Political party
A political party is a permanent organisation whose main purpose is to contest elections and to hold power in government.[1]
History
Political parties in their present form are fairly new.[1] Before them there were factions. These were informal alliances between people or groups who wanted to achieve a shared aim.[1] Parties are different because they have a permanent organisation and members.[1]
Parties and democracy
In a multi-party system, more than one party contests an election.[2] Writing in 1931, Harold Laski argued that parties act as brokers of ideas.[3] He believed that the party system is the necessary basis of representative government.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 338. ISBN 9781317243748.
- ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 339. ISBN 9781317243748.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 54. ISBN 9781317586708.