Democracy

Democracy is derived from the union of two words from the Greek language. The words are ‘Demos’ and ‘Kartia’. In which demos originally meant as crowd whereas the word meaning later transformed into public and ‘Kartia’ means power. Therefore the word democracy originally means public power. Democracy has inherent three meanings.

• This is meant as a method of decision making.

• This is a group of principle to make decisions

• Democracy is the concept which is related to ideological values.

In the current scenario, democracy is a form of government which makes sure the equal values for all citizen in the country.

There two major forms for the entire democratic system. It is also the types of liberal democracy where the public has the supreme power to create and demolish the government.

• Direct democracy

In a direct democracy, people have the ultimate power in the state. The decisions, appointing the officials making rules are being made the public. This type of democracy is found in the case of Switzerland. There are four devices of direct democracy, namely, Referendum, Initiative, Recall and Plebiscite

• Indirect or representative democracy

Indirect democracy is the form of democracy in which the public does not directly use the authority of governance but uses the power through a representative in which all the public or the majority of the public uses the power of government through their representative whom they chose from time to time.

In an indirect democracy, the elected representative elected by the people exercise power, carry on the government and make laws. Indirect democracy is the form of democracy in which the public does not directly use the authority of governance but uses the power through a representative in which all the public or the majority of the public uses the power of government through their representative whom they chose from time to time.

The two major forms of liberal representative democracy are parliamentary form and a presidential form of democracy.

• Parliamentary form of democracy is where the executive is held responsible for the legislature for all its policies. Parliamentary form of government has features of universal adult franchise, periodic election independence of judiciary etc.

• Presidential form of government is where executive not responsible for the legislature and its policies. Judiciary is constitutionally independent of the legislature in its policies and regulations.

The democracy which is meant for the society is known as social democracy. The main goal of social democracy is equality. Equality means there should be equal treatment for all the people and there should be no discrimination among the people in the name of caste, race, gender, language etc., Existence of the inequality on the grounds of these factors will be against the agenda of the social democracy.

There are two necessary things for the establishment of social democracy.

• Every citizen should be given equal opportunity

• There should no discrimination for privilege classes depending on the race, caste, religion, language, etc.,

Moral democracy is meant to be a democracy based on moral and spiritual life philosophy. Moral democracy is a practical form in which human values are considered to be basic needs of society. The liberal democracy of French warrior revolution 1789 has expressed moral democracy in the form of three slogans; they are freedom, equality and brotherhood. Brotherhood has special significance than equality and freedom because without brotherhood both equality and freedom cannot be achieved.

Pluralist theory is a theory which explains how power and influence are being distributed in a political process. Organizations and group of individuals try to maximize their interests. Arguments for criticizing the pluralist theory and approach to democracy:

• Distribution of power leads many contradictions between the organizations. When many organizations have equal power then it will lead to many conflicts.

• This form of government can be effectively led in a capitalist economy. The capitalist economy is an economy in which the economy will be mostly elite class people.

In the elite theory of democracy as presented by Robert Michels, Mosca, Pareto and others, the basic idea revolves around the elite sections of the citizens. It describes the power relationships in the society in which more prominence is given to the richer sections of the society. This small minority controls the power and authority of the society. This has resulted in many doubts regarding the process being democratic.

The elitist theory is criticized widely as it allies with the richer and influential sections of the society. It can result in the oppression and discontent among the other sections leading to a class struggle. The marginalized sections would be concerned about their rights and obligations being curtailed. The law would be in the hands of the sections having money and muscle power. It can lead to the discrimination of people on various grounds. Thus the system cannot be considered as an absolute democracy.

• Effective governance

The democratic form of government is considered as effective governance because of the inclusion of the entire citizens of the country. Entire citizens of the nation are included in the process of electing the representative. This will include the public support in the governing the country efficiently and effectively.

• Means of education

Since the decision of the nation is vested in the hands of the public, the welfare of the public will be promoted by the government. The government enhances the policies which will increase the welfare of the society such as promoting education, expansion of infrastructure etc.

• Promotes equality and freedom

The democratic government promotes equality and freedom in all aspects of the public. Equality means no discrimination among the people in terms of gender, caste, race, wealth, language, etc. no person will be excluded from the process of selecting the representative of the state. Freedom means the public will have the freedom to express, freedom practice any religion etc.

Democratic system has both positive and negative side. The odd side i.e. negative side of the democratic system is being discussed below.

• The democratic system promotes equality and freedom in the political aspect whereas when it comes to an economic aspect there is huge discrimination between rich and poor. The democratic system cannot provide the equality in all the spheres, the economic discrimination will be prevailing the society.

• The democratic government lacks in the power of decision making. Since the democratic system will have the multi-party system, there will many parties which will oppose the decision that is made by the government. This will lead to a lack of decision making power for the ruling party or government.

• Even though there are a multi-party in the democratic system, all the parties will be formed according to the national interest and they promote all the programs for the upliftment of the people. Whereas in practice the party members give importance to the party rather than promoting national devotion.

