Class 10 Civics Chapter 1 Question Answers - Democratic Politics - II

Q1: What is the concept of political parties in rural areas?
Ans: If we travel to remote parts of our country and speak to the less educated citizens, we could come across people who may not know anything about our constitution or about the nature of our government. But chances are that they would know something about our political parties.

Q2: What do you understand by partisan?
Ans: A person who is strongly committed to a party, group or faction.

Q3: What do you understand by ‘Partisanship’?
Ans: It is marked by a tendency to take a side and inability to take a balanced view on an issue.

Q4: What are the components of a political party? [CBSE (AI) 2016]
Ans: (i) The leaders
(ii) The active members
(iii) The followers

Q5: How do parties contribute in the making of law?
Ans: Formally, laws are debated and passed in the legislature. But since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership, irrespective of their personal opinions.

Q6: How do parties run the government of a country?
Ans: Parties recruit leaders, train them and then make them ministers to run the government in the way they want.

Q7: What is the role of opposition in a democracy?
Ans: Opposition parties voice different views and criticise the government for its failures or wrong policies.

Q8: Is it true that political parties shape public opinion? Explain.
Ans: Yes, it is true as parties sometimes also launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by people. Often opinions in the society crystallise on the lines parties take.

Q9: How much accountable are the parties to the people of any country?
Ans: Parties have to be responsive to people’s needs and demands. Otherwise people can reject those parties in the next election.

Q10: At what level, there are non-party based elections in our country?
Ans: Non-party based elections are held in panchayats of many states in India.

Q11: How does it affect the Panchayat system?
Ans: Although, the parties do not contest formally, it is generally noticed that the village gets split into more than one faction, each of which puts up a ‘panel’ of its candidates.

Q12:  Why do larger societies need representative democracy?
Ans: As societies became large and complex, they also need some agency to gather different views on various issues and to present these to the government. They need some ways to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government can be formed.

Q13: Why are parties a necessary condition for a democracy?
Ans: People need a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, justify and oppose them. Political parties fulfil all these needs. So, we can say that parties are a necessary condition for a democracy.

Q14: What is one-party system?
Ans: In some countries, only one party is allowed to control and run the government. It is called one party system. E.g., China.

Q15: Is it democratic to have one-party system?
Ans: (i) We cannot consider one-party system as a good option because this is not democratic option.
(ii) Any democratic system must allow at least two parties to compete in elections and provide a fair chance for the competing parties to come to power.

Q16: Which organization does recognize ‘Political Parties’ in India? [CBSE (Comptt) 2017]
Ans: Political Parties in India are recognized by: Election Commission

Q17: What is a Bi-party system?
Ans: In some countries, power usually changes between two main parties. Such a party system is called bi-party system. E.g., UK and USA.

Q18: What is a multi-party system?
Ans: If several parties compete to 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 multi-party system.

Q19: Why did India adopt multi-party system? [CBSE (AI) 2016]
Ans: (i) India is a large country and has social and geographical diversities.
(ii) It is easy to absorb different diversities in a multi-party system.

Q20: What is an ‘alliance’ or a ‘front’?
Ans: When several parties in a multi-party system join hands for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power, it is called an alliance or a front.