Political PartiesClass 10 Political Science NCERT Solutions
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Q1Questions
State the various functions political parties perform in a democracy.
Solution
Political parties perform several crucial functions in a democracy. These are:
- Contest Elections: Parties select their candidates and put them up to contest in elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among candidates nominated by political parties.
- Put Forward Policies and Programmes: Parties present different policies and programmes, and voters choose from them. They reduce a vast number of opinions into a few basic positions that they support.
- Making Laws: Parties play a decisive role in law-making. Laws are debated and passed in the legislature, and most members vote according to the direction of their party leadership.
- Form and Run Governments: The party that wins a majority of seats in an election forms and runs the government. Parties recruit and train leaders and then make them ministers to implement their policies.
- Role of Opposition: Parties that lose the elections play the role of the opposition. They criticise the government for its failures and wrong policies and mobilise opposition to the government.
- Shape Public Opinion: Parties raise and highlight important issues. Through their members and activists across the country, they shape public opinion. They also launch movements to address problems faced by the people.
- Provide Access to Government Machinery: Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes. It is often easier for an ordinary citizen to approach a local party leader than a government officer.
Q2Questions
What are the various challenges faced by political parties?
Solution
Political parties face several significant challenges that can hinder their effectiveness as instruments of democracy. The four main challenges are:
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Lack of Internal Democracy: There is a tendency for power to be concentrated in the hands of one or a few top leaders. Parties often do not hold regular organisational meetings or internal elections, and ordinary members have little say in decision-making. Loyalty to leaders becomes more important than loyalty to party principles.
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Challenge of Dynastic Succession: Due to a lack of transparent procedures, leaders are often in a position to favour their family members. In many parties, top positions are controlled by members of a single family. This is unfair to other members and can lead to people without adequate experience or popular support holding positions of power.
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Growing Role of Money and Muscle Power: Parties are focused on winning elections and may use shortcuts to do so. They often nominate candidates who are rich or can raise large amounts of money. Rich individuals and companies that fund parties may influence their policies. In some cases, parties even support criminals who can win elections.
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Lack of Meaningful Choice: In recent times, ideological differences between major parties have reduced. They may agree on fundamental aspects and differ only on details of policy implementation. This leaves voters with no real choice. Sometimes, the same set of leaders keeps shifting from one party to another, further reducing the options available to voters.
Q3Questions
Suggest some reforms to strengthen parties so that they perform their functions well?
Solution
Several reforms can be suggested to strengthen political parties so they can perform their functions better. These can be categorised into recent efforts and other suggestions:
Recent Efforts and Laws:
- Anti-Defection Law: The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties for personal gain. If they switch parties, they lose their seat in the legislature.
- Mandatory Affidavits: The Supreme Court has made it mandatory for candidates to file an affidavit detailing their property and any pending criminal cases. This increases transparency for the public.
- Organisational Elections: The Election Commission has ordered parties to hold organisational elections and file their income tax returns, promoting internal democracy and accountability.
Other Suggestions for Reform:
- Regulating Internal Affairs: A law should be made to regulate the internal functioning of parties, making it compulsory to maintain a member register, follow their own constitution, and hold open elections for top posts.
- Quota for Women: It should be mandatory for parties to give a minimum number of tickets (e.g., one-third) to women candidates and to have a quota for women in their decision-making bodies.
- State Funding of Elections: The government could provide funds to parties to support their election expenses, either in kind (petrol, paper) or in cash based on past performance. This could reduce the influence of big money on politics.
Additionally, parties can be reformed through public pressure from citizens, media, and movements, and by more good people joining politics to improve it from within.
Q4Questions
What is a political party?
Solution
A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some common policies and programmes for the society with the aim of promoting the collective good. They seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through elections. A political party is known by the part of society it stands for, the policies it supports, and the interests it upholds.
Q5Questions
What are the characteristics of a political party?
Solution
A political party has several key characteristics based on its meaning and components:
- Group of People: It is an organised group of people with a shared vision or ideology.
- Aim to Hold Power: The primary goal is to contest elections and gain political power to form a government.
- Common Policies and Programmes: Members agree on a set of policies and programmes for the governance of the country and the welfare of society.
- Promoting Collective Good: They work towards what they believe is the collective good, trying to persuade people that their policies are better than those of other parties.
- Partisanship: A party represents a part of society and therefore involves partisanship. It is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports, and whose interests it upholds.
- Three Components: A political party consists of three main components: the leaders, the active members, and the followers.
Q6Questions
A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government is called a _____ .
Solution
A group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in thegovernment is called a political party.
