

Question. How many Lok sabha constituencies are there in India at present?
(a) 540
(b) 543
(c) 547
(d) 563

Answer: A

Question. Area wise which is the largest Lok sabha constituency in India?
(a) Karol Bag
(b) Ghaziabad
(c) Mumbai Cart
(d) Ladakh

Answer: D

Question. The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) came to power in 1998 as the leader of
(a) United progressive Alliance
(b) Left front
(c) National Democratic
(d) None of these

Answer: C

Question. Which party system does India follow—
(a) Single party system
(b) Two party system
(c) Multi party system
(d) All of them

Answer: C

Question. What is Bye –election?
(a) Elections held to fill a vacancy caused by the death or any other house.
(b) Election held after a specific period.
(c) Election held to farm the new govt.
(d) Election held in between the fixed term of the house.

Answer: A

Question. Who is the founder of the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP)
(a) Jyotiba Phule
(b) Kanshi Ram
(c) B. R. Ambudkar
(d) Maya Vati

Answer: B

Question. Which is the essential element of a political party?
(a) Organisation
(b) National interest
(c) Fundamental principles
(d) All of the above

Answer : D

Question. Without the political parties, the utility of the government will remain:
(a) uncertain
(b) powerful
(c) peaceful
(d) none of the above

Answer : A

Question. Which of the following is a regional party?
(a) Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)
(b) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
(c) Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
(d) Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI

Answer : C

Question. In a democratic country, any group of citizens is free to form:
(a) a political party
(b) society
(c) religion
(d) all of the above

Answer : A

Question. A political party is an association of:
(a) people
(b) children
(c) parties
(d) none of the above

Answer : A

Question. How many national parties are there in India.?
(a) 10
(b) 12
(c) 07
(d) 20

Answer : C

Question. Elephant is the election symbol of
(a) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
(b) Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
(c) Indian National Congress (INC)
(d) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)

Answer : A

FILL IN THE BLANK :

Question. A political party has components like .........., .......... and .......... .

Answer : leaders, the active members, the followers

Question. Every party in the country has to register within the .......... .

Answer : Election Commission

Question. .......... , .......... , .......... , .......... , .......... and .......... are recognised as national parties in India.

Answer : INC, BJP, BSP, CPI, CPI-M, NCP Congress

TRUE/FALSE :

Question. National parties have representation in less than four states.

Answer : False

Question. The state party secures atleast 6 percent of the total votes in an election to the legislative assemblies of a state.

Answer : True

Question. In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.

Answer : True

Question. BJP was founded in 1988 as a result of the split in INC.

Answer : False

Question. BSP was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.

Answer : True

Very Short Answer Type Questions 

Question : Under which do people usually reject some particular parties in the next elections?
Answer :  People usually reject some particular parties in the next elections if they (parties) are not responsive to their (people’s) needs and demands. 

Question : If all the decision of a political party are made by a single family and all other members are neglected, than what challenge is being faced by that party?
Answer :  That political party will face the challenge of lack of internal democracy within parties.

Question : What is 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 the society with a view to promote the collective good.

Question : What are called ‘recognised political parties’?
Answer :  Parties that get some special facilities from the Election Commission are called ‘recognised political parties’.

Question : Although people in China are legally free to form political parties, it does not happen. Why?
Answer : It is because the electoral system does not permit free competition for power.

Question : Why is one party system not considered a good option?
Answer : One party system is not considered a good option because this is not a democratic option.

Question : Why did India adopt multi-party system?
Answer :  India adopted multi-party system because:
a. India is a large country and has social and geographical diverges.
b. It is easy to absorb different social and geographical diversities in a multi¬party systems.
 
Question : Which party was the principal opposition party in Lok Sabha in 2004? 
Answer : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
 
Question : What is meant by ‘Political Party’ ? 
Answer : A political party is a group of people come together to contest elections to hold power in the government.
 
Question : What is the requirement laid down by the Election Commission for a political party to be recognized as a ’State Party’ ? 
Answer : A party that secures at least six percent 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.
 
