What is Democracy? Why Democracy

What is Democracy? Why Democracy

Basic Definition - Democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.

This simple definition is not adequate. It reminds us that democracy is people’s rule. But if we use this definition in an unthinking manner, we would end up calling almost every government that holds an election a democracy

Major decisions by elected leaders 

Case Study

In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in October 1999. He overthrew a democratically elected government and declared himself the ‘Chief Executive’ of the country. Later he changed his designation to President and in 2002 held a referendum in the country that granted him a five-year extension. Pakistani media, human rights organizations and democracy activists said that the referendum was based on malpractices and fraud. In August 2002 he issued a ‘Legal Framework Order’ that amended the Constitution of Pakistan. According to this Order, the President can dismiss the national and provincial assemblies. The work of the civilian cabinet is supervised by a National Security Council which is dominated by military officers. After passing this law, elections were held to the national and provincial assemblies. So Pakistan has had elections, elected representatives have some powers. But the final power rested with military officers and General Musharraf himself.

Free and fair electoral competition

Case Study

In China, elections are regularly held after every five years for electing the country’s parliament, called Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (National People’s Congress). The National People’s Congress has the power to appoint the President of the country. It has nearly 3,000 members elected from all over China. Some members are elected by the army. Before contesting elections, a candidate needs the approval of the Chinese Communist Party. Only those who are members of the Chinese Communist Party or eight smaller parties allied to it were allowed to contest elections held in 2002-03. The government is always formed by the Communist Party.

Case Study

Since its independence in 1930, Mexico holds elections after every six years to elect its President. The country has never been under a military or dictator’s rule. But until 2000 every election was won by a party called PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). Opposition parties did contest elections, but never managed to win. The PRI was known to use many dirty tricks to win elections. All those who were employed in government offices had to attend its party meetings. Teachers of government schools used to force parents to vote for the PRI. Media largely ignored the activities of opposition political parties except to criticise them. Sometimes the polling booths were shifted from one place to another in the last minute, which made it difficult for people to cast their votes. The PRI spent a large sum of money in the campaign for its candidates.

One person, one vote, one value 

Case Studies

Until 2015, in Saudi Arabia women did not have the right to vote.

Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to Russian minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.

In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian-Fijian. 

Rule of law and respect for rights

Case Study

Zimbabwe attained independence from White minority rule in 1980. Since then the country has been ruled by ZANU-PF, the party that led the freedom struggle. Its leader, Robert Mugabe, ruled the country since independence. Elections were held regularly and always won by ZANU-PF. President Mugabe was popular but also used unfair practices in elections. Over the years his government changed the constitution several times to increase the powers of the President and make him less accountable. Opposition party workers were harassed and their meeting disrupted. Public protests and demonstrations against the government were declared illegal. There was a law that limited the right to criticise the President. Television and radio were controlled by the government and gave only the ruling party’s version. There were independent newspapers but the government harassed those journalists who went against it. The government ignored some court judgments that went against it and pressurised judges. He was forced out of office in 2017.

Arguments Against Democracy

Leaders keep changing in a democracy. This leads to instability.

Democracy is all about political competition and power play. There is no scope for morality.

So many people have to be consulted in a democracy that it leads to delays.

Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people. It leads to bad decisions.

Democracy leads to corruption for it is based on electoral competition.

Ordinary people don’t know what is good for them; they should not decide anything.

Arguments for Democracy -Case Study

China’s famine of 1958-1961 was the worst recorded famine in world history. Nearly three crore people died in this famine. During those days, India’s economic condition was not much better than China. Yet India did not have a famine of the kind China had. Economists think that this was a result of different government policies in the two countries. The existence of democracy in India made the Indian government respond to food scarcity in a way that the Chinese government did not. They point out that no large-scale famine has ever taken place in an independent and democratic country. If China too had multiparty elections, an opposition party and a press free to criticise the government, then so many people may not have died in the famine.

Arguments in Favour of Democracy

A democratic government is a better government because it is a more accountable form of government.

Thus democracy improves the quality of decision-making.

Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts.

Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.

Better than other forms of government because it allows us to correct its own mistakes.

Multiple Choice

Which of these is not a good argument in favour of Democracy ?

• People feel free and equal in democracy.

• Democracy resolve conflict in a better way than others.

• Democratic government is more accountable to the people

• Democracies are more prosperous than others.

Multiple Choice

Why can the Chinese government not be called a democratic government even though elections are held there?

• Army participates in election

• Some parts of China are not represented at all

• Government is not accountable to the people

• Government is always formed by the Communist Party

Multiple Choice

Some of the drawbacks of democracy is

• Instability and delays

• corruption and hypocrisy

• Politicians fighting among themselves

• all the above

Multiple Choice

Some of the drawbacks of democracy is

• Instability and delays

• corruption and hypocrisy

• Politicians fighting among themselves

• all the above

Multiple Choice

In which of these cases can democracy not provides a complete solution?

• Removing poverty completely

• Providing education to all

• Giving jobs to all

• All the above

Multiple Choice

Democracy improves the quality of decision-making because

• Decisions are taken by consultation and discussion

• Decisions are taken over a long period of time

• Decisions are taken by educated people

• All decisions are approved by judiciary

Multiple Choice

How does democracy allows us to correct its own mistakes?

• The rulers can be changed

• Mistakes are hidden and cannot be corrected

• Re-electing the same government to enable it to correct its mistakes

• none of the above

Multiple Choice

The most common form that democracy takes in our time is that of

• Limited democracy

• Maximum democracy

• representative democracy

• none of the above

Multiple Choice

‘One person, one vote’ means

• One person is to be voted by all

• One person has one vote and each vote has one value

• A person can vote only once in his life

Multiple Choice

____ declared himself the Chief Executive of Pakistan in 1999.

• General Khayami

• General Pervez Musharraf

• General Abdur Rehman

• General Butto

Multiple Choice

Democracy is based on the fundamental principle of ____.

• Secularism

• Socialism

• Capitalism

• Equality

Multiple Choice

The full form of PRI is ____.

• People's Republic of India

• People's Republic of India

• Institutional Revolutionary Party

• Percapita Resource Index

Multiple Choice

The full form of ZANU-PF is ____.

• Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front

• Zimbabwe All National Union - Provisional Fund

• Zimbabwe Anglo National Union - Peace Force

• Zimbabwe African National Union - Peace Force

Multiple Choice

The government is always formed by the ____ Party in China.

• Congress

• Labour

• Democratic

• Communist

Multiple Choice

The existence of democracy in India made the Indian government respond to food security in a way that the ____ government did not.

• Russian

• Chinese

• French

• Nepal

Multiple Select

The term democracy is derived from the Greek words ____.

• Demos and Kratos

• Damas and Cruton

• Deme and Crata

• Demos and Cracy

Multiple Select

The term democracy is derived from the Greek words ____.

• Demos and Kratos

• Damas and Cruton

• Deme and Crata

• Demos and Cracy