How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government?
1) The democracy produces an accountable Government: Government accountability is the main feature of democracy because it is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. The representatives who win the election are being elected by the people and these representatives are responsible for them.
2) The democracy produces a responsive Government: A responsible government promotes the decisions which favours the public opinion. It is responsible for taking care of the needs of the people and their expectations from the government. A citizen who wants to know if a decision was taken examines the process of decision-making. This type of transparency is not available in non-democratic government.
3) The democracy produces a legitimate government: The democratic government is legitimate as it is appointed by the regular elections. The people have the right to vote and choose the candidate of their choice, wherein the candidate with the majority votes wins the elections.
What are the conditions under which democracies accommodate social diversities?
Different conditions under which democracies accommodate social diversities are as follows:
(i) First and most important point is that democracy accommodate social diversities when it is well understood that democracy is not just the rule of single majority, religion and community
(ii) Democracy is best suited to produce its outcome. Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social differences. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic regimes
(iii) In a democracy it is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply a rule by majority opinion. Majority have to work with the minority so that government can function and represent the opinion of common people
Give argument to support or oppose the following assertions:
(a) Industrialized countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.
(b) Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.
(c) Government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure.
(d) In democracy, all citizens have one vote, which means that there is absence of any domination and conflict.
(a) This statement is incorrect as when we see the example of India and Zimbawe in 1947. India was included in the Third World Nations, but now, it is one of the fast-growing economies in the world but on the other hand, Zimbabwe has to run into huge international debt with the progression of Robert Mugabe’s regime.
(b) This statement is also incorrect as the minimum wages Act which is being enacted by the government and other policies regulate the basic price at which agricultural producers and small industries sell their goods have helped them to increase the per capita income of the country which makes our country’s citizens more prosperous.
(c) The given statement didn’t seem correct as in poor countries, people have less money to spend on their health, education etc. If the government spend more on industries and infrastructure, the industrialists with enjoy a highly disproportionate share of wealth and incomes and the poor people have very little to depend upon and their incomes will decline.
(d) This statement is correct because democracy always stands for political equality and guarantees right to vote to every adult citizen of the country
Identify the challenges to democracy in the following descriptions. Also suggest policy/ institutional mechanism to deepen democracy in the given situations;
(a) Following a High Court directive, a temple in Orissa that had separate entry doors for dalits and non-dalits allowed entry for all from the same door.
(b) A large number of farmers are committing suicide in different states of India.
(c) Following allegation of Killing of three civilians in Gandwara in a fake encounter by Jammu and Kashmir police, an enquiry has been ordered.
(a) The challenge to democracy in the first statement is to provide equal status to all citizens.
(b) The challenge to democracy in the second statement is to provide farmers with subsidies which will help them earn profits due to which they will be able to fulfill their needs.
(c) The challenge to democracy in the third statement is to preserve the people’s trust in government armed forces like the police.
In the context of democracies, which of the following ideas is correct - democracies have successfully eliminated:
A. conflicts among people
B. economic inequalities among people
C. differences of opinion about how marginalised sections are to be treated
D. the idea of political inequality
From the above-mentioned statements, the idea which is correct and democracies have successfully eliminated is the idea of political inequality as in our country’s democracy there is no inequality based on politics
Therefore, option (D) is correct
In the context of assessing democracy which among the following is odd one out
Democracies need to ensure:
A. Free and fair elections
B. Dignity of the individual
C. Majority rule
D. Equal treatment before law
In the context of assessing democracy the odd one out statement is the rule of majority
Hence, option (C) is correct
Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy show that:
A. Democracy and development go together
B. Inequalities exist in democracies
C. Inequalities do not exist under dictatorship
D. Dictatorship is better than democracy
Various studies on political and social inequalities show that inequalities still exist in democracy
Hence, option (B) is correct
Read the passage below:
Nannu is a daily wage earner. He lives in Welcome Mazdoor Colony, a slum habitation in East Delhi. He lost his ration. card and applied for a duplicate one in January 2004. He made several rounds to the local Food and Civil Supplies office for the next three months. But the clerks and officials would not even look at him, leave alone do his job or bother to tell him the status of his application. Ultimately, he filed, an application under the Right to Information Act asking for the daily progress made on his application, names of the officials, who were supposed to act on his application and what action would.be taken against these officials for their inaction. Within a week of filing l:!,pplication under the Right to Information Act, he was visited by an. inspector from the Food Department, who informed him that the card had been made. and he could collect it from the office. When Nannu went to collect his card next day, he was given a very warm treatment by the Food and Supply Officer (FSO), who is the 4ead of a Circle. The FSO offered him tea and requested him to withdraw his application under the Right to Information, since his work had already been done.
What does Nannu's example show? What impact did Nannu's action ha!!e on officials? Ask your parents their experiences when they approach government officials to attend to their problems.
The example of Nannu given in the above passage shows that government’s officials only look for possible excuses to get rid of their work. This is because all the workers and oficials worked under government have security of their job and they only properly work when they get pressure from their seniors. They knew that in any case they are not going to loose their job or any action being taken against them and same thing happened in the case of Nannu mentioned above.