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Comparative Politics and Government Javeed Ahmad Bhat, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 13: Political Parties

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
13.1 Meaning of Political Parties
13.2 Political Parties in USA, UK, Russia and France
13.3 Structure and Role of the Communist Party in China
13.4 Interests Groups or Pressure Groups in USA, UK, Russia and France
13.5 Summary
13.6 Key-Words
13.7 Review Questions
13.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to:
• Understand the Meaning, Definition and Importance of Political Party.
• Discuss the Political Parties in USA, UK, Russia and France.
• Explain the Role of Communist Party in China.
• Know the Interest Groups in the USA, UK, Russia and France.
Introduction

Modern democracy has procreated the system of political parties and organised interest (pressure)
groups as an indispensable factor in its operation. The reason behind it is that the representative
system lays stress on the maximisation of political participation by enjoining upon the members of
the political elites to take the people, as much as possible, in confidence either for the sake of
demonstrating their faith in the myth that ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’, or to justify the
very legitimacy of their leadership and authority. It also indicates the fact of political modernisation
by desiring the involvement of more and more people in the political process of the country with a
critical and secular outlook. Hence, in this chapter an attempt has been made to discuss the themes of
political parties, organised interest groups and elites which play an important part in the formulation
of public policies and whose role determines the working of a democratic system.
13.1 Meaning of Political Parties

According to Michael Curtis, it is notoriously difficult to define accurately a political party. The
reason is that the views of the liberal and Marxist writers differ sharply on this point. Not only this,
even the views of the English liberals differ form their American counterparts. The most celebrated
view among the English leaders and writers is that of Burke who holds that a political party is “a
body of men united for promoting the national interest on some particular principles in which they
are all agreed.” Reiterating the same view, Disraeli defined political party as “a group of men banded
together to pursue certain principles.” So, according to Benjamin Constant, a party is “a group of
men professing the same political doctrine.” The key point in all these definitions relates to the issue
of ‘principles’ of public importance on which the members of a party are agreed.
But the American view is different in the sense that here a political party is taken as an instrument of
catching power. No significance is attached to the key point of ’principles’ of national or public
importance in which ‘all are agreed.’ A party is just a platform or a machinery for taking part in the

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