Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Political parties and interest groups in power sharing:

In a democracy, political parties compete in elections, representing different ideologies and social groups. This ensures power does not remain in one hand; over time, power is shared among different parties. When two or more parties form an alliance, they create a coalition government, directly sharing power.

Interest groups — such as traders, farmers, industrialists, and industrial workers — share in governmental power by participating in governmental committees or influencing the decision-making process.

Why competition is essential:
Competition among parties ensures that no single party holds power indefinitely. For example, in India, coalition governments like the UPA and NDA demonstrate how multiple parties share power. If one party misuses power, voters can reject it in the next election, keeping power accountable and distributed.

Source: Democratic Politics – II, Chapter 1 (Forms of Power Sharing)

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• The examiner expects two parts: (1) how parties and interest groups participate, and (2) why competition is essential — with an example.
• Key terms to use: coalition government, interest/pressure groups, competition, power sharing.
• The example of coalition governments (UPA/NDA in India) directly supports the point about competition leading to shared power.
• Avoid writing about other forms of power sharing (horizontal/vertical/social) — the question is specifically about parties and interest groups.