(a) Analyse the role of the Party System in Indian democracy.

(i) There are three different party systems across the world, One Party, Bi Party and Multi -Party system. India follows a multi-party system.

(ii) Further, political parties in India are classified into two broad groups, national parties, state or regional parties.

(iii) These political parties contest elections. Top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections in India.

(iv) Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.

(v) Parties form and run governments. Sometimes a government is formed by a single party and sometimes a coalition government is formed. For example, the present NDA government is a coalition government.

(vi) 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 failures or wrong policies. Opposition parties also mobilise opposition to the government.

(vii) Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. Parties have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country. Many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of society. Parties sometimes launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people. Often opinions in the society crystallise on the lines parties take.

(viii) Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. For an ordinary citizen it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer.

(b) Analyse how political parties contribute to democratic political participations.

(i) Parties contest elections. In most democracies, elections are fought mainly among the candidates put up by political parties. In India, top party leaders choose candidates for contesting elections.

(ii) Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them.

(iii) Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.

(iv) Parties form and run governments. Big policy decisions are taken by political executive that comes from the political parties. Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.

(v) 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 failures or wrong policies. Opposition parties also mobilise opposition to the government.

(vi) Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. Parties have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country. Many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of society. Parties sometimes launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people. Often opinions in the society crystallise on the lines parties take.

(vii) Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments. For an ordinary citizen it is easy to approach a local party leader than a government officer.