Master Political Parties Class 10: Important Questions and Answers

Embark on a journey to master the intricacies of political parties, the driving force behind democracies, with our meticulously crafted collection of key questions and answers for Political Parties, Chapter 4 of Class 10 Political Science. This comprehensive resource encompasses all the essential concepts and topics covered in the chapter, ensuring you are well-equipped to tackle any question that may arise.

In addition to the textbook questions, we have included extra questions to challenge your understanding and prepare you for the upcoming CBSE 2024-25 board exams. To further enhance your learning experience, we have compiled a downloadable PDF version of the questions and answers, allowing you to study anytime, anywhere.

Embrace simplified political science and propel your exam preparation to new heights with our Political Parties Class 10 Key Questions and Expert Answers.

Subject	Social Science (Political Science)
Class	10
Board	CBSE and State Boards
Chapter No.	4
Chapter Name	Political Parties
Type	Important Questions & Answers
Session	2024-25

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Political Parties Class 10 Extra Questions Answers

Q. No. 1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

i. Which party is only allowed to rule in China?

a. Socialist party

b. Communist party

c. Liberal party

d. Maoist party

Ans. Option (b)

ii. What does the term Alliance mean?

a. Two parties together form the government

b. State and national parties together form the government

c. Leftists and Rightists together form the government

d. Several parties join for the purpose of contesting elections and winning power

Ans. Option (d)

iii. There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below:

• Assertion (A): India is a country with a multi-party system set up.
• Reason (R): The multi-party system often appears very messy and leads to political instability.

a. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

b. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)

c. (A) is correct but (R) is wrong

d. (A) is wrong but (R) is correct.

Ans. Option (b

iv. Which of the following statements Is correct keeping the requirement of formation of government in view?

• Statement i: It is possible for independent candidates to form a government.
• Statement ii: Government formation is exclusively reserved for political parties.
• Statement iii: The formation of government is limited to only elected political parties.
• Statement iv: Government can only be formed by political parties that are elected and hold a majority.

Options:

a. Statement i and ii are right.

b. Statement i, ii, and iii are right.

c. Statement iii is right.

d. Only statement iv is right.

Ans. Option (d)

v. Which of the following is the PRIMARY factor which contributed to the emergence of multiple political parties at the same level in India?

(a) a federal political system

(b) varied economic conditions

(c) linguistic and regional diversity

(d) low levels of literacy and political awareness

Ans. Option (c)

vi. Political parties are allotted symbols by _____.

a. The government of India

b. The constitution of India

c. The party leaders

d. The Election Commission

Ans. Option (d)

vii. Which party is recognized as a ‘State party’?

a. A party that secures 6% of total votes in the Assembly election

b. A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in an election to the State Assembly and wins at least 2 seats

c. A party that wins 4 seats in the Assembly election

d. None of the above

Ans. Option (b)

viii. Which of the following criteria is one of the requirements for a party to be recognized by the election commission as a National Political Party?

a. At least 6 Lok Sabha seats

b. At least 12 Lok Sabha seats

c. At least 6% of total votes in Lok Sabha elections

d. At least 12% of total votes in Lok Sabha elections

Ans. Option (c)

ix. From the ideas and teaching of which leader did BSP draw inspiration?

a. Sahu Maharaj

b. Mahatma Phule and Ramaswami Naicker

c. Babasaheb Ambedkar

d. All of the above

Ans. Option (d)

x. Who among the following is the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party?

a. Kanshi Ram

b. Sahu Maharaj

c. B. R. Ambedkar

d. Jotiba Phule

Ans. Option (a)

xi. Which one of the following political parties seeks to represent and secure power for Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis?

a. Bahujan Samaj Party

b. Bharatiya Janata Party

c. Nationalist Congress Party

d. Communist Party of India

Ans. Option (a)

xii. Arrange political parties according to their year of formation in increasing order:

1. BSP
2. BJP
3. INC
4. CPI

a. I - IV - III - II

b. III - IV - I - II

c. IV - I - II - III

d. III - IV - II - I

Ans. Option (D) [INC - 1885, CPI - 1925, BJP - 1980, BSP - 1984]

xiii. In which of these categories can the Indian National Congress be put?

a. Centrist party

b. Rightist party

c. Leftist party

d. None of these

Ans. Option (a)

xiv. This party was founded in 1925 and believes in Marxism-Leninism. Identify the party:

a. Aam Aadmi Party

b. Communist Party of India - Marxist

c. All India Trinamool Congress

d. None of these

Ans. Option (b)

xv. Which one among the following pairs is correctly matched?

