Party system
Topic: Political Parties, Party Systems and Anti-defection · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Political Parties"
Meaning
A party system is the pattern of how many parties seriously compete for power in a country. The main types are one-party, two-party and multi-party systems. A country does not choose its party system. The system grows over time out of its society, its regional divisions, its history and its electoral system. The Class 10 textbook therefore calls "which system is better" "not a very good question".
Example
India's party system has changed over time:
- 1952–67: Congress dominance.
- 1989–2014: the coalition era.
- 2014 and 2019: BJP majorities.
- 2024: an NDA government in which the BJP depends on its partners.
Don't confuse with
- Electoral system: this is the method of turning votes into seats, such as first-past-the-post (FPTP). It shapes the party system but is a different thing.