The Origins and Functions of Political Parties An encyclopedic
article from Grolier Online and The New Book of Knowledge -
Grades: 3–5, 6–8 A political party is a group of voters
organized to support certain public policies. The aim of a
political party is to elect officials who will try to carry out
the party's policies. A political party offers candidates for
public office. It sets out positions on issues that may range
from war and taxes to how children should be educated. When
people in a democracy disagree about what the government should
do, voters express their opinions by voting for the candidates
that most closely reflect their views. Political parties provide
a way for voters to easily identify a candidate's positions.
Political parties may be large or small, national or local.
Large political parties generally have millions of members and
supporters. In democratic election campaigns, parties compete
freely for votes. Such competition is one of the hallmarks of
democracy. How Parties Began Political