This understanding of politics says that there will always be conflict when people have to make decisions about “who gets what, when and how”. This conflict does not always create problems; it can sometimes be useful and positive. For example, conflict can lead to more inclusion, positive social change, and competition often causes people to work harder to achieve their goals.

In larger communities it is not possible for everyone to take part in every decision. Instead, communities make rules that apply to every member of the community. Political conflict in larger communities is often related to making, changing or breaking these rules. Some of the most important areas of conflict in a community or society include:

• Competition over Resources: Because of diverse needs and limited resources, different groups often compete over who gets which share and/or who gets a bigger share. These resources might be physical, like money, land or goods, or non-physical, such as respect, freedom or safety.

• Competition over Opportunities: People might compete over access to education, employment or the ability to make decisions. One cause of political conflict is when some groups are not allowed to have the same political, social and economic opportunities as other groups.

• Competition over Ideas: Disagreements over people’s ideas of what is right or wrong can lead to disagreements in a society. Different political views, religious beliefs or values can also be a source of disagreement or competition in a society.

Competition between Political Parties

Political parties compete for power and influence. They actively participate in politics to achieve decision-making power. This competition is crucial in democratic politics because it can lead to debates on national issues and priorities that give voters a choice over real policy alternatives. However, once elections are over, political parties must find a way to cooperate and govern for the benefit of all (not just their supporters). If they cannot, there is a danger that political breakdown will occur. As a result, political competition amongst democratic parties is often strong. If there is too much competition between parties, this can create a situation that makes it difficult for all parties to achieve their goals. For example, if a parliament is filled with several weak and antagonistic parties, they might not be able to develop a set of priorities for governing. If the conflict between political parties reaches very high levels, this can have a negative effect on peace and development within a political community.

Competition, Cooperation and Democracy

All democratic political systems are based on electoral competition. However, an important requirement for functioning democracies is that political parties can find common ground and work to strengthen democracy together. For example, if a majority party dominates every aspect of political life, they might be able to effectively pass legislation, but this is unlikely to strengthen the culture or institutions of democracy.

Balancing the use of political competition and cooperation is essential for sustainable democratic development and for providing meaningful choices to citizens. However, what is considered as the most appropriate balance between competition and cooperation depends on the history, culture and situation of each specific country.Other important factors include a country’s state of democracy (e.g. young or established democracies), its institutional structure (e.g. design of the electoral and political system) and the party system (e.g. dominated by two o r multiple parties).