Describe any five major functions of political parties performed in a democracy

Describe any five major functions of political parties performed in a democracy.

Major functions of the Political Parties are as follows:

Parties contest elections.
Parties put forward different policies and programmes.
Parties play a decisive role in making laws of a country.
Parties form and run the government.
Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition.
Parties shape public opinion.
Parties provide people access to government machinery and welfare schemes implemented by the government.