Before We Start
Why parties matter beyond just contesting elections
It's easy to think of political parties primarily as vehicles for winning elections, but they perform several genuinely distinct functions that go well beyond just campaigning — from candidate recruitment to policy development to actually governing once in power.
💡 How the "Coordinate Government" Function Differs by System
In parliamentary systems, the majority party (or coalition) directly FORMS the government — a direct, structural link between winning legislative seats and holding executive power. In presidential systems, parties instead SHARE power with an independently elected executive, a meaningfully different relationship connecting directly to the Parliamentary vs. Presidential lesson.
Mnemonic
The six core functions
Recruit and Nominate
Candidates for office
Parties identify, recruit, and formally nominate candidates to run under their banner.
Organize Campaigns
Electoral infrastructure and support
Parties provide the organizational infrastructure — funding, staff, strategy — that individual candidates typically couldn't assemble entirely on their own.
Develop Policy Platforms
Coherent policy positions
Parties develop and promote a relatively coherent set of policy positions, giving voters a recognizable, simplified signal about what electing that party's candidates would actually mean for governance.
Coordinate Government Action
Different mechanics under parliamentary vs. presidential systems
As covered in the callout above, this function operates differently depending on system type — direct government formation in parliamentary systems, power-sharing with an independent executive in presidential systems.
Mobilize Voters
Turnout efforts
Parties actively work to get their supporters to the polls, connecting to the broader Voter Turnout content covered in the Elections & Voting subject area.
Link Citizens to Government
A simplifying intermediary function
Parties provide an accessible way for ordinary citizens to understand and engage with a complex governmental system, without needing to evaluate every individual policy position separately.
💊 A useful way to remember all six together: three functions happen BEFORE an election (recruit, organize, develop platforms), and three functions extend BEYOND the election itself into actual governance and ongoing citizen engagement (coordinate government, mobilize, link) — parties' role doesn't end once votes are counted.
⚖️ Applying the Framework — Identifying Which Function Is at Work
A political party in a parliamentary system wins a legislative majority, and its leader becomes prime minister, with other party members filling cabinet positions.
Identify the Specific Function
This scenario reflects the "coordinate government action" function specifically — and, because this is a parliamentary system, it takes the direct government-formation form described in this lesson, rather than the power-sharing arrangement that would occur under a presidential system. Recognizing which specific system-type shapes how this particular function plays out is the key skill here.
Distinguish From the Party's Earlier Functions
This government-formation moment is distinct from the earlier functions (recruiting the candidates who won these seats, organizing the campaign that won the majority, developing the platform voters responded to) — those functions already occurred before this point in the sequence. All six functions can be traced across a party's full lifecycle from candidate recruitment through actual governance.
📌 Exam Application
Party function questions test both direct recall and system-specific application:
Function recall: "Name three core functions political parties perform in a democracy." → Recruit and nominate candidates, organize campaigns, develop policy platforms (coordinate government, mobilize voters, link citizens also correct).
System-specific application: "How does the 'coordinate government' function differ between parliamentary and presidential systems?" → In parliamentary systems, the majority party directly forms the government; in presidential systems, parties share power with an independently elected executive.
⚠️ The Trap — Reducing Party Function to Just "Winning Elections"
Because winning elections is the most visible, widely-discussed party activity, it's easy to overlook the other five distinct functions parties perform — policy development, voter mobilization, and the ongoing citizen-government link don't end once votes are counted.
The safeguard: Remember parties as performing six distinct functions spanning the full electoral and governing cycle, not simply as election-winning vehicles.
✓ Quick Self-Test
Answer before checking:
1. What are the six core functions of political parties?
2. How does "coordinate government action" differ between parliamentary and presidential systems?
3. What does it mean for a party to "link citizens to government"?
4. Which three functions typically occur before an election, and which three extend beyond it?
Answers:
1. Recruit/nominate candidates, organize campaigns, develop policy platforms, coordinate government action, mobilize voters, link citizens to government.
2. Parliamentary: majority party directly forms government. Presidential: parties share power with an independently elected executive.
3. Providing an accessible way for citizens to engage with a complex governmental system without evaluating every individual policy separately.
4. Before: recruit, organize, develop platforms. Beyond: coordinate government, mobilize, link.