OUTCOMES OF DEMOCRACY
1. How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government?
Ans:- Democracy produces an accountable, responsive and legitimate government in the following ways:
Accountable-
a. Democracy is a form of government in which people rule themselves through the representatives who
are elected by them.
b. Democracy produces a government which is accountable to the citizens.
c. Allows citizens to participate in the decision making process.
Responsive-
a. Responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens
b. Based on the ideas of deliberations and negotiations.
Legitimate-
a. May be slow less efficient but it is peoples own government.
b. Government where citizens through participations acquire a state in the system.
Q.2: List the various aspects and qualifications which help in giving a clear definition of democracy.
Ans.:- The various aspects and qualifications which help in giving a clear definition of democracy are:
1. The rulers elected by the people must take all the major decisions.
2. Elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the existing rulers.
3. Choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis.
4. Besides political rights, some social and economic rights are offered to the citizens by the democracy.
5. Power sharing is the spirit of democracy and is necessary between government and social groups in a
democracy.
Q.3: “Democratic governments are better than its alternatives”. Explain the statement?
Ans.:- Democratic governments are better than its alternatives in the following ways:
1. Democratic government is a legitimate government.
2. It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean. But it is the people’s own government.
3. There is overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world; in countries with democratic
regimes as well as countries without democratic regimes.
Q.4: How democracy accommodates social diversity?
Ans.:- Democracy accommodates social diversity in the following ways:
1. It is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion. The majority always
needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view.
2. It is also necessary that rule by majority does not become rule by majority community. In terms of religion,
or race or linguistics groups. Rule by majority means that in case of every decision or in case of every election,
different persons or groups may and can form a majority.
3. Democracy remains a democracy only as long as every citizen has a choice of living in majority, at some
point of time.
Q.5: Which instances suggest as that democracy is not free from evils?
Ans.:- Instances that suggest as that democracy is not free from evils:
1. Voters do not take interest in elections.
2. The only aim of the candidate is to win the elections.
3. Modern democracy is, in fact capitalistic.
4. Democracy is a huge waste of time and resources.
5. Political parties are the basis of democracy which is internally not democratic.
Q.6: “Democracy is better than any other form of government.” Give arguments in favour of this statement
Or Explain the merits of democracy.
Ans.:- Democracy is considered to be the best form of government and most of the countries in the world
have adopted it. Following are the merits of democracy-
1. It safeguards the interest of the people
2. Based on the principle of equality
3. Possibility in administration
4. Political education to the people
5. Little chance of revolution
6. Based on public opinion
7. Helps people to become good citizens
8. Accommodate all diversities and differences.
Q.7: Explain with examples, how the dignity and freedom of citizens are best guaranteed in a democracy.
Ans.:-Democracy stands much superior in promoting dignity and freedom of the citizens. This statement can
be justified giving the following arguments.
[Link] promotes equality. It gives equal treatment to every person.
[Link] involves every person in the decision-making process. Every citizen has a right to information.
[Link] passion for respect and freedom are the bases of democracy. It accepts dignity of women as a necessary
ingredient of society. Democracy recognises the principle of equal treatment to women unlike non-democratic
government. [Link] same
is true of caste inequalities. Democracy in India has strengthened the claims of the disadvantaged and
discriminated cases for equal status and opportunity.
[Link], democracy has to meet the expectations of citizens and people have the right to complain about the
functioning of democracy.
Q.8: How do democratic governments ensure transparency? Explain any three points.
[Link] ensures that decision-making will be based on norms and procedures. So a citizen, who
wants to know if a decision was taken through the correct procedures, can find out as democracy
guarantees to the citizens the right and the means to examine the process of decision-making.
2. In a democracy people have the right to choose their rulers and people will have control over them.
Whenever possible and necessary, citizens should be able to participate in decision-making that affects
them all. Thus it ensures transparency by producing a government that is accountable to the citizens and is
responsive to their needs and expectations.
3. It is right to expect democracy to produce a government that follows procedures and is accountable to
people. To do so, the democratic government develops mechanisms for citizens—regular, free and fair
elections, open public debate on major policies and legislations and citizens’ right to information about the
government and its functioning.
Q.9: Explain the role of democratic governments in reducing economic disparities.
Or,
“Democracies do not appear to be very successful in reducing economic inequalities”. Examine the
statement with examples.
Over the years, careful evidence has been gathered to see what the relationship of democracy with
economic growth and economic inequalities is.
1. It is seen that on an average dictatorial regimes have had a slightly better record of economic growth, i.
e., 4.34%. But when we compare their record only in poor countries (4.28%), there is no difference.
2. There is enough evidence to show that within democracies there can be very high degree of inequalities.
In countries like South Africa and Brazil, the top 20 per cent people take away more than 60 per cent of the
national income, leaving less than 3 per cent for the bottom 20 per cent population.
3. Perhaps more than development, it is reasonable to expect democracies to reduce economic disparities.
Democracies are based on political equality, but despite equality in the political arena there are growing
economic inequalities. The poor constitute a large proportion of our voters and no party would like to lose
its votes. Yet democratically elected governments do not appear to be keen to tackle the problem of
poverty.
4. Democracies are expected to produce good government, but there is no guarantee that they would also
produce development.
5. As evidence shows, the economic development depends on several factors, such as country’s size,
global situation, co-operation from other countries, economic priorities adopted by the country etc.
