Besides its general committees, many parties have other committees, commissions, technical committees and working groups for specific tasks; for example, for the discussion of programmatic questions (economic policy, domestic policy, foreign policy etc.) as well as for the participation of specific groups (youths, women, unions, local politicians, middleclass citizens, entrepreneurs, seniors etc.). These committees play an important function for the inner life of parties and their external image. On the one hand, they complement or rectify the regional principle of
membership and integrate members according to their specific interests, their professional qualifications or their social status. Within the party, these committees play a part in the development of technical capacities and the formation of political opinion. On the other hand, the committees contribute crucially to contact with a variety of social groups, to whom the contact demonstrate that their concerns are taken into consideration and are represented by the parties