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?
Answer : Challenge of dynastic succession.

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question : Why do we need political parties?
Answer :  1. Political parties are easily one of the most visible institutions in a democracy.
2. Far most ordinary citizens, political parties are equal to democracy.
3. Political parties helped in making public opinion and farming the govt.

Question : Describe the merits of a multi party system in thru points.
Answer : 1. More than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others
2. This system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
3. In India we have multi party system and the coalition govt. for last 15 years which benefits all sections of the population. 

Question : What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer : 1. It is a group of people coming together to contest elections and share power.
2. It agrees on some policies and programmers for the society with a view to promote collective good.
3. It lends to implement there policies by viewing popular support through elections.
4. It is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interest it upholds.

Question : What is the role of opposition party in democracy
Answer : 1. Constructive criticism of govt.
2. Restriction of arbitrariness of ruling party
3. Safeguard, liberty and rights of the people
4. Well prepared to form govt.
5. Expression of public opinion

Question : Give an account of the functions (any four) of political parties
Answer :  1. They educate the masses, through their meetings and propaganda about various problems facing the country
2. Helps in the formation of public opinion
3. They contest elections and try to get the maximum number of their candidates elected
4. They serve as a link between the govt. and the people
5. The party which gets as absolute majority, forms the govt. others form opposition 

Question : “The rise of political parties is linked to the emergence of representative democracies.” Comment on the statement.
Answer : 1. As a society become large and complex they also need some agenesis together with different views on various issues and to present these to the govt.
2. They need some ways to bring various representatives together so that a responsible govt. can by formed.
3. They need a mechanism to support and restrain the govt. make policies, justify or oppose them 

Question : Write a short note on Indian National Congress (INC).
Answer : ndian National Congress is popularly known as the Congress Party. It is one of the oldest parties of the world. It was founded in 1885. It played an important role in Indian politics at the national and state levels after the independence. Under Nehru the party tried to build a modern secular democratic republic in India. It remained in power till 1977 and then from 1980-1989 but after that its support declined. The party supports secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities. It supports new economic reforms with a human face. It emerged as a single largest party with 145 seats in 2004 elections and is currently leading the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition government at the centre. 

Question : Analyse the three components of a political party.
                                      or
Describe the three components of a political party.
Answer : Three components of a political party are:
a. Leaders
b. Active members
c. Followers
 
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 promote the collective good.
Ideology of BJP:
a. Wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
b. A uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion.
c. Cultural nationalism. 

Question. What are the main functions of a political party?
Answer:
1. To contest election
2. Forming policies and programmes
3. Making laws
4. Parties form and fun govt.
5. To play an active role of opposition
6. Shaping public opinion
7. Access to govt. machinery and welfare schemes

Question. What are the challenges between political parties in India?
Answer: Following points can be given with explanation as the challenges of political parties in India—
1. Lack of internal democracy
2. Lack of transparency
3. Use of money and muscle power
4. Not providing meaningful choice to the voter

Question. Mention the features of Congress party in India?
Answer:
1. Congress party was founded in 1885 and has experiences many splits.
2. It was ruling party at the centre till 1977 and then in 1880-89, 2000 to till date
3. This party supports secularism and welfare of weaker sections and minorities.
4. It supports new economic reforms but with a human face.
5. It emerged as the largest party with 145 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in 2004.
6. It currently leads the ruling united progressive alliance (UPA) coalition govt. at the centre.

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:
a. A party that secures at least six percent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a state.
b. Wins at least two seats in the Legislative Assembly.
 
Question : Which three challenges do you feel are being faced by political parties in India ? Give your Opinion.
Answer : The three challenges faced by political parties in India are:
a. Lack of internal democracy.
b. Challenge of dynastic succession.
c. Growing role of money and muscle power.
d. Often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.
 
