What are the major characteristics of political parties?

The major characteristics of political parties are:

1. Aim of acquiring power: parties contest elections to win power and form the government.
2. Ideology: every party has its own ideology, that is, its own ideas about society and the economy. Members share this ideology.
3. Policies and programmes: based on its ideology, a party decides its policies and announces them in its manifesto. If it comes to power, it tries to implement them.
4. Organisation: a party has leaders, workers and supporters, and an organisation from the local level to the national level.
5. Role in government and opposition: the party that wins the majority forms the government. The others act as the opposition, keep a check on the government and criticise wrong policies.
6. Link between people and government: parties take the people's problems to the government and spread political awareness among people.