What are partisan and partisanship?
Partisan-A person who strongly supporting a person, group of ideas and committed to a party without considering it carefully. Partisanship- a term used when a politician supports their official party policies and refuses to be engage with the opposition policies.
Do political parties educate people?
Yes, political parties educate people by organising public rallies, meetings, press conference on important issues. Common people are made aware of the economic, social and political condition of the country.
How do political parties shape public opinion?
a. Political parties raise and highlight issues related to people.
b. Sometimes they launch movements for the solution of problems faced by the people.
c. Parties have lakhs of members and activists, spread all over the country.
Which party can be referred to as a recognised party?
The party which is recognised and registered by the government and election commission and given a unique symbol to contest the election.
Define mono-party system.
Mono party system is a one party system in which one party is allowed to run the country or government. Example China
Discuss two merits and one demerit of one-party or mono-party system.
Merits of mono-party system-
a. Political Stability –since there is no opposition party so government is strong and cannot be removed out of power.
b. Less Expensive-There is only one party and one candidate of the party, not so much money is spent on the election.
Demerit of one party system-
a. No political competition- it gives no choice to the voters.
b. Leads to dictatorship-Undemocratic government can become dictatorial.
What is the advantage of multi-party system?
Advantages of multi-party system-
a. It allows smaller parties to flourish.
b. It allows variety of interest and opinions to enjoy political representation.
c. It strengthen and deepens democracy.
What is meant by a national political party? State the condition required to be a national political party.
A national party which function at the national level is called a national party.
A political party is able to get the status of National Party when-
a) It secures at least 6% of the valid votes polled in any four or more states in Lok Sabah or legislative assembly.
b) Party has to win at least 4seats in the Lok Sabah from any state or states.
Why is there of internal democracy within the political parties in India? Explain with examples.
There is a lack of democracy with in the political parties in India due to the following reasons-
a) There is a tendency in political parties that concentration of powers is in the hands of one or few top leaders.
b) Parties don’t hold an organisational meeting and don’t conduct internal elections regularly.
c) Parties don’t have the means which required to influence the decisions.
d) Parties don’t keep membership register.
e) All these features are found in India’s parties like Indian National Congress, BSP, SP and BJP etc.
What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
The various challenges faced by political parties are-
Lack of internal democracy-
a. Concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top.
b. Parties don’t keep membership registers, don’t hold internal elections regularly.
c. They don’t have the means or the connections needed to influence the decision.
Challenges of Dynastic Succession-
a. The top positions are always controlled by members of one family.
b. This is unfair to other members of respective party.
c. People who don’t have adequate experience or popular support come to or occupy position of power. This is not good for democracy.
Money and Muscle power-
a. They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
b. Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have an influence on the policies and decisions.
c. In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.
Absences of meaningful choice-
a. In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences almost all parties in the world.
b. In our country also there has been a difference among all the major parties on the economic policies.
c. Sometimes people re-elect the same leader because they keep shifting from one party to another.
No material choice for the workers-
a. The people are left with no choice.
b. Almost all the parties have more or less the same policies and programmes.
Why do parties not give enough tickets to women? Which values lack in the above statements?
Parties don’t give enough tickets to women because-
a. Politics is mainly male-dominated.
b. Parties don’t find women capable enough to run the government.
c. They don’t find that women have a leadership quality.
d. There is no quota for women in the decision making bodies in the party.
e. They believe that if women get the ticket then steadily the powers will go in the hands of women.
f. It reflects the patriarchal mentality of the Indian society.
Internal democracy, gender-inequality are the values which lack in the above statements.