Political Parties (DP IB Global Politics): Revision Note
Political parties in democratic states
Political parties are formed by groups of people who share common ideas about how the state should function
They are focused on political power: they either have it or want it
Political parties are found in all systems of government
They are an essential feature of democracies, where citizens can vote to choose their government
People should have choices when electing their government representatives
It is felt that multiple parties are best able to meet the diverse needs of the population
Although there is usually one political party leading the government, other political parties are also represented and have agency
Debate and discussion about policies amongst political parties is seen as a healthy feature of democracy
Multiple parties decrease the possibility of one party or individual taking complete control and turning the state into a dictatorship
Case Study
Political parties in Germany
Germany is an excellent example of a multi-party democratic state
Its electoral system uses proportional representation (PR), meaning parties win seats broadly in line with their share of the national vote
Very small parties are prevented from entering parliament, keeping the system stable while still representing a wide range of views
Current political parties in Germany
Political party | Abbreviation | Political Position | Core Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|
Christian Democratic Union / Christian Social Union | CDU/CSU | Centre-right | Conservative, Christian democracy |
Social Democratic Party | SPD | Centre-left | Social democracy |
Alliance 90 / The Greens | Grüne | Centre-left | Green politics, progressivism |
Free Democratic Party | FDP | Centre / Centre-right | Classical liberalism |
Alternative for Germany | AfD | Far-right | Nationalism, Euroscepticism |
The Left | Die Linke | Left / Far-left | Democratic socialism |
Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht | BSW | Left-wing populist | Social conservatism, anti-NATO |
Political parties in non-democratic states
In non-democratic states there is usually just one political party in control of the government
This can be stable, but citizens have neither agency nor input into policies and decisions made by the government.
Being labelled a non-democratic state is generally seen as negative, so many such states say they do allow other political parties to operate
However, this is often a deception, as these other parties usually lack independence and agency
Examples of political parties in non-democratic states
Party | Details |
|---|---|
The Communist Party of China |
|
United Russia Party |
|
Case Study
The Communist Party of Cuba (PCC)
The Communist Party of Cuba is the only legal political party in Cuba
It is described in the constitution as the leading force of society and the state.
Cuba therefore operates as a one-party socialist system
The party was formed in 1965 after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, which brought Fidel Castro to power
It united several revolutionary groups, including Castro’s 26th of July Movement
The current First Secretary is Miguel Díaz-Canel, who took the role in 2021 after Raúl Castro stepped down, ending decades of Castro family leadership
The PCC follows a Marxist–Leninist ideology
It supports socialism, state control of key industries and central economic planning, while emphasising social welfare policies such as universal healthcare and education
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