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HOW MANY PARTIES SHOULD WE HAVE?
- In a democracy, any group of citizens is free to form a political party.
- More than 750 parties are registered with the Election Commission of India.
- But n ot all these parties are serious contenders in the elections.
- So the question, then is: how many major or effective parties are good for democracy?
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In some countries,
only one party is allowed to control and run the government.
These are called a one-party system.
Example - China- The communist party
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In some countries,
power usually changes between two main parties.
Such a party system is called a two-party system .
Example - The United States of America and the United Kingdom
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If
several parties compete for power,
and more than two parties have a reasonable chance of coming into power either on their strength or in alliance with others.
This is called a multiparty system. Example- India.
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When
several parties in a multi-party system join hands to contest elections
and win power, it is called
an alliance or a front.
Example- BJP led NDA with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as PM from 1999 to 2004.
- Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.
