In a democracy, political parties are one of the most important institutions. For most people, democracy is synonymous with political parties. It is crucial to understand their nature and operation of them. If we visit rural and distant places and conduct a survey, their understanding of the constitution may be minimal, but they will undoubtedly be aware of the political parties.
However, knowledge of political parties does not always imply favorable attitudes toward them among the general public. The topic of whether these parties are essential in a democracy naturally arises in people’s minds. One of the most visible institutions in a democracy is a political party. To form a government, it is required. Candidates from several political parties compete in elections at the federal, state, and local levels. They use internal methods to choose the candidates who will run in elections. These parties also develop policies and programs and influence public opinion.
By competing in elections, parties offer citizens a choice in governance, and while in opposition, that can hold governments accountable. When citizens join political parties, volunteer their time, donate money and vote for leaders, they are exercising their basic democratic rights. Participation of citizens in political parties offers unique benefits, including opportunities to influence policy choices, choose and engage political leaders, and run for office.
However, in some countries, political parties do not respect the rights of citizens to participate and are not accountable to voters. We should all support the development of vibrant, accountable, and inclusive multiparty systems that offer citizens meaningful choices and opportunities for political participation. Everyone should work together to conduct knowledge and research sharing in order to expand the participation of marginalized groups, including women, youth, ethnic and racial minorities, persons with disabilities, and gender and sexual minorities. This assistance would be most effective if it reached across party organizations, from grassroots party members to mid-level party officials and senior party leaders.
