Class 10 Social Science Notes Chapter 6 (Political parties) – Democritic Politics Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of a crucial chapter for understanding how democracy works in practice – Chapter 6: Political Parties, from your Democratic Politics textbook. This is a vital topic, not just for your exams, but also for being informed citizens, and questions frequently appear in various government recruitment exams. Pay close attention.

Chapter 6: Political Parties - Detailed Notes

1. Why Do We Need Political Parties?

• 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 the society with a view to promoting the collective good.
• Components of a Political Party:
  • The Leaders: Top figures who formulate policies and choose candidates.
  • The Active Members: Involved in party activities, meetings, and campaigns.
  • The Followers: Believe in the party's ideology and support it, primarily by voting.
• Partisanship: Parties reflect fundamental political divisions in society. A person strongly committed to a party, group, or faction is known as a 'partisan', and this tendency is called 'partisanship'. Parties are essentially about a 'part' of society and thus involve partisanship.

2. Functions of Political Parties:

Political parties fill political offices and exercise political power. They do so by performing a series of functions:

• (a) Contesting Elections: Parties select their candidates and put them up in elections. In some countries (like the USA), members and supporters choose candidates. In others (like India), top party leaders choose candidates.
• (b) Putting Forward Policies and Programmes: Parties present different policies and programmes, and voters choose from them. A government is expected to implement the programmes of the ruling party.
• (c) Making Laws: Parties play a decisive role in making laws. Laws are debated and passed in the legislature. Most members belong to a party and follow the direction of the party leadership (party whip), irrespective of personal opinions.
• (d) Forming and Running Governments: The party that wins a majority of seats in the legislature forms the government (the executive). Parties recruit leaders, train them, and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.
• (e) Playing the Role of Opposition: Parties that lose the elections play the role of opposition. They voice different views and criticise the government for its failures or wrong policies. They keep a check on the ruling party and mobilise opposition to the government.
• (f) Shaping Public Opinion: Parties raise and highlight issues. They have members and activists spread across the country. Often, opinions in society crystallise around the positions parties take. They use media, meetings, etc., to shape opinions.
• (g) Providing Access to Government Machinery and Welfare Schemes: For ordinary citizens, it's easier to approach a local party leader than a government officer. Party leaders act as intermediaries, helping citizens access government schemes and officials. Parties need to be responsive to people's needs and demands.

3. Necessity of Political Parties:

• Imagine a situation without parties: Every candidate in the election would be independent. No one would be able to make promises about major policy changes. The government formed would be unstable and lack accountability.
• The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracies. Large societies need representative democracy. As societies became large and complex, they needed agencies to gather different views, present them to the government, and formulate policies. Parties fulfil this need.
• They are a necessary condition for democracy as they perform the vital functions listed above, which are essential for the functioning of a representative government.

4. How Many Parties Should We Have? (Party Systems)

• One-Party System: Only one party is allowed to control and run the government (e.g., Communist Party of China). This is not a democratic option as it offers no fair choice.
• Two-Party System: Power usually changes between two main parties (e.g., USA, UK). Several other parties may exist but rarely win enough seats to form a government. Offers stability but potentially limited choice.
• Multi-Party System: Several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own or in alliance with others (forming a coalition government). (e.g., India).
  • Advantages: Allows for a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation.
  • Disadvantages: Can sometimes lead to political instability if coalitions are fragile.
• Which system is best? It's not an easy question. Party systems evolve based on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics, and its system of elections. India has evolved a multi-party system due to its vast social and geographical diversity, which cannot be easily absorbed by two or even three parties.

5. National Political Parties vs. State (Regional) Parties:

• Recognition: The Election Commission of India (ECI) registers parties and recognises them as 'State' or 'National' based on specific criteria related to the proportion of votes and seats secured in elections. Recognised parties get a unique symbol and other facilities.
• Criteria for Recognition (as per textbook/general understanding - specific percentages might be updated by ECI, but the principle remains):
  • State Party: Needs to secure a minimum percentage of total votes in a state assembly election (e.g., 6%) and win a minimum number of seats (e.g., 2 seats). OR win a minimum percentage of seats in the state assembly.
  • National Party: Needs to secure a minimum percentage of total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four states (e.g., 6%) AND win a minimum number of seats in the Lok Sabha (e.g., 4 seats) from any state(s). OR win a minimum percentage of total Lok Sabha seats from at least three states.
• National Parties (Examples mentioned in NCERT Class 10 context): Parties with units in various states, broadly following the same policies nationwide. (e.g., INC, BJP, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), NCP - Note: Party status can change over time based on election performance). The textbook provides a brief overview of their founding principles/ideologies.
• State Parties (Regional Parties): Parties rooted and influential primarily in one or a few states (e.g., DMK, AIADMK, SP, BJD, TRS, TDP, Shiv Sena, etc.). Over the last few decades, the number and strength of these parties have expanded, making Indian politics more diverse and federal. Often crucial in forming coalition governments at the Centre.

