The combination of politics & social divisions is very explosive and dangerous.a) Democracy involves competition among various political parties. Their competitions tend to divide society.b) If they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, they can make social divisions into political divisions and lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country.c) Social divisions affect voting in most countries, people from one community tend to prefer one party more than others.d) In many countries there are parties which focus only on one community.--yet all this does not always lead to disintegration.

This has happened in many countries ---Examples (negative results)1. As in the case of Northern Ireland, this region of UK has been for many years a sight of violence& bitter ethno- political conflict.--Its population is divided into two major sects of Christianity: 53%--Protestants & 44%--Catholics.--Catholics are represented by the Nationalist parties, who wanted Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland, predominantly catholic.--Protestants are represented by the Unionist who wanted to remain with UK.--hundreds of civilians and militants were killed in the fight of political parties till 1998, the UK govt. & the Nationalists reached a peace treaty after which the latter suspended the armed struggle.2. In Yugoslavia the political competition along religious and ethnic lines led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries.--such examples lead some people to think that politics & social divisions should not be allowed to mix; if social divisions exists in a country they must never be expressed in politics.

POSITIVE EXAMPLES:Every expression of social division in politics does not lead to disasters. Social divisions of some or the other kind do exist in every society of the world and are reflected in politics.--in a democracy it is only natural that political parties talk of these divisions, make different promises to different communities, look after their representation and policies to redress the grievances of disadvantaged communities.