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Political Parties

Before, I just thought political parties are groups of people who want to run for office. After discussing political parties, I found out that they have a lot more functions than I give them credit for, or is it just because I feel like OUR country's political parties don't perform such functions at all...

• an organized political group usually embracing a unifying ideology that seeks to promote its goals by gaining control of government through selecting candidates for public office and presenting them to the public during elections

    Characteristics

• ORGANIZED group with a specific structure (leadership and membership) and processes
• IDEOLOGY-based - They should ACTUALLY have goals, and a clear platform for government

            **Well, then I guess that's what our political parties DON'T have... : )

• works through government
• participates in elections

   Functions

• serve as brokers of ideas - They are there to sum up all the ideas and wishes of citizens and form it into a platform.
• facilitating political socialization - Through them people are able to expose themselves to politics.
• linking individual (each person) and system  (government)
• mobilizing and recruiting political activists
• coordinating governmental operations
• serving as sources of opposition

Hopefully, our political parties will adopt a solid ideology in order for the people to be clear on what direction the political party will get them. It would of course also give us voters the opportunity to have clear and worthy choices. Don't just think of forming political parties in order to use them as instruments of running for office. : )

Resource:

Danziger, James. (2001). Understanding the Political World—5^th ed. Addison Wesley Longman Inc.

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