6. Challenges to Political Parties:

Despite being essential, parties face significant criticism, indicating challenges:

• (a) Lack of Internal Democracy: Power tends to concentrate in the hands of one or few leaders at the top. Ordinary members often don't get sufficient information or influence decisions. Merit is often ignored in favour of loyalty to leaders.
• (b) Dynastic Succession: Top positions are often controlled by members of one family. This is unfair to other members and bad for democracy as people without adequate experience or popular support can occupy positions of power.
• (c) Growing Role of Money and Muscle Power: Parties tend to nominate candidates who have or can raise lots of money, especially during elections. Rich people and companies funding parties tend to influence policies. In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections ('muscle power').
• (d) Lack of Meaningful Choice: Often, there isn't significant ideological difference among major parties on fundamental economic issues. Voters may not have genuinely different options to choose from. People often shift parties easily, further blurring distinctiveness.

7. How Can Parties Be Reformed?

Reforming political parties is crucial for the health of democracy. Some efforts and suggestions include:

• Recent Efforts and Laws:
  • Anti-Defection Law: The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties easily after winning elections (Defection). If they change parties, they lose their seat in the legislature. This has helped reduce Aya Ram Gaya Ram politics but has also strengthened party leadership control over members.
  • Affidavits: The Supreme Court passed an order making it mandatory for candidates to file an affidavit giving details of their property and pending criminal cases. This information is made public, increasing transparency.
  • Organisational Elections & IT Returns: The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold organisational elections and file their income tax returns.
• Suggestions (Often Debated):
  • A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties (maintain member registers, follow democratic procedures, have independent dispute resolution).
  • Mandate parties to give a minimum number of tickets (e.g., one-third) to women candidates.
  • State funding of elections: The government should give parties money to support their election expenses (e.g., based on votes secured). This could reduce reliance on big donors.
• Other Ways:
  • Public Pressure: Ordinary citizens, pressure groups, movements, and the media can put pressure on parties to reform.
  • Participation: The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation. Bad politics can be confronted by more and better politics. People joining and working within political parties can also bring about change from within.

Conclusion:

Political parties are imperfect and face many challenges. However, they remain the most visible institutions in a democracy and are indispensable for its functioning. The focus should be on reforming them rather than wishing them away. Active citizenship and continuous pressure are key to ensuring parties function better.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Here are 10 MCQs based on the chapter for your practice:

1. Which of these is NOT a component of a political party?
   (a) Leaders
   (b) Active Members
   (c) Judiciary
   (d) Followers

2. Which of the following is a primary function of a political party?
   (a) Conducting population census
   (b) Contesting elections
   (c) Appointing judges
   (d) Implementing foreign policy decided by diplomats

3. A system where only one party is allowed to control and run the government is known as:
   (a) Multi-Party System
   (b) Two-Party System
   (c) One-Party System
   (d) Non-Party System

4. What is a government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties called?
   (a) Unitary Government
   (b) Presidential Government
   (c) Coalition Government
   (d) Federal Government

5. Which body in India accords recognition to political parties as National or State parties?
   (a) The Parliament of India
   (b) The President of India
   (c) The Supreme Court of India
   (d) The Election Commission of India

6. Which of these is considered a major challenge faced by political parties in India?
   (a) Lack of sufficient candidates
   (b) Dynastic succession
   (c) Too much internal democracy
   (d) Absence of funding

7. The law implemented to prevent elected representatives from changing parties after winning elections is known as:
   (a) Right to Information Act
   (b) Anti-Defection Law
   (c) Representation of the People Act
   (d) Electoral Reforms Act

8. What is meant by 'Partisanship'?
   (a) The process of forming a government
   (b) A person's strong commitment to a party, leading them to take a side
   (c) The act of voting in an election
   (d) A system with only two major political parties

9. Which of these is a feature of a multi-party system like India's?
   (a) Only two parties have a serious chance of winning.
   (b) It generally leads to political stability always.
   (c) It allows for a variety of interests and opinions to get representation.
   (d) Elections are rarely held.

10. Filing an affidavit detailing assets and criminal cases is now mandatory for election candidates due to an order by:
    (a) The Election Commission
    (b) The Parliament
    (c) The Prime Minister
    (d) The Supreme Court

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. (c) Judiciary
2. (b) Contesting elections
3. (c) One-Party System
4. (c) Coalition Government
5. (d) The Election Commission of India
6. (b) Dynastic succession
7. (b) Anti-Defection Law
8. (b) A person's strong commitment to a party, leading them to take a side
9. (c) It allows for a variety of interests and opinions to get representation.
10. (d) The Supreme Court

Study these notes thoroughly. Understand the concepts, functions, challenges, and reforms related to political parties. Good luck with your preparation!