Here you will find all the questions, solutions, answers, and notes of chapter 13 Competition and Contestations in Democracy of Social Science for class 10 students studying under Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). However, the study materials should be used only for references and nothing more. The notes can be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary
Political parties are the life-blood of a democratic polity. It is particularly so in a country like India which has a multi-party system. If you travel to the countryside and discuss politics with village folks, they will talk about various political parties, their leaders and their politics, though they may not know anything about our Constitution and its provisions. Most of us tend to be very critical of political parties and blame them for all the wrongs in our society. They are blamed for conflicts, divisions and unethical practices prevalent in our democracy and political life. A century ago, there were few countries that had political parties, now there are few which do not have them. Most of the countries have several political parties.
A political party is a group of people who share a common ideology and aim to form the government by contesting elections and winning a majority of the contested seats. Each political party has a set of policies and programmes declared publicly by election manifestos, for the promotion of the common good of citizens.
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Textual questions and answers
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who chooses the candidates for contesting elections in India?
(a) Members and supporters of the party (b) Top party leader (c) The existing government (d) None of the these
Answer: (b) Top party leader
2. Which of these countries has a one-party system?
(a) India (b) China (c) USA d) UK
Answer: (b) China
3. Which of these is not a good option for a democratic state?
(a) One-party system (b) Two-party system (c) Multi-party system (d) None of the above
Answer: (a) One-party system
4. In the questions given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is correct explana tion of Assertion (A).
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false. (d) Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.
Assertion(A): Parties shape public opinion.
Reason(R): They raise and highlight issues of importance.
Answer: (a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is correct explana tion of Assertion (A).
5. Which political party has this symbol?
[Refer to textbook to see the image]
(a) Telugu Desam Party (b) Shiromani Akali Dal (c) Shiv Sena (d) Mizoram People’s Conference
Answer: (b) Shiromani Akali Dal
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Name three components of a political party.
Answer: The essential components of a political party:
i. the leaders
ii. the active members, and
iii. the followers.
2. Define a political party.
Answer: A political party is a group of people who share a common ideology and aim to form a government by contesting elections and winning a majority of the contested seats.
3. What is the difference between a national party and a state party?
Answer: National parties are present in all or many of the federal units, whereas state parties are present in only one of the federal units.
Short Answer Questions
1. Differentiate between a ruling party and an opposition party.
Answer: A party that forms government at the central or state level is called a ruling party. On the other hand, a party other than the ruling party in a legislature is called ab opposition party.
2. Name two countries each adhering to (i) one-party system (ii) two-party system.
Answer: (i) China, North Korea. (ii) USA, United Kingdom.
3. Write the major objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Answer: It wants to build a strong and modern India by drawing inspiration from India’s ancient culture and values.
Long Answer Questions
1. Explain how a political party can shape public opinion.
Answer: Opinion of people against and in favour of certain issues and policies of the government can make the prospects of a ruling party in the coming election. Opposition parties play a pivotal role in the formation of public opinion through organising meetings, demonstrations, protests, dharnas, distribution of posters and pamphlets and highlighting issues in the mass media. They examine and criticise the government for its failures and wrong policies.
2. State the various functions which political parties perform in a democracy.
Answer: The various functions which political parties perform in a democracy are::
i. Contesting elections: Political parties put up candidates in various constituencies to contest an election.
ii. Declaring different policies and programmes: Each party has a different set of ideologies, policy and programmes which it desires to implement after forming the government.
iii. Making laws for the country: Laws are made after the bills are debated and passed by legislatures by a majority.
iv. Parties form and run governments: The majority party in a legislature forms the government.
v. Role of opposition: The parties which fail to form government play the role of opposition inside the legislature and outside.
vi. Shaping public opinion: Opinion of people against and in favour of certain issues and policies of the government can make the prospects of a ruling party in the coming election.
3. What are the characteristics of a political party?
Answer: The characteristics of a political party are:
i. A political party is a group of people who share a common ideology and aim to form a government by contesting elections and winning a majority of the contested seats.
ii. Each political party has a set of policies and programmes declared publicly by election manifestos, for the promotion of the common good of citizens.
iii. As the policies, programmes and ideologies of different political parties are different they seek to win popular support in an election to be able to implement them.
iv. Each party has a different social base representing the interests and aspirations of a part of the society. Thus, it involves partisanship.
v. A party is known for its ideology, programmes and policies and the section of society whose interests it represents.
vi. There are three essential components of a political party which are the leaders, the active members, and the followers.
4. ‘The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation.’ Explain. [HOTS]
Answer: The quality of democracy depends on the degree of public participation. It would be difficult to reform politics if ordinary people simply criticise it from the outside. The problem of bad politics can be solved by adopting better politics. That is possible only when ordinary citizens participate in the process of democracy. Constitutional institutions should be strengthened that help people’s participation and control.
Additional/extra MCQs
1. What is the chief aim of a political party?
A. To form the government at the centre or in a state B. To contest elections C. To declare different policies and programmes D. To shape public opinion
Answer: A. To form the government at the centre or in a state
35. Which of the following is not a function of a political party?
A. Contesting elections B. Declaring different policies and programmes C. Making laws for the country D. Implementing the laws of the country
Answer: D. Implementing the laws of the country
Additional/extra questions and answers/solutions
1. What is a political party?
Answer: A political party is a group of people who share common ideology and aim to form government by contesting elections and winning a majority of the contested seats.
25. Differentiate between a national party and a state party in India.
Answer: In India, every party has to register with the Election Commission. Large parties are allotted an election symbol and given some privileges by the Election Commission of India. Such parties are called ‘recognized political parties’. A party that secures at least six percent of total votes in a Lok Sabha election or Assembly elections in any four states and wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha is given the status of a National party. A party that secures at least 6 percent of the total votes in an election to the Legislative Assembly of a state and wins at least two seats is recognized as a state party. National parties are present in all or many of the federal units, whereas state parties are present in only one of the federal units.
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