1. Contesting elections: Parties contest elections and put up candidates before the voters - for example, in India the top leaders of parties like the BJP and the Congress select candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. 2. Framing policies and programmes: Parties put forward different policies and programmes through their election manifestos and the voters choose from among them. 3. Making laws: Parties play a decisive role in making laws, since laws are debated and passed in the legislature and members generally vote as their party directs. 4. Forming and running the government: The party or alliance that wins a majority forms the government; parties recruit leaders, train them and make them ministers to run the country. 5. Role of opposition: Parties that lose the election form the opposition, criticise the government for its wrong policies and keep a check on it. 6. Shaping public opinion and providing access: Parties raise and highlight issues, launch movements, and give people access to government machinery and welfare schemes, since it is easier for a citizen to approach a local party leader than a government officer. (Any three to be explained)