List I	List II
a. Bharatiya Janata Party	National Democratic Alliance
b. Congress Party	Left front
c. Communist Party of India	Regional Party
d. Mizo National Front	United Progressive Alliance

Ans. Option (a)

xvi. Identify the party:

• Launched on 1 January 1998 under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.
• The Party's symbol is flowers and grass.
• Committed to secularism and federalism.

a. Bahujan Samaj Party

b. All India Trinamool Congress

c. Communist Party of India

d. Communist Party of India - Marxist

Ans. Option (b)

xvii. Identify the party:

• It is critical of the new economic policies that allow the free flow of foreign capital and goods into the country.
• It was in power in West Bengal without a break for 34 years.
• It was founded in 1964.
• The party believes in Marxism-Leninism.

a. Bahujan Samaj Party

b. All India Trinamool Congress

c. Communist Party of India

d. Communist Party of India - Marxist

Ans. Option (d)

xviii. Match the following political parties from column A with their ideologies given in column B.

Column A (Political Parties)	Column B (Ideologies)
A. Bharatiya Janata Party	i. Believes in Marxism-Leninism
B. Bahujan Samaj Party	ii. Supports new economic reforms with a human face
C. Indian National Congress	iii. Stands for the cause of securing the interests and welfare of the dalits and oppressed people.
D. Communist Party of India	iv. Uniform Civil Code

a. A - iv, B - ii, C - iii, D - i

b. A - iv, B - ii, C - i, D - iiii

c. A - i, B - ii, C - iii, D - iv

d. A - iv, B - iii, C - ii, D - i

Ans. Option (d)

xix. Which of the following is a State Political Party?

a. Samajwadi Party

b. Nationalist Congress Party

c. Bahujan Samaj Party

d. Communist Party of India

Ans. Option (a)

xx. Which of the following is a regional party of West Bengal?

a. Asom Gana Parishad

b. Trinamool Congress

c. Samajwadi Party

d. Biju Janata Dal

Ans. Option (b)

xxi. Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected is known as _____.

a. Defection

b. Mobility

c. Changing party

d. None of these

Ans. Option (a)

xxii. An affidavit signifies:

a. A law to check the shifting of allegiance

b. A signed document where a person makes a sworn statement about his or her antecedents

c. Legal document to declare the academic qualifications

d. All of the above

Ans. Option (b)

xxiii. There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below:

Assertion (A): It is often said that political parties are facing a crisis.

Reason(R): They are very unpopular and the citizens are indifferent to political parties.

a. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of A

b. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

c. (A) is correct but (R) is wrong

d. (A) is wrong but (R) is correct

Ans. Option (a)

Q. No. 2) What is a political party? What are the main components of political parties?

Ans. Political party: A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programs for society with a view to promoting the collective good. They try to persuade people as to why their policies are better than others and seek to implement these policies by winning popular support through elections.

The main components of political parties are:

• The leaders
• The active members, and
• The followers.

Q. No. 3) Give one special feature that distinguishes a pressure group from a political party.

Ans. One special feature that distinguishes a pressure group from a political party is that pressure groups do not seek to get into power, while political parties do.

Q. No. 4) Examine the role of Political Parties in a democratic country.

Or,

“Modern democracies cannot exist without political parties.” Evaluate the statement with the help of relevant arguments.

Or,

Political parties fill political offices and exercise political power. But they do this by performing a series of important functions. Explain any five of them.

Ans. Functions of a political party:

• Parties contest elections.
• Parties put forward different policies and programs and the voters choose from them.
• Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.
• Parties form and run governments.
• Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, by voicing different views and criticizing the government for its failures or wrong policies.
• Parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues.
• Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by governments.

Q. No. 5) Explain the functions of the opposition parties.

Ans. Functions of the opposition parties:

• They oppose the government by voicing different views.
• They criticize the government for its failure and wrong policies.
• They mobilize opposition to the government.
• Opposition parties safeguard the liberty and rights of people by monitoring the activities of the ruling party.
• It keeps a check on the dictatorial behavior of the ruling party.

Q. No. 6) How do political parties shape public opinion?

Ans. Political parties shape public opinion in the following ways:

• They raise and highlight issues.
• They form pressure groups as an extension.
• They launch movements for the resolution of problems faced by the people.
• Often, public opinion is shaped by the stand taken by political parties.

Q. No. 7) The rise of political parties is directly linked to the emergence of representative democracy. Justify the statement.

Ans.

• As societies become large and complex, they need some agency to get different views on various issues and to present this to the government.
• They need some way to bring various representatives together so that a responsible government could be formed.
• They need a mechanism to support or restrain the government, make policies, and justify or oppose them.
• Political parties fulfill these needs that every representative government has. Thus, political parties are a necessary condition for democracy.