For well functioning of the government, there is a certain condition which is needed. If these conditions are absent in the country the democracy in the nation will collapse. The democracy was established in Europe which collapsed after World War I because of unfavourable condition for smooth running of the democracy and then the democratic system was replaced by a totalitarian one. Some of the necessary conditions are:

• Peace and Order

For well functioning of democracy in a nation, there is a need for peace and order in the country. Peace should be maintained in the country in order to establish and promote the notion of democracy in the country. In case there is a lack of peace in the country, there won’t be existence of any equality or freedom for the people. Therefore the peace is essential for proper functioning of the government.

• Establish Economic Equality

Democratic government promotes equality in all aspects whereas it fails when it comes to economic equality. This is one of the major drawbacks of the democratic system. If the country addresses the economic equality by maintaining no discrimination between any rich or poor people, then the democratic system will be efficient.

• Public Opinion

The democratic government should provide the platform to the common public to criticize malfunctioning of the government. The democratic system will be effective only when the public is allowed to express their opinions freely and without any bias.

There are several obstacles that are faced by the Indian democracy. The three major are discussed below.

• Establish Economic Equality

Democratic government promotes equality in all aspects whereas it fails when it comes to economic equality. This is one of the major drawbacks faced by the Indian democratic system. If the country addresses the economic equality by maintaining no discrimination between any rich or poor people, then the democratic system will be efficient.

• Written constitution

Indian constitution is the longest handwritten constitution. A handwritten constitution should be very clear and legible. If there is any confusion or misunderstanding in the constitution it will lead to a huge problem in the country.

• Lack of decentralisation

Indian economy has lack of decentralization process even though the nation is democratic. Decentralisation means distributing powers to the local government from the central government and the planning must be from the bottom to top. This type of planning and implementation is lacking in Indian economy.

There are several arguments which favour the democratic system in India and well functioning of the country. The arguments are:

• Establishment of an independent judiciary

In case the Indian economy, the judiciary is independent of the legislature. Judiciary is not bound by the actions of the legislature. Legislature also cannot influence the decisions of the judiciary. The recent judgements of the Supreme Court were independent such as LGBT, Triple Talaq, Sabarimala verdict etc.

• Promotes world peace

Indian democracy is a mixture of both socialism and capitalism. Since it has features of the social democracy then the economy is bound to maintain a good relationship with the rest of the world. Therefore the world peace will be ensured and the Indian economy is moving towards increasing world peace.

• Promote welfare

Since the elections are periodical once in 5 years the government is bound to serve the people. Because the citizen of India has the power to elect the representative if the previously elected representative fails to keep up the promise made by him next time the person will not gain the power. So the elected representatives are bound to serve for the people.

These are the factors which show a light to the bright future of the country. Where the decisions of the judiciary are independent and the legislature is bound to serve the people.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. Thuls the word democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people.

Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making. There are three inherent meanings to the concept-

• Democracy is a method of decision making.

• The decision making is based on a set of principles, moral values, etiquettes and rules.

• The decision making is related to ideologist values and morals.

Democracy can take many forms. In the modern world where democracy is in operation in many parts, it may take different forms to portray itself in the society. The various forms of democracy can be summarised as:

• Political democracy- It involves giving independence and power to the citizens on the basis of political power. In the modern times after the political renaissance and reforms, it can be called as a liberal democracy. Liberal democracy can be democracy as a kind of state and democracy as a kind of government. Democracy as the kind of state involves the public having the ultimate and absolute authority and power related to the formation of the government and their rule. Democracy as a kind of government involves the maintenance and reinforcement of democratic rule throughout the country. In both the ideologies, the people possess the ultimate power and authority in the system. The democratic rule can be direct or pure democracy or indirect or representative democracy. Direct democracy involves literally the participation of each and every citizen in decision making. This is rarely followed in countries as it has many impractical issues. In contrast, the representative democracy involves assigning the power of decision making to a select few through the democratically constituted election process. It can result in a parliamentary or a presidential form of government. In all these forms, the ultimate authority of political decision making vests with the sovereign citizens of the country.

• Social democracy- It involves giving power and authority to the people to have a socially equitable livelihood. It ensures the fulfillment of social equality whereby everyone is treated equally in the country. Fundamentally, it means that the citizens should not be discriminated on the basis of religion, region, caste, language, gender or other perspectives. Every person should be treated equally and respected in the country without giving any special preference for any select few. It involves breaking the taboos associated with religion, caste and other social factors and ensuring that everyone enjoys equal opportunities and rights.

• Economic democracy- It involves giving the citizens power on an economic basis. It aims to end the economic inequalities prevailing throughout the country and ensuring the equitable distribution of income and wealth. The idea of economic democracy was presented and popularised by Karl Marx and other socialist thinkers. It involves the removal of all economic barriers posed to the citizens and giving them economic power and opportunities.

