To what extent do political parties promote democracy?
To what extent do political parties promote democracy? (25 marks)
Political parties have many functions, one of which is to uphold the principles of a democratic political system. A democratic political system is one which involves various features, such as a peaceful transition of power from one government to another, free and fair regular elections, people having open access to independent information, government accountability to the people and representative institutions and that the government operates in the broad interests of the people. Democracy can take a number of forms, the main two being representative and direct democracy. In the UK a representative democracy is in place. Arguably, the mere existence of political parties enhances democracy as they allow the public to decide who should be in charge of their country, however at times, the promotion of democracy by political parties could be questioned for example party corruption and undemocratic actions for example the unfair use of hereditary peers to pass a Bill.
The most important way that political parties enhance democracy is through representation. The idea of a representative democracy is that the elected representatives express the will of the people and sections of society. Political parties claim to have a representative function, however parties have their origins in the representation of social classes. In contemporary politics this is a weaker party because all of the main parties argue that they represent the national interest, and not just the interests of specific classes or groups. Therefore it is essential that they seek to ensure that all groups in society have their interests and demands at the very least, considered by the government.
The use of referendums also increases public participation and enhances the idea of democracy. Public participation is a key element of democracy therefore an increase in the use of referendums will result in a higher level of democracy.
Political parties have many functions, one of which is to uphold the principles of a democratic political system. A democratic political system is one which involves various features, such as a peaceful transition of power from one government to another, free and fair regular elections, people having open access to independent information, government accountability to the people and representative institutions and that the government operates in the broad interests of the people. Democracy can take a number of forms, the main two being representative and direct democracy. In the UK a representative democracy is in place. Arguably, the mere existence of political parties enhances democracy as they allow the public to decide who should be in charge of their country, however at times, the promotion of democracy by political parties could be questioned for example party corruption and undemocratic actions for example the unfair use of hereditary peers to pass a Bill.
The most important way that political parties enhance democracy is through representation. The idea of a representative democracy is that the elected representatives express the will of the people and sections of society. Political parties claim to have a representative function, however parties have their origins in the representation of social classes. In contemporary politics this is a weaker party because all of the main parties argue that they represent the national interest, and not just the interests of specific classes or groups. Therefore it is essential that they seek to ensure that all groups in society have their interests and demands at the very least, considered by the government.
The use of referendums also increases public participation and enhances the idea of democracy. Public participation is a key element of democracy therefore an increase in the use of referendums will result in a higher level of democracy.