suggets the recent efforts to reform political parties and its leader
Answers
Voter turnout for elections is far lower than in most other democracies. A turnout rate of only around 50% is typical, even for high-profile races.
Cynicism about politics and government is rampant as people see: a) the influence of big contributors on laws and policy and b) the corruption scandals involving campaign contributions.
The cost of running for office continues to escalate. Few citizens can afford the huge cost of running for office at any level of government.
Uncontested and non-competitive elections have increased in frequency, with a re-election rate of incumbents that tops 90% in both federal and state races. Incumbents regularly out-spend challengers by margins of 4 to 1.
In 2010, the Supreme Court reversed a 100 year-old ban on corporate and union expenditures on political speech, unleashing unlimited spending from these sources. The “Citizen’s United� decision has worsened the dominance of corporate influence in our democracy.
Effective measures to reform political parties are:
1) A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties.
2) It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members.
3) It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets; about 1/3rd to its women candidates.
4) There should be a quota for women in the decision-making bodies of the party.
5) There should be state funding of elections.
6) The government should give parties money to support their election expenses in kind for example petrol, paper, telephone etc. or in cash.
7) Vote casting should be made compulsory in each election.
8) Data regarding caste religion OBC, SC, ST should not be utilized during the election period in any form .......