Political faction

A political faction is a grouping of individuals, especially within a political organization, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. It may also be called a power bloc, or a voting bloc.

The individuals within a faction are united in a common goal for the organization they are a part of. They stick together to achieve this goal and improve their position within the organization.

A political faction could be described as a “party within a party”. But political factions are not limited to political parties; they can form within any group that has some sort of political aim or purpose.

Examples of modern political factions

United States

Within the Democratic Party

Democratic Leadership Council

Within the Republican Party

Christian Right (made up of Christian Voice, Moral Majority, Christian Coalition, and Focus on the Family. The Christian Right claims to champion Biblical values)

China

In the history of the Republic of China from 1911 until 1949, factionalisation within the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang was a large problem for the central government, especially for Chiang Kai-Shek. Warlord factions which had been persuaded to ally with Chiang during the (1926–1927) had to be constantly pacified, as well as regional military governors who ruled regions that were not directly administered by Chiang's central government. Often historians conclude that this lack of unity contributed to the defeat of the Nationalists in holding mainland China during the Chinese Civil War.

References

Etymology on line