• Moral democracy- It involves considering democracy as having a moral and spiritual perspective. It considers democracy as a spiritual form of living. The human morals, values, etiquettes and other philosophical views are considered as the basis of democracy. The best expression of moral democracy was during the French Revolution by raising the slogan of ‘freedom, equality and brotherhood’. Thus, here the moral values are considered as the basis of governance.

These are the four basic forms of democracy present throughout the world. But for the efficient functioning of the social and political system of the world, a form of governance that co-ordinates all the perspectives should be adopted.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. Democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

‘Democracy is considered a form of government, a theory of social organisation and a method of life.' As a form of government, democracy involves giving independence and power to the citizens on the basis of political power. It can be democracy as a kind of state and democracy as a kind of government. Democracy as the kind of state involves the public having the ultimate and absolute authority and power related to the formation of the government and their rule. Democracy as a kind of government involves the maintenance and reinforcement of democratic rule throughout the country. In both the ideologies, the people possess the ultimate power and authority in the system. The democratic rule can be direct or pure democracy or indirect or representative democracy. Direct democracy involves literally the participation of each and every citizen in decision making. This is rarely followed in countries as it has many impractical issues. In contrast, the representative democracy involves assigning the power of decision making to a select few through a democratically constituted election process. It can result in a parliamentary or a presidential form of government. In all these forms, the ultimate authority of political decision making vests with the sovereign citizens of the country.

Democratic power can also take the form of social democracy involving the social framework of systems. It involves giving power and authority to the people to have a socially equitable livelihood. It ensures the fulfillment of social equality whereby everyone is treated equally in the country. Fundamentally, it means that the citizens should not be discriminated on the basis of religion, region, caste, language, gender or other perspectives. Every person should be treated equally and respected in the country without giving any special preference for any select few. It involves breaking the taboos associated with religion, caste and other social factors and ensuring that everyone enjoys equal opportunities and rights.

In some instances, democracy can be considered as a method of living. It involves considering democracy as having a moral and spiritual perspective. It considers democracy as a spiritual form of living. The human morals, values, etiquettes and other philosophical views are considered as the basis of democracy.

Thus, democracy has its own perspectives in different purviews. It is important for the country to maintain democracy in all these senses. Only then the citizens would be given an equal and competent platform for self-development and to ensure the development and progress of the society and the country as a whole.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. This the word democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

The democratic rule can be direct or pure democracy or indirect or representative democracy. Direct democracy involves literally the participation of each and every citizen in decision making. This is rarely followed in countries as it has many impractical issues. In contrast, the representative democracy involves assigning the power of decision making to a select few through a democratically constituted election process. It can result in a parliamentary or a presidential form of government. In all these forms, the ultimate authority of political decision making vests with the sovereign citizens of the country.

The merits of following a democratic form of government are-

• Increased representation of public interest- In the democratic system of government, the ultimate authority and power of decision-making rest with the sovereign citizens of the country. Even in indirect democracy, the representatives are elected through time-bound elections to represent and fulfill the needs and interests of the people. Thus, the government becomes responsible and answerable to the public for its actions giving the public the ultimate power and authority.

• Efficient governance- Democracy can be considered the most efficient form of government functioning throughout the world. It makes the public the ultimate authority of the political systems and its workings. Thus, the government becomes responsible and answerable to the public for its actions. This ensures smooth and efficient governance in the country.

• Enhances public knowledge and empowers the citizens- Since all the power and authority rests with the public, they are aware of their rights, liberties and the duties of the elected government towards them. They have the power of questioning the ruling government through the efficient functioning of the opposition and through different media. This ensures spreading of public knowledge and results in a more educated, conscious and aware society. Democracy also ensures the promotion and spread of ethical and moral values, attitudes and etiquettes in society. This results in the character and personality formation of individuals who are aware and conscious about their actions, responsibilities and their results. This results in empowering society.

• Enhances the nationalism and patriotism- Democracy gives a sense of oneness among the citizens. In the democratic system, everyone is treated equally irrespective of their caste, religion, region, language or gender. This integrates them and gives them a sense of belongingness. The state will be everyone’s property and will not be for a select few. This enhances the sense of unity and devotion towards the nation.

• No chances of revolution or struggle- In the democratic system, the chance of a struggle developing among the public is minimal. Everyone is treated equally irrespective of their caste, religion, region, language or gender and no one is given any special treatment. Thus the chances of class struggle and oppression by a majority is very less in a democratic system. Also in the democratic framework, the people are free to express their views, opinions and oppositions. This reduces the chances of piled up oppression among the public leading to revolutions.

• Promotion of equality and freedom- The operation of a democratic system is based on the guiding pillars of equality and freedom. Everyone is treated equally irrespective of their caste, religion, region, language or gender and no one is given any special treatment. This ensures the promotion of governance based on equality and freedom where the citizens are given equal treatment and opportunities.

• Functioning of an impartial independent judiciary- One of the most important features of a democratic system is the separation of powers and functions by the legislature, executive and the judiciary. The functioning of an impartial judiciary by the operation of courts throughout the county gives the citizens the power and courage to react and oppose the oppression faced by them because of the inefