Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Political parties play a crucial role in a democracy through the following functions:

1. Contesting Elections: Parties select and put up candidates to contest elections, giving voters a structured choice.

1. Forming Policies and Programmes: Parties present different policies to voters. They reduce the vast multitude of opinions into a few basic positions for the government to act upon.

1. Making Laws: Party members in the legislature vote according to party direction, playing a decisive role in law-making.

1. Forming and Running Governments: Parties recruit and train leaders who become ministers and run the government.

1. Playing Opposition: Parties that lose elections act as opposition, criticising government failures and voicing alternative views.

1. Shaping Public Opinion: Parties raise issues, launch movements, and mobilise public opinion through their large network of members.

1. Providing Access to Government: Parties help ordinary citizens access government machinery and welfare schemes.

Thus, political parties are a necessary condition for democracy.

Source: Chapter 4, Democratic Politics — Functions of Political Parties

---

• This is a 5-mark question, so 5–7 crisp points are ideal. The examiner expects you to list and briefly explain the 7 functions from the textbook.
• Always conclude with the line "parties are a necessary condition for democracy" — it is directly from the textbook and signals completeness.
• Avoid writing vague general statements; use the exact function names the book uses (e.g., "shape public opinion," "play opposition").
• Each point needs only one sentence of explanation — do not over-elaborate.