Why are political parties considered an important part of a democratic political system?

Answer 1

They provide a way of organizing and resolving political conflict.

Political parties are considered an important part of a democratic political system because they provide a way of organizing political debate and resolving political conflict. This is an especially important consideration in a country as large and diverse as America. Political parties coordinate the efforts of public officials not only at the same level of government (national, state, and local) but also from different branches (executive, legislative, and judicial). They can also coordinate officials across the same level but from different geographic areas, such as mayors of cities and governors of states.

Political parties also focus responsibility by holding party members collectively responsible for their actions when in government. This puts pressure on these officials not only to maintain unity in the pursuit of the party's goals, but also to present a list of party accomplishments at the next election. A party whose elected officials fail to impress the electorate with their ability to cooperate with each other or to advance the party's agenda is likely to receive less support in the next election. (The first successful transfer of power from one party to another came in 1800, when Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, was elected president.)

Another function of parties is to develop issues and educate the public on them. Parties are expected to identify problems, investigate them, and come up with solutions, all within the wider context of staying true to the party's ideals.

Answer 2

They provide a way of organizing and resolving political conflict.

Political parties are considered an important part of a democratic political system because they provide a way of organizing political debate and resolving political conflict. This is an especially important consideration in a country as large and diverse as America. Political parties coordinate the efforts of public officials not only at the same level of government (national, state, and local) but also from different branches (executive, legislative, and judicial). They can also coordinate officials across the same level but from different geographic areas, such as mayors of cities and governors of states.

Political parties also focus responsibility by holding party members collectively responsible for their actions when in government. This puts pressure on these officials not only to maintain unity in the pursuit of the party's goals, but also to present a list of party accomplishments at the next election. A party whose elected officials fail to impress the electorate with their ability to cooperate with each other or to advance the party's agenda is likely to receive less support in the next election. (The first successful transfer of power from one party to another came in 1800, when Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, was elected president.)

Another function of parties is to develop issues and educate the public on them. Parties are expected to identify problems, investigate them, and come up with solutions, all within the wider context of staying true to the party's ideals.

Answer 3

Political parties are an integral part of the democratic process because it helps organize voters, find the best candidates for an election, as well as turn out the voters that are so necessary to make a participatory democracy.