Political Parties
Political parties are organised groups with shared beliefs that compete in elections to form governments.
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Political parties are organised groups with shared beliefs that compete in elections to form governments.
- Manifestos set out their promises
- Left-wing and right-wing differ on policy
- The largest party often forms the government
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Political Parties?
Within Economics & Civics, which covers money, markets, business, government, law and citizenship: how societies are organised and run, this topic explains Political Parties. Economics and civics topics explain how money, markets, laws and government affect people, so each topic here pairs a clear definition with a model.
Check that you can explain Political Parties in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Political Parties helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.
Political Parties in detail
A political party is an organised group of people with similar views who seek to win elections and form or influence government. Parties publish manifestos with their policies and priorities, choose candidates, campaign and raise funds.
In the UK, the main parties include the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, the SNP and others such as the Greens. Broadly, the left favours more government action to promote equality, and the right favours lower taxes and free markets, though positions are complex. Parties help people to participate and provide a choice. The party with a majority forms the government, and others form the opposition, holding it to account.
How the interactive helps you understand Political Parties
Watch the seating plan in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the seating plan responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Political Parties.
Real-life uses and examples
- Relate Political Parties to a news story about prices, jobs, elections or government spending.
- Use Political Parties to weigh up the pros and costs of a policy or decision.
- Explain Political Parties to a classmate using a choice you make yourself, such as spending pocket money.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Giving an opinion without evidence or a clear economic or civic reason.
- Confusing a short-term effect with a long-term one.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Political Parties
What is Political Parties?
Political parties are organised groups with shared beliefs that compete in elections to form governments.
What are the most important points about Political Parties?
The main points are: Manifestos set out their promises; Left-wing and right-wing differ on policy; The largest party often forms the government.
Why is Political Parties useful?
Understanding Political Parties helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.
How can I practise Political Parties?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Political Parties?
Related topics in Economics & Civics include The Judiciary and Courts, Rule of Law, Criminal and Civil Law.