Q1. [4]
The Need for Political Parties
As we have seen, large societies need representative democracy. As societies became large and complex, they also needed some agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government. They needed some ways, to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed. They needed a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify or oppose them. Political parties fulfil these needs that every representative government has. We can say that parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.
Read the following source and answer the questions that follow :
- (36.1) Explain the meaning of 'representative democracy'. [1]
- (36.2) How do political parties shape public opinion ? [1]
- (36.3) Why are political parties considered a necessary condition for a democracy ? Explain. [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 32/6/1 Q36
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:59 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
(36.1) Representative democracy is a form of government where people do not govern directly but elect representatives who govern on their behalf.
(36.2) Political parties shape public opinion by gathering different views on various issues, presenting them to the government, and justifying or opposing government policies on behalf of the people.
(36.3) Political parties are a necessary condition for democracy because:
- Large, complex societies need an agency to gather diverse views and present them to the government.
- They bring representatives together to form a responsible government.
- They support or restrain the government, make policies, and justify or oppose them.
Thus, they fulfil every need that a representative government requires.
Source: Democratic Politics – II, Chapter: Political Parties, Section: The Need for Political Parties
---
Explanation
- (36.1) is a 1-mark definition — one crisp line is enough.
- (36.2) is also 1 mark — draw directly from the passage phrases ("gather different views," "justify or oppose"). Do not go beyond the passage.
- (36.3) is 2 marks — examiners expect at least 2–3 distinct points from the passage. Use the passage's own language (agency, responsible government, support/restrain) to show reading comprehension. A concluding line ties it together.
If a question refers to an image, map, graph or diagram that is not shown here, open the Study Guide single page app, go to
Library and find the actual CBSE question paper. The original papers are also available on the CBSE website:
cbse.gov.in.