Final answer:
Political parties are intended to serve the people and their interests, but can often represent a mix of different stakeholders, including corporations and political elites, influenced by interest groups and financial contributions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Political parties are designed to serve multiple stakeholders within the political system. According to the pluralist theory, political parties are seen as serving the people, acting as a means for collective action and mobilization. Parties are supposed to represent a broad coalition of citizens' interests, although the reality can sometimes reflect an elite influence as well. Scholars such as E. E. Schattschneider have critiqued this notion by suggesting that the upper class tends to have a louder voice in political affairs, indicating a bias towards the interests of corporations and the wealthy. This debate is inherent to the dual theories of elite theory and pluralism in political science, which argue whether government serves a small elite or a wider range of interest groups, respectively.
Interest groups, while distinct from political parties in that they may not directly engage in electing candidates under a specific party label, do play a role in influencing policy and supporting candidates that align with their specific concerns, regardless of the party. Consequently, the goals of the parties are meant to serve a broader public interest, but the influence of interest groups and financial contributions from corporations mean that in practice, parties often serve a mix of various stakeholders, including political elites and special interests.