Define political parties. Discuss the ways in which political parties contribute

Question

Define political parties. Discuss the ways in which political parties contribute to democratic government through the functions they perform. In democracies around the world, multi-party systems are far more common than the two-party system in America. Discuss the types of third parties in the United States. What role do they play? Discuss the factors that help to explain why the United States has a two part system? Describe the different types of third parties that have been formed in the United States and discuss the effects of third parties on American politics

Explanation / Answer

A political party is a team of men seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election

it is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good or to further their supporters' interests.

Political parties perform an important task in government. They bring people together to achieve control of the government, develop policies favorable to their interests or the groups that support them, and organize and persuade voters to elect their candidates to office.

The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties (Republican Party and Democratic Party). The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates

There are several institutional reasons for the two party system in America. First of all, the United States is not a democracy, it is a democratic republic. This is important in that in a true democracy, the people are continuously involved in the governing process, such as in Switzerland where there are elections almost every week. Second, our elections are fixed by the calendar, not by events. In the socialist democratic nations such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom, any vote of confidence lost by the ruling party or coalition will result in a new election. Third, we have separation of our legislative and executive branches. In most democracies of the world, the legislature elects a prime minister who is the defacto executive of the country.

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