FAQ: what is a political party?

Political parties is an important topic for unit 1 of the AS exam. Not only do you need to understand the current policies of the three main parties, but also how their policies have developed over recent years. This will be covered over the next few days.

To begin with, it is important to establish what a political party actually is. Put quite simply, a political party is an organised group of people who share similar ideas and beliefs. Their main objective is to achieve power, or at least share it. In the case of smaller parties, they will also want to influence the general policy debate in the absence of power.

Unlike most pressure groups, political parties develop a wide range of policies across diverse areas, such as foreign affairs, economics, and the environment.