各民主党派在多党合作中的地位和作用，是由中共对民主党派性质的认识决定的。中共对民主党派性质的认识很早就开始了。新中国成立后，各民主党派的社会基础未发生大的变化，各民主党派仍然是民族资产阶级、城市小资产阶级和知识分子的阶级联盟。各民主党派都把《共同纲领》作为自己的施政纲领，说明其政治目标已经由建立一个资产阶级共和国转变为建设一个人民民主专政的新民主主义国家。在国家的重大政治事件上，各民主党派虽然同中共也有过分歧和争论，但总体上还是接受了中共的政治主张，并且不断提高了认识，向着社会主义方向前进。在此基础上，中共认为，在新民主主义向社会主义转变时期，各民主党派是资产阶级联盟性质的新民主主义政党。1956年底，社会主义改造完成后，中国进入了社会主义社会，直到改革开放前，这一时期被称为社会主义建设时期。社会主义改造的完成，标志着民主党派的社会基础发生了质变，政治纲领也发生了改变。在八大的政治报告中，刘少奇指出在社会主义改造完成后，各民主党派已经由资产阶级联盟性质的政党转变为一部分劳动者的政党。但是随之而来的反右派斗争扩大化，导致中共改变了对民主党派性质的认识，虽然在60年代初中共一度纠正了对民主党派资产阶级政党的认识，但随着文化大革命的到来，民主党派的性质又回到了资产阶级政党的老路上。1978年党的十一届三中全会标志着中国历史的伟大转折，中国由此进入了社会主义建设新时期，这一时期，中共不仅恢复了与民主党派的多党合作，而且深化了对民主党派性质的认识，明确宣布各民主党派是一部分社会主义劳动者、社会主义建设者和拥护社会主义爱国者的政治联盟，是接受中国共产党领导的社会主义参政党，对民主党派的性质作出了完整的阐释。纵观整个过程，可以发现，在民主党派性质认识问题上，中国共产党必须准确把握阶级消灭的标准，准确判断民主党派社会基础的变化，这是认识民主党派性质的前提和基础。同时，必须不断的提高中国共产党的理论水平和思想水平，深刻认识中国的国情，把马克思主义理论与中国的国情相结合，才能维护各民主党派在多党合作中的地位和作用，推动多党合作不断向前发展。

The status and the function of various democratic party in multi-party cooperation, is decided by the Chinese Communist Party’s understanding about the democratic partisan spirit archery target. The time that The Chinese Communist Party began to know the democratic partisan spirit archery target is early. After new China had been established, various democratic parties’ social basis has not had a big change; various democratic parties still were the national bourgeoisie, the urban petty bourgeoisie and intellectual's class coalition. Various democratic parties all took "Common program" own administrative program, showed its political goal already by established a bourgeoisie republic to transform for constructs a people's democratic dictatorship the new democracy country .At national significant political incident, various democratic parties although has also had the difference and the argument with the Chinese Communist Party, but accepted Chinese Communist Party's politics to advocate as a whole, and enhanced the understanding unceasingly, turned towards the socialism direction advance. In this foundation, the Chinese Communist Party believed that, in the new democracy to the socialism transformation time, various democratic parties is the bourgeoisie alliance nature new democracy political party.At the end of 1956, after the socialist transformation completed, China entered the socialist society, until the reform and open policy before; this time is called the socialist construction time. Socialist transformation completion, symbolized Democratic Party’s social basis had the qualitative change, the political program has also had the change. In party's 8 session political reports, Liu Shoji pointed out completes after the socialist transformation, various democratic parties already by the bourgeoisie alliance nature political party transformation were a part of worker's political party. But the following counter-right wing struggles the magnification, caused the Chinese Communist Party to change had known to democratic party's nature, although altogether once corrected in the 60's junior middle schools to the democratic party bourgeoisie political party's understanding, but along with Great Cultural Revolution's arrival, democratic party's nature returned to on the bourgeoisie political party's old route.In 1978 party's 11 session of Third Session symbolized the Chinese history great transition. From this, China entered the socialist construction new time. In this time not only, the Chinese Communist Party restored with democratic party's multi-party cooperation, moreover deepened had known to the democratic partisan spirit archery target, announced explicitly various democratic parties were a part of socialism worker, the socialism constructor and the support socialism patriot's political alliance, accepted the socialism political party which Communist Party of China led, has made the integrity explanation to democratic party's nature.Looks over the entire process, we may discover, in the Democratic Party nature understanding question, Communist Party of China must accurately grasp the standard which the social class eliminates, accurate judgment Democratic Party social basis change, and this is the understanding democratic partisan spirit archery target premise and the foundation. At the same time, must unceasing enhance Communist Party of China the theoretical level and the ideological level, knew profoundly China's national condition, unifies the Marxism theory and China's national condition, can maintain various democratic party's in multi-party cooperation status and the function, and impels the multi-party cooperation forward to develop unceasingly.