What distinguishes a political party from other social institutions is the desire to

A political party is different from other social institutions because its main goal is to win elections and form a government. In other words, political parties want to have power in order to influence government policies in certain directions. While they may also promote the interests of party members, the primary purpose of a political party is to gain control of the government and implement their policies. This is what sets them apart from other organizations or institutions that may have different goals or priorities.