Functions of Political Parties, Research Paper Example

In almost any democracy in the world, political parties are the major similarity in all of them. Every democracy in the world takes into consideration that there is the formation and running of political parties in the country to ensure that there is total freedom in the running of the country’s affairs. In some cases, the presence of many political parties in a country is also seen as a sign of democracy in the country as it is seen as a way that the government is giving individuals in the country an alternative in the way the affairs of the county are run. Given that democracies allow individuals to make choices in the way that a country is governed, political parties gives individuals who share the same views a platform that they can share their views and help in finding ways that they can adequately respond to what the community wants. It is a way that the people are brought to be in control of the government. This is achieved through political parties developing policies that will favor the community and allow the citizens of the country choose the party with the most relevant and appropriate ways of governing the community to run the affairs of the community.

In many occasions, people often mistake that political parties are the government. Political parties only gain control through convincing the citizens to elect as many members of their party into positions of power. Once elected, the members of the party implement the objectives of their party through legislations and programs initiatives. Every individual who is registered as a member of a political party shares this objective of their party even if they do not occupy a position of power in the party. Political parties therefore function as a way that many citizens can participate in the running of the country. Through political parties, citizens get a chance to directly participate in running the government. For example political parties can organize boycotts of certain government programs in attempt to voice their views in opposition of what the government is doing.

Political parties act as a way that views of the masses can be represented. Through their representatives, views of the masses are represented by political parties. Elected individuals are not only expected to represent their party’s views but also champion for the rights of their constituents. They should always support what most members of the political party in their constituency support. They also represent the views of special groups such as members of given ethnic origins that have special concerns which need to be addressed by the government.

Another function of the political party is to provide individuals with ways that can make simple decision of how the government is run. Given that the major parties make their members run for electoral posts, having fewer parties simplifies the choices to be made by the public. By looking at the philosophies of a given political party, the citizens have fewer choices to make on ways that the country ought to be run. Political parties therefore act as a way of simplifying the choices of how the country ought to be run. This is achieved by the political parties providing their policies and philosophies on different aspects pertaining running the country. Each political party has different philosophies of the way that the economy is to be run, how the health sector is to be run, how the military and the army should function. The difference in the philosophies of the political parties simplifies the choices that are to be made by the citizens on the way that the government should be. This is through the citizens choosing the party with the best combination of best ways of governing the government.

As already mentioned, political parties always have almost conflicting if not completely opposing philosophies on the way that government should be run. This gives the political party with the majority members, which is now in government, the opportunity to implement their philosophies and policies. The presence of other political parties will be important should such philosophies be made national policy through legislative process.  Political parties with different opposing views will act as means of making checks and balances on ways that the government is run (Lowi, Ginsberg & Shepsle, 211). This also shades light to the other function of political parties which is bringing into public light the way that the government is running. Through debates between members of the different political parties, those in opposition critique what the political party in power is doing in relation to running the government. Such information about the government could not have been known to the public if there are no political parties. Opposing parties always offer such critiques with alternatives which would not have been the case if there is only one party in the country.

In conclusion, the main function of political parties can summarized as to offer individuals with the same views on the government the opportunity to share their views with each other and work on ways that they can influence the government through influencing the public to elect its members to power. They mainly act as way of giving alternative ways that the government can be run. Political parties also provide a means that the views of the public can be factored in governing the country.

Works Cited

Anagnoson, T., Bonetto, G. and Buck, V. Governing California in the 21st Century, (2e). New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2009.

Lowi, T., Ginsberg, B. and Shepsle, K. A. American Government: Power and Purpose (10e). New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008.