Political Parties and Pressure Groups- UPSC Notes

Political Party

A political party is a group of people who share common values, ideology and goals and come together to contest elections and form government. In comparison, Pressure groups or interest groups are organised associations, unions or organisations of people who share common interests.

Political parties are the most visible institutions in a modern democracy, and for most ordinary citizens, democracy means political party. Since multiple viewpoints exist as to what is suitable for the people and how it can be achieved, the political parties try to convince the public; these parties basically reflect the fundamental political divisions in society.

One principal feature of political parties that distinguishes them from other institutions like pressure groups is that the political parties seek to capture power through constitutional means to put their policies into practice. In contrast, pressure and interest groups try to influence government policies from outside.

Functions of Political Parties

The following are the characteristic functions of the political parties:

1. Contest elections: Even though independent candidates can also contest the elections, in most cases, candidates belonging to a political party contest the election. In some countries like the USA, the supporters of the party choose the candidates.
2. Put forward policies and programmes: Political parties put forward different policies and programmes in the form of manifestos; on that basis, the electors decide which party to vote for. During the formulation of policies, parties reduce the multitude of opinions into a few basic positions.
3. Decisive role in law-making: Even though the laws are made in the legislature, they are dominated by the members of the ruling party, who usually toe the party line irrespective of their personal opinions.
4. Role of opposition: Political parties that fail to form government sit in opposition and offer critique to the government policies. They also mobilise opposition against the ruling party and also offer alternative policies.
5. Shape public opinion: Political parties raise issues of public interest and try to mobilise the support of the public in favour of those issues.
6. Provide public access to government apparatus and welfare schemes: Political parties act as a link between people and the government. Ordinary citizens often approach their political representatives to get their work done.
7. Political recruitment and socialisation: Political parties recruit political activists in their fold and nurture them to take up political positions in future. Parties socialise individuals about the democratic process and train them in party politics, coalition building, etc.
8. Political education and awareness: Political parties play an important role in spreading awareness about political processes and encouraging public participation in political activities.

Types of Political Parties

1. On the basis of ideology

1. Radical Parties: They seek to establish a new order by overthrowing the existing system.
2. Reactionary Parties: They hold on to or want to go back to old socio-economic and political systems, which they believe were better than the existing system.
3. Conservative Parties: They believe in the status quo or very slow change.
4. Liberal Parties: They seek to reform the existing system; in a way, they follow the middle path between conservatives and radicals.

Note: Political scientists classify reactionary and conservatives as rightists (for ex-BJP), liberals as centrists (for ex-INC) and radicals as leftists (for ex-CPM). These terms came into existence when, in 1789, the French National Assembly members met to draft the constitution; the anti-royalists sat to the left of the Presiding officer and the conservatives and aristocrat supporters sat to the right of the presiding officer.

2. On the basis of organisation

1. Mass-based parties: They are characterised by their large and diverse membership. They focus on appealing to the masses of diverse sections to win the elections. Their organisational structure is more flexible and less hierarchical. For example- the Indian National Congress.
2. Cadre-based parties: They rely more on a disciplined and hierarchical organisational structure. Cadres are dedicated and ideologically committed groups of individuals who play a central role in the party’s activities. They have a well-defined ideology and political agenda. For example, the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Note: It should be noted that many political parties exhibit characteristics of both types to a varying degree; hence, they cannot necessarily be categorised into one of these types.

Party Systems and its Types

Party system refers to the structure and organisation of Political parties in a political system. On the basis of how political parties interact with each other in a political setup, there are mainly 3 types of political systems:

1. Single-party dominant system: In such systems, there exists only one party which rules, and there exists no opposition. Such systems are marked by totalitarianism and curtailment of fundamental rights. For example, China, the Former USSR, etc.
2. Two-party system: In such systems, two major parties exist; for example, in the USA, two major parties exist, Republican and Democrat.
3. Multi-party system: In such systems, multiple parties exist, and several parties join together to form coalition governments, for example, Switzerland, France, etc.

Party System in India

The party system in India has evolved over a period of time from a one-party dominant system to a multi-party coalition system. In this section, we will look at the different phases of the party system in India.

1. One-Party dominant system (Congress System)

The dominance of the Congress party till 1967 in the Indian political landscape is described as the “Congress System” by Political Scientist Rajni Kothari. As per him, the system was marked by one-party dominance, lack of effective opposition and the party’s ability to accommodate diverse regional and ideological interests.

• From 1947 to 1967, the Indian National Congress (INC) was the most popular party at all India levels. It had the advantage of being the sole inheritor of the legacy of the Indian National Movement.
• It continuously formed a government at the union level on its own till 1967. It also had governments in almost all of the states.
• However, after the demise of Pt. Nehru and the split in the Party, Congress started facing competition from other parties.
• In the 1960s, parties like CPI, socialist parties, Jan Sangh, Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), etc., mobilised people on social, political and economic issues, and it led to the defeat of the Congress party in eight states. With this, the dominance of the Congress party in the Indian political system ended.

2. Multi-party System

The vast size of the country and the diverse nature of Indian society and political system make the multi-party system a natural choice. From 1967, with the breakdown of the ‘Congress System’, the political landscape was marked by the emergence of regional leaders and parties in several states.

• The regional parties represented the aspirations and interests of different regions and groups. The rise of regional parties intensified after the farming communities and backward classes asserted themselves politically, especially after some states granted reservations and the Mandal Commission was constituted.
• Now, several states in India are dominated by the regional parties. For example, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Jammu, and Kashmir.
• The dominance of the Congress at the national and state levels has also been challenged by the rise of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) since the 90s.