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 own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system.
India adopted a Multi-party system because:
a. There is social and geographical diversity in India.
b. India is such a large country which is not easily absorbed by two or three parties.
c. The system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
 
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:
a. To check defection, the Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA’s and MPs from changing parties.
b. 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 property and criminal cases pending.
c. The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational election and file their income tax returns.
 
Question : Name the ‘regional political parties’ that are predominant in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha respectively with their symbols. 
Answer : Jharkhand—JMM—Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 
Maharashtra—INC—Indian National Congress
Odisha—BJD—Biju Janata Dal.
 
Question : What is meant by ‘defection’ in democracy? Explain.
Answer : a. Detection in politics means moving of a person from one party to another party for some personal benefit. It means changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected to a different part b. It happens when a legislature, after having been
elected from a particular party leaves it and joins in other party.
c. The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA’s and MP’s from changing parties. Now the law says that if any MLA and MP changes parties, he or she will lose seat in the legislature.
d. The new law has brought defection down and has made dissent even more difficult. 

Question : What is meant by a political party? Describe the three components of a political party. 
Answer : Political Party: A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. Political parties take up policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good. The political party tries to persuade people why their policies are better than other parties, and tries to win the support of people.
Three Components of a Political Party:
(i) The Leaders - Every political party has some prominent leaders who formulate policies and programmes of the party and choose candidates for contesting elections.
(ii) The Active Members : They are involved in different committees of the party and participate directly in the party activities.
(iii) The Followers : They believe in the party’s ideology and support the party by casting their votes in favour of the party at the time of election. 

Question : Name the national political party which gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Mention four features of that party.
Answer : ‘Bhartiya Janta Party’ (BJP) gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values.
Four important features :
(i) Cultural nationalism or ‘Hindutva’ is an important element in its conception of India nationhood and politics.
(ii) The party wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
(iii) A uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of region and ban on religious conversions.
(iv) Founded in 1980, by reviving the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh, its support base increased substantially in the 1990s.

Question : “No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations.” Justify the statement with arguments.
Answer : No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations :
(i) Party system is not something, any country can choose.
(ii) It evolves over a long period depending on the nature of the society.
(iii) Its social and regional division, its history of policies and its system of elections.
(iv) Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances. 

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 is no way for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
(iii) In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.
(vi) 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 position of power. 

Question : How do money and muscle power play an important role in elections? Explain.
Answer : Money and muscle power play an important role in elections because :
(i) Parties tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise large amounts of money.
(ii) Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have influence on the policies and decisions of the party.
(iii) In some cases, parties support criminals who can win election.
(iv) Democrats all over the world are worried over the increasing role of rich people and big companies in democratic politics. 

Long Answer Type Questions 

Question. Describe any five major functions of political parties performed in a democracy.
Answer : Ans In a democracy political parties performed the following major functions: 1. Parties contest elections: In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. Parties select their candidates in different ways. In India top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections. 2. Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped together to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments. 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 person ’ opinions. 4. Parties form and run governments. Parties recruit leaders, train 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 criticising government for its failure or wrong policies. 6. Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution ,of problems faced by people. Often opinions in the society crystallise on the lines parties take. 7. Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments.

Question. Examine any two institutional amendments made by different institutions to reform political parties and their leaders. [CBSE 2016] or Elucidate some of the recent efforts taken in our country to reform political parties and its leaders.
Answer : a. 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. b. 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. c. The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns. d. 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.

Question. Suggest and explain any five measures to reform political parties. [CBSE 2016] or Suggest any five effective measures to reform political parties.
Answer :  Effective measures to reform political parties are : a. A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. b. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members. c. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets; about l/3rd to its women candidates. d. There should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies of the party. e. There should be state funding of elections. f. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses in kind, for example, petrol, paper, telephone, etc., or in cash. g. Vote casting should be made compulsory in each election. h. Data regarding caste and religion, OBC, SC, ST should not be utilized during election period in any form.

