What are the main ways in which political Parties reinforce parliamentary democracy?

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What are the main ways in which political Parties reinforce parliamentary democracy?

Political parties in the UK have a multitude of functions in the modern age, all of which are designed to reinforce our parliamentary democracy. The way in which they do this is by representing the views of the majority, as this is the basis of any democratic society, a government “by the people, for the people, of the people”. Through the policies they implement when in government, either dictated through their manifesto at election time or through opinion polls and such like, they rule the country in the way that the majority see fit.

However, it is not just when in power that political parties are important. For example, it is the job of the opposition and other parties to criticise decisions taken by the government, so that it is accountable for its actions. Through campaigning, using various mediums such as the press and campaign posters, the party’s highlight important political issues to the public that otherwise would go unnoticed. It is vital that different sides of an argument are presented, so that the public can consider the opinion they agree with.

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Elections are one of the key times in the political arena, as this is when each party clearly defines what it is that they believe, and encourage the public to get involved with politics. This is done through campaigning and voting etc.  However, this has been a problem in recent years, with ‘voter apathy’ steadily rising as the number of voters steadily drops. This is an especially large problem within the younger voting ages. This is due to a number of factors, but mainly because people believe that there vote wont make a difference. Obviously this devalues the whole ...

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