Before an election, a newly formed party releases a document explaining what it finds wrong with present social arrangements and the social order it wants to build. Which feature of political parties does this reflect?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → They rest on an understanding of how society ought to be
Option (1) They operate primarily by lobbying the members of legislative bodies — Incorrect. Lobbying the members of legislative bodies is how interest groups mainly work. A party seeks power through elections, as the new party here prepares to do.
Option (2) They are best regarded as movements until they achieve recognition — Incorrect. Organisations that seek power but are denied the standard means are best regarded as movements until they are recognised. A party putting out its programme before an election is using the standard means.
Option (3) They rest on an understanding of how society ought to be — Correct. Political parties are based on a certain understanding of society and how it ought to be. The document states what is wrong with present arrangements and the order the party wants to build, which is that understanding.
Option (4) They serve the dominant class or classes that control the state — Incorrect. This is a claim about whom the state serves, taken from class-based views of power. The document in the question is about the kind of society the party wants to build.
NCERT (2026-27): “3.2 Political Parties, Pressure and Interest Groups in Democratic Politics … |