Q7Questions
Match List I (organisations and struggles) with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I List II 1. Congress Party A. National Democratic Alliance 2. Bharatiya Janata Party B. State party 3. Communist Party of India (Marxist) C. United Progressive Alliance 4. Telugu Desam Party D. Left Front
1 2 3 4 (a) C A B D (b) C D A B (c) C A D B (d) D C A B
Solution
The correct match is:
- 1. Congress Party was the leader of the C. United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
- 2. Bharatiya Janata Party is the leader of the A. National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
- 3. Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a major party in the D. Left Front.
- 4. Telugu Desam Party is a B. State party (also known as a regional party).
Therefore, the correct code is (c) C A D B.
Q8Questions
Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party? A. Kanshi Ram B. Sahu Maharaj C. B.R. Ambedkar D. Jotiba Phule
Solution
A. Kanshi Ram
The chapter states, "Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Formed in 1984 under the leadership of Kanshi Ram."
Q9Questions
What is the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party? A. Bahujan Samaj B. Revolutionary democracy C. Integral humanism D. Modernity
Solution
C. Integral humanism
The chapter mentions that the BJP wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from "Deendayal Upadhyaya's ideas of integral humanism and Antyodaya."
Q10Questions
Consider the following statements on parties. A. Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people. B. Parties are often rocked by scandals involving top party leaders. C. Parties are not necessary to run governments. Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a)
A, B, and C
(b)
A and B
(c)
B and C
(d)
A and C
Solution
(b) A and B
- Statement A is correct. The chapter explicitly states, "Political parties do not enjoy much trust among the people in South Asia" and are "one of the least trusted institutions all over the world."
- Statement B is correct. The chapter discusses challenges like the "growing role of money and muscle power" and parties supporting "criminals who can win elections," which implies corruption and scandals involving party leaders.
- Statement C is incorrect. The chapter strongly argues for the necessity of political parties, stating that "modern democracies cannot exist without political parties" and they are a "necessary condition for a democracy."
Q11Questions
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below: Muhammad Yunus is a famous economist of Bangladesh. He received several international honours for his efforts to promote economic and social development for the benefit of the poor. He and the Grameen Bank that he started jointly, received the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2006. In February 2007, he decided to launch a political party and contest in the parliamentary elections. His objective was to foster proper leadership, good governance and build a new Bangladesh. He felt that only a political party different from the traditional ones would bring about new political culture. His party would be democratic from the grassroots level. The launching of the new party, called Nagarik Shakti (Citizens' Power), has caused a stir among the Bangladeshis. While many welcomed his decision, some did not like it. "Now I think Bangladesh will have a chance to choose between good and bad and eventually have a good government," said Shahedul Islam, a government official. "That government, we hope, would not only keep itself away from corruption but also make fighting corruption and black money a top priority." But leaders of traditional political parties who dominated the country's politics for decades were apprehensive. "There was no debate (over him) winning the Nobel, but politics is different - very challenging and often controversial," said a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Some others were highly critical. They asked why he was rushing into politics. "Is he being planted in politics by mentors from outside the country," asked one political observer. Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party? Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various people? How do you want this new party organised to make it different from other parties? If you were the one to begin this political party, how would you defend it?
Solution
Based on the concepts discussed in the chapter, here are the answers:
Do you think Yunus made a right decision to float a new political party?
Yes, from the perspective of strengthening democracy, Muhammad Yunus made a right decision. In a democracy, any group of citizens is free to form a political party. The formation of a new party can address the challenge of parties not offering a meaningful choice to voters. By aiming to foster good governance and a new political culture, his party could provide a much-needed alternative to traditional parties, potentially leading to better governance.
Do you agree with the statements and fears expressed by various people?
- The hopes expressed by citizens like Shahedul Islam are understandable. They reflect a popular dissatisfaction with existing parties and a desire for a party that tackles challenges like corruption, which is related to the role of money and muscle power in politics.
- The fears of traditional party leaders are also expected. New competition threatens their power. Their statement that politics is "challenging and controversial" is true, as parties must manage diverse opinions and societal divisions.
- The criticism of him being "planted" is an example of the partisanship inherent in politics, where opponents often question the motives of new entrants.
How do you want this new party organised to make it different from other parties?
To be truly different and effective, the new party, Nagarik Shakti, should be organised to overcome the common challenges faced by political parties:
- Internal Democracy: It must have a transparent structure with regular membership drives, internal elections for all posts, and organisational meetings to ensure that ordinary members have a voice.
- Avoid Dynastic Succession: The party constitution should have provisions to prevent top positions from being controlled by a single family.
- Financial Transparency: It should have a clean and transparent system for funding to avoid the influence of rich individuals and companies.
- Meaningful Choice: The party must offer clear and distinct policies on major issues, different from those of existing parties.
If you were the one to begin this political party, how would you defend it?
I would defend the formation of this party by highlighting that it is a response to the public's desire for better politics. I would argue that the problem of bad politics cannot be solved by criticism.