notes of chapter 2(subject democratic politics) class 9th
Answers
Topics in the Chapter
• What is Democracy?
• Features of Democracy
→ One person, one vote, One value
→ Rule of Law and respect for rights
• Why Democracy?
→ Arguments against democracy
→ Arguments for democracy
• Broader meanings of Democracy
What is Democracy?
• A simple Definition: Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
Features of Democracy
• The rulers are elected by the people.
• Free and competitive elections are held.
• Each adult irrespective of religion, education, caste, colour, wealth have one vote, one value.
• The elected rulers take decisions within limits set by constitutional law and citizens’ rights.
• Rule of Law
• The rights of the citizens must be protected through Constitution.
• There must be an independent judiciary.
One person, one vote, One value
• There are many instances of denial of equal right to vote.
→In Saudi Arabia women do 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.
• In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value.
Rule of Law and respect for rights
• Since independence, Zimbabwe ruled by ZANU-PF.
→ Its leader, Robert Mugabe has been ruling the country. He is popular but also uses unfair practices in elections.
→ Elections have been held regularly and always won by ZANU-PF.
→ Opposition party workers are harassed and their meeting disrupted.
→ Public protests and demonstrations against the government are declared illegal.
→ Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the ruling party’s version.
→ Independent newspapers are there but the government harasses those journalists who go against it.
→ The government has ignored some court judgments that went against it and has pressurised judges.
• In this case, government is not democratic as there is no there is no citzen' basic rights, no political opposition, no judiciary.
• A democratic government rule within limits set by constitutional law and citizens’ rights.
Why Democracy?
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
• A democratic government is a better government because it is a more accountable form of government.
• Democracy improves the quality of decision-making.
• Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts.
• Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.
• Democracy allows us to correct its own mistakes.
Broader Meanings of Democracy
• The most common form that democracy takes in our times is that of a representative democracy where majority is allowed to take decisions on behalf of all the people.
→ The majority of people rule through their elected representatives.
• A democratic decision involves consultation with and consent of all those who are affected by that
decision.
• Democracy is a principle that can be applied to any sphere of life.
→ Democracy can apply to a government or a family or any other organisation.
HOPE THIS HELPS U..
DEMOCRACY
1. Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
Myanmar where the army rules, Dictator Pinochet’s rule in Chile, or President N.krumah’s rule in Ghana was not democratic. They were not chosen by the people.
Hereditary kings, like the king of Nepal or Saudi Arabia, are also not democratic rulers.They rule because they were born into noble families.
2. In a democracy final decision making power must rest with those elected by the people.
In Pakistan, President Musharraf has the power to dismiss national and state assemblies;so the final powers rest with the army and the General himself. We cannot call it a democracy.
3. A democracy must be based on a free and fair election where those currently in power have a fair chance of losing.
In China, elections are held for its Parliament. But all the candidates are either members of Chinese Communist Party or eight smaller allies of the party.
In Mexico, elections have been held every six years since 1980. But the same party, PRI, has won the elections. Obviously, there has been rigging and mal-practices, with freedom, denied to opposition.
In both the examples elections are held but one can not claim that they are free and fair.
4. In a democracy, people’s will is ascertained by each adult citizen having one vote and each vote has one value. Democracy is based on the fundamental principle of political equality.
Countries like Saudi Arabia, Estonia and Fiji in some or other way deny voting rights to certain sections of its population.
5. A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional and citizens’ rights.
A democratic government cannot do what it likes after winning the elections. It has to respect certain basic rules and is accountable not only to the people but also to other independent officials.
Robert Mugabe is President of Zimbabwe. He is ruling there for last 38 years. But in many incidences, he has behaved in an undemocratic way and even above the law.
WHY DEMOCRACY?
Points Against
There has been criticism of democracy by various people. The charges are that :
It creates instability by changing its leaders frequently.
Democracy is about power play and political competition. There is no scope for morality.
So many people have to be consulted before any issue is solved. It leads to delay.
Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people.