Q. No. 8) Differentiate between one-party and two-party systems.

Ans.

One-Party System	Two-Party System
i. Countries, where only one party is allowed to control and run the government are called one-party systems.	i. Countries where only two main parties contest elections are called two-party systems.
ii. For example in China only Communist Party is allowed to rule.	ii. For example - the United States of America and the United Kingdom are examples of a two-party system.
iii. Not a democratic option.	iii. It is a democratic option.

Q. No. 9) Why is one party political system not considered a good option in a democratic system?

Ans. A one-party system is not considered a good option in a democratic system because voters are not offered any choice at the time of voting. This is not a democratic option. 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.

Q. No. 10) What is a multiparty system? Give reasons why the multi-party system has evolved in India.

Ans. Multi-party system: If several parties compete for 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 multiparty system.

The multi-party system evolved in India because:

• India is blessed with tremendous social and geographical diversity. This diversity cannot be easily accommodated by two or three political parties.
• Because of the multiparty system, a variety of interests and opinions enjoy political representation.

Q. No. 11) In a hypothetical democratic nation with a population that is religiously homogenous, should there still be multiple political parties? Justify your stance in about 40 words.

Ans. Yes, because despite a religiously homogenous population, having multiple political parties -

• helps represent diverse political perspectives
• helps in policy formation
• helps avoid authoritarianism
• provides an alternative to the voters

Q. No. 12) Analyse the role of a multiparty system in a democratic country like India.

Ans.

• In a democratic system like India, multiparty politics plays a crucial role in representing the diverse interests and aspirations of the citizens.
• The multiparty system allows for a competitive and dynamic political environment, where parties with different ideologies and agendas can participate and compete for the support of the electorate.
• The presence of multiple parties also provides a check and balance against any one party becoming too powerful and dominant.
• This system allows a variety of interests and opinions to enjoy political representation. People can make a choice between several candidates.
• Through this system different and diverse parties could represent the sections of society and power does not absorb in the hands of one single party. India adopted this system because of the vast diversity and plurality in the nation.

Q. No. 13) Why is it not possible for all the countries of the world to have the same party system, i.e., single, two, or multiparty system?

Ans. It is not possible for all the countries of the world to have the same party system because:

• A party system is not something any country can choose.
• It evolves over a long time depending on the nature of society, its social and regional divisions, its history of politics, and its system of elections.
• Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by special circumstances. No system is ideal for all countries and all situations.

Q. No. 14) a. What is meant by a ‘national political party’?

b. State the conditions required to be a national political party.

c. How many national parties are there in India? Name them.

Ans. a. National political parties are country-wide parties. They have units in various states. All these units follow the same policies, programs, and strategy that is decided at the national level.

b. Conditions required to be a national political party are:

• A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly elections in four states.
• Wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha.

c. There were 6 recognized national parties in India in 2023.

• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
• Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M)
• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Q. No. 15) What is meant by a regional political party? State the conditions required to be recognized as a ‘regional political party’.

Ans. A regional party is a party that is present in only some states. Regional parties are commonly referred to as ‘State parties’.

Conditions required for a party to be recognized as a regional political party are:

• A party that secures at least 6% of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a State
• Wins at least 2 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

Q. No. 16) Evaluate the significant distinction between the national and regional parties.

Ans. The difference between the National parties and the regional Parties are:

• National parties are powerful in the nation and deal with national issues.
• Regional parties’ power is limited to a specific region or state, only the issues and demands of a specific region are discussed by regional parties.
• National parties’ actions offer preference to national issues over regional problems.
• Regional parties’ operations are confined to the state.

Q. No. 17) Write about the main features of the BJP.

Ans. The main features of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are:

• Founded: 1980, tracing its origins back to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, formed by Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951.
• Ideals: Strong and modern India rooted in Indian culture; adheres to the idea of cultural nationalism (Hindutva) and concepts like integral humanism and Antyodaya (upliftment of the marginalized).
• Policies: Advocates for the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India, a uniform civil code, and a ban on religious conversions.
• Reach: Initially limited to northern and urban areas, now has a substantial presence across rural, southern, and eastern India.
• Governments Formed: Leads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and currently holds power at the Centre with 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Q. No. 18) Name the national political party which espouses secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities. Mention any four features of that party.

Ans. The national political party which espouses secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities is the Indian National Congress (INC).

