The following can be described as the main merits of political parties:
1. Means of Harmonising:
Political Parties harmonize and coordinate the working of the organs of government. These give unity and order to the very complicated mechanism of government, particularly a federal government.
A democratic government works as a responsible party government.
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2. Source of National Unity:
The parties are instrumental in developing and maintaining a sense of national unity. The people in some political systems have diversities of religion, language, region and economic interests. Political parties give order and coherence to such diversities.
3. Transformation of the mass of Electorate into a National Force:
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“The parties”, says Bryce, “keep a nation’s mind active.” Discussions within each party and debates among all political parties bring certain issues to the front. These bring the people into national mainstream and make them active and well functioning members of the political system.
4. Essential Instruments of Democratic System:
Leacock observes:
A democratic government always gets organised through elections. Elections are contested by political parties. Without them there can be no elections and no democracy. A modern democratic state cannot work without political parties.
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5. Very useful and essential role in formulation of public opinion public policies:
Parties prevent popular prejudices from getting incorporated into laws. All proposals and measures for law-making are fully discussed and criticised at the party level before they are finally passed by the legislature as laws. Political Parties ensure democratic law-making and democratic public opinion on all issues, policies and programme of the government.
6. Parties keep the government under check:
Political Parties also act as a great checks against domination. The parties hold the wheels of state in balance. According to Lowell, “The parties enable the people to hold the government in check. The constant presence of a recognized opposition is a bulwark against the tyranny.”
7. Vital links between the people and their government:
Political parties are the links, the vital channels of communication between the people and the government. They act as two—way agencies—taking the demands of the people to the government and policies of the government to the people.