Q1. [4]
How many political parties ?
In some countries, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. These are called one-party systems. In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Several other parties may exist, contest elections and win a few seats in the national legislatures. Such a party system is called two-party system. If several parties compete for power, and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming to power either on their own strength or in alliance with others, we call it a multiparty system.
Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow :
- (27.1) Explain the main feature of 'multi-party system'. [1]
- (27.2) Why is a 'one-party system' not compatible with democracy ? [1]
- (27.3) Explain the main characteristics of a coalition government. [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 32/2/1 Q27
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:58 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(27.1) In a 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 strength or in alliance with others.
(27.2) In a one-party system, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. This denies citizens any choice or competition, which goes against the democratic principle of free and fair elections among multiple parties.
(27.3) When several parties in a multi-party system come to power through an alliance with each other, it results in a coalition government. Its main characteristics are:
- It is formed by two or more parties joining together.
- All partners share power and govern on the basis of a common agreed agenda.
- It requires consensus and compromise among coalition partners to remain in power.
Source: Political Parties, Types of Party Systems
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Explanation
- (27.1) is directly lifted from the passage — quote or closely paraphrase it.
- (27.2) is an inference from the passage; the key word is "only one party is allowed" — this restricts choice, which is anti-democratic.
- (27.3) is not explicitly in the passage but is a standard NCERT concept linked to multi-party systems (Chapter: Political Parties). Examiners expect you to define coalition, state how it forms, and mention shared power/compromise — 2 points minimum for 2 marks.
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