The main features of the Indian National Congress (INC) are:

• Founded: 1885, one of the oldest political parties globally.
• Ideals: Centrist, supporting secularism and the welfare of weaker sections and minorities.
• Role in History: Key player in India’s independence movement and governance post-independence, especially under Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Policies: Embraces economic reforms with a focus on social welfare, supports the new economic reforms with a "human face."
• Governments Formed: Led the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) from 2004 to 2019.
• Lok Sabha: Won 19.5% of the vote and 52 seats in the 2019 elections.

Q. No. 19) Identify the following political parties as national or regional political parties:

1. National Conference
2. Shiromani Akali Dal
3. DMK
4. Nationalist Congress Party
5. Bharatiya Janata Party
6. Shiv Sena
7. Forward Block
8. Janata Dal (U)
9. Rashtriya Janata Dal
10. Samajwadi Party

Ans.

1. Regional Party
2. Regional Party
3. Regional Party
4. National Party
5. National Party
6. Regional Party
7. Regional Party
8. Regional Party
9. Regional Party
10. Regional Party

Q. No. 20) Political parties need to face and overcome a number of challenges in order to remain effective instruments of democracy. Write about such challenges.

Or,

“All over the world, people express their dissatisfaction with the failure of political parties to perform their functions well.” Analyze the statement with arguments.

Ans. Challenges to political parties:

• Lack of internal democracy within parties.
• The challenge of dynastic succession.
• The growing role of money and muscle power in parties, especially during elections.
• Parties do not seem to offer a meaningful choice to the voters.

Q. No. 21) Illustrate the situations which display a lack of internal democracy within a political party.

Ans. Situations that display a lack of internal democracy within a political party are:

• Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organizational meetings, and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
• Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the party.
• They do not have the means or the connections needed to influence the decisions. As a result, the leaders assume greater power to make decisions in the name of the party.
• Since one or few leaders exercise paramount power in the party, those who disagree with the leadership find it difficult to continue in the party.
• More than loyalty to party principles and policies, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important.

Q. No. 22) “Dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the political parties.” Analyze the statement.

Ans. The challenge of dynastic succession is one of the most serious challenges before the political parties because:

• Most parties do not practice open and transparent procedures, hence, there are very few opportunities for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
• Top leaders favor people close to them or even their family members. In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.
• This practice is unfair to other members of that party and is also bad for democracy since people who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy positions of power.

Q. No. 23) Examine the role of money and muscle power among political parties during elections.

Ans. Role of money and muscle power among political parties during elections:

• Since parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use shortcuts to win elections.
• They tend to nominate those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
• Rich people and companies who give funds to the parties tend to have an influence on the policies and decisions of the party.
• In some cases, parties support criminals who can win elections.
• Democrats all over the world are worried about the increasing role of rich people and big companies in democratic politics.

Q. No. 24) “A decline in the ideological differences among parties in most parts of the world has been seen.” Which challenge of a political party is being referred to here? Enumerate some of the features of the identified challenge.

Ans. The challenge being referred to here is the lack of meaningful choices for the voters.

Some of the features of this challenge are:

• In recent years there has been a decline in the ideological differences among parties in most parts of the world.
• They agree on more fundamental aspects but differ only in details on how policies are to be framed and implemented.
• Those who want really different policies have no option available to them.
• Sometimes people cannot even elect very different leaders either, because the same set of leaders keeps shifting from one party to another.

Q. No. 25) Elucidate some of the recent efforts taken in our country to reform political parties and their leaders.

Ans. Some of the recent efforts in India to reform political parties and their leaders are:

• The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in defection in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he/she will lose the seat in the legislature.
• The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. Now, it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against them.
• The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns.

Q. No. 26) What do you mean by the term defection? What measures were adopted to prevent this practice?

Ans. Defection in politics means changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different party.

The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in defection in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he/she will lose the seat in the legislature.

However, this has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.

Q. No. 27) Suggest and explain any five ways to reform political parties in India.

Ans. Suggestions to reform political parties in India:

• Regulation of party’s internal affairs: A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of their members, to follow their own constitution, to have an independent authority, etc.
• Ensure women's participation: It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
• State funding: There should be state funding of elections. The government should give money to parties to support their election expenses to avoid corruption.
• The pressure of public opinion: Political parties can be reformed if people put pressure on them. This can be done through petitions, propaganda, and agitations. Pressure groups and media play an important role in this.
• Public participation: Political parties can improve if those who want this join political parties. The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation.

Q. No. 28) Suggest some broad guidelines that can be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reforms in India.

Ans. Guidelines for political reform:

• Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Sometimes the results may be counter-productive.
• The main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen democratic practice.
• Any proposal for political reforms should think not only about what is a good solution but also about who will implement it and how?

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