Question. “Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.” Analyse the statement with examples. [CBSE 2016] or Why can’t modern democracies exist without the political parties? Explain any four reasons.
Answer : “Political parties are a necessary condition for a democracy” because: 1. Without political parties, democracies cannot exist. 2. If we do not have political parties; in such a situation every candidate in elections will be independent. 3. No one will be able to make any promises to the people about any major policy changes. 4. The government may be formed but its utility will remain uncertain. 5. Elected representatives will be accountable to their constituency for what they do in their locality. 6. But no one will be responsible for how the country will run. . 7. The role of opposition party in a democracy necessitates the existence of political parties. 8. 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. “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 has focused on four areas in the working of political parties. Political parties need to face and overcome these challenges in order to remain effective instruments of democracy. a. Lack of internal democracy within parties. b. Dynastic succession. c. Growing role of money and muscle power in parties. d. There is not a meaningful choice to the voter.

Question “No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations.” Justify the statement with arguments.
Answer : No party system is ideal for all countries and all situations: a. Party system is not something, any country can choose. b. It evolves over a long time depending on the nature of the society. c. Its social and regional divisions, its history of politics and its system of elections. d. Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.

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 came together to contest elections and hold power in the government. Three components of a political party are: a. The leaders b. The active members c. The followers

Question. Describe any five major functions of political parties.
Answer : Functions of political parties: a. Parties contest elections. b. They put forward policies and programmes. c. Parties play a decisive role in making laws. d. Parties form and run government. e. Defeated parties in the election play its role of opposition to the parties in power. f. Parties shape public opinion. g. Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes. 

Question. “Lack of internal democracy within parties is the major challenge to political parties all over the world.” Analyse the statement.
Answer : There are various reasons for lack of democracy within the political parties in India: a. Concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. b. Details of membership are not registered in the parties. c. No organizational meetings. d. No internal elections for membership within the party. e. Top leaders have unanimous power of decision making.

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:
a. Most political parties do not practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning.
b. There are few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
c. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.
d. This practice is unfair to other members of that party and is also bad for a democracy.
e. People who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy position of power.

Question : Suggest and explain any five measures to reform political parties. 
                                                   or
Suggest any five effective measures to reform political parties.
Answer : Effective measures to reform political parties are :
a. A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties.
b. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members.
c. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets; about 1/3rd to its women candidates.
d. There should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies of the party.
e. There should be state funding of elections.
f. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses in kind, for example, petrol, paper, telephone, etc., or in cash.
g. Vote casting should be made compulsory in each election.
h. Data regarding caste and religion, OBC, SC, ST 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 came together to contest elections and hold power in the government.
Three components of a political party are:
a. The leaders
b. The active members
c. The followers
 
Question : “Lack of internal democracy within parties is the major challenge to political parties all over the world.”
Analyse the statement.
Answer :  There are various reasons for lack of democracy within  the political parties in India:
a. Concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top.
b. Details of membership are not registered in the parties.
c. No organizational meetings.
d. No internal elections for membership within the party.
e. Top leaders have unanimous power of decision making.
 
Question : Name the national political party which gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values. Mention four features of that party.
Answer : ‘Bharatiya Janata Party’ (BJP) gets inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values.
Four important features:
a. Cultural nationalism or ‘Hindutva’ is an important element in its conception of Indian nationhood and politics.
b. The party wants full territorial and political integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
c. A uniform civil code for all people living in the country irrespective of religion and ban on religious conversions.
d. Its support base increased substantially in the 1990s. 
 
Question : How do political parties help in shaping public opinion? Explain. 
Answer : Role of political parties in shaping public opinion as:
a. They raise and highlight issues.
b. They form pressure groups as an extension.
c. They launch movement for the resolution of problems faced by the people.
d. They have lakhs of members and activists.
 
Question : What is a multi-party system? Explain merits and demerits of multi-party system.
Answer : 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.
Merits:
a. This system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
b. People can make a choice between several candidates.
Demerits:
a. No one party is likely to gain power alone.
Therefore, it leads to difficulty in formation of government. ‘
b. Leads to political instability and often appears to be very messy.
 
Question : Explain any four problem areas in the working of political parties.
Answer : a. Lack of internal democracy: The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties.
Concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top.
b. 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.
c. Money and muscle power: The third challenge is about growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections.
d. Meaningful choice: The fourth challenge is that very often parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.
 
Question : “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 : The political parties play an important role in democracy as:
1. Parties contest election: In most democracies elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties.
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 shape public opinions. They raise and highlight issues.
5. Parties form and run governments.
6. Role of opposition: Opposition role is important in democracy as it voices different views and criticizes government for its failures or wrong policies.
7. Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments.
 

Question : Suggest and explain any five measures to reform political parties.
Answer : Effective measures to reform political parties are :
(i) A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties and hold internal elections.
(ii) It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a record of members.
(iii) It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets; about 1/3rd to 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 for example, petrol, paper, telephone, etc. or in cash.
(vii) Vote casting for Indian citizens should be made compulsory in each election.
(viii) Data regarding caste and religion, OBC, SC, ST should not be utilized during election period for castist or religion based politics. 

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 exists with political parties all over the world. It mainly focusses on four areas of working 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 not a meaningful choice to the voters. 

Question : Describe any five major functions of political parties performed in a democracy.
Answer : In a democracy political parties performed the following major functions:
1. Parties contest elections: In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. Parties select their candidates in different ways. In India top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.
2. Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. In a democracy, a large number of similar opinions have to be grouped together to provide a direction in which policies can be formulated by the governments. 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 person opinions.
4. Parties form and run governments. Parties recruit leaders, train 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 criticising government for its failure or wrong policies.
6. Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. Parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution ,of problems faced by people. Often opinions in the society crystallise on the lines parties take.
7. Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments.
 

Question : How do political parties shape the public opinion? Explain with three examples.
Answer : Political parties shape public opinions in the following way :
(a) They raise and highlight issues thus raising awareness amongst the public.
(b) Parties have members and activists spread all over the country, who spread the party line of thought.
(c) Many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of the society.

Question : Name the national political party which draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj. Mention the features of that party.
Answer : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram, draws inspiration from the ideas and teachings of Sahu Maharaj.
Features of BSP:
(i) It stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.
(ii) It has its main base in the state of Uttar Pradesh and substantial presence in neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab.
(iii) It formed government in Uttar Pradesh several times by taking support of different parties at different times.

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 has focused on four areas in the working of political parties. Political parties need to face and overcome these challenges in order to remain effective instruments of democracy.
a. Lack of internal democracy within parties.
b. Dynastic succession.
c. Growing role of money and muscle power in parties.
d. There is not a meaningful choice to the voter.

Question : Suggest some ways to reform political parties.
Answer : Some reforms which can strengthen political parties are:
(i) A law should be established to regulate the internal affairs of parties, thereby making them more transparent.
(ii) 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 disputes, to hold open elections in case of disputes.
(iii) It should be made mandatory for the political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
(iv) The state should fund election campaigns, thereby eliminating lobbying groups and unfair competition. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses such as petrol, paper, telephone etc. or it could be given in cash on the basis of votes secured by a party in the last elections.
(v) People can put pressure on political parties and this can be done through petitions, publicity and agitations. Ordinary citizens, pressure groups, movements and media can play an important role in this. If political parties feel that they would lose public support by not taking up reforms they will become more serious about reforms.
The quality of democracy depends upon the degree of participation. It is difficult to reform politics if ordinary citizens do not take part in politics and simply criticise it from outside.

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 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. 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. Describe any five functions of Political Party.
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 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. 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. Explain any five functions of the Ruling Party.
Answer : 
(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. 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. 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. 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. “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. 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. “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 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. 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. 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.

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CBSE Class 10 Civics Democratic Politics II Chapter 6 Political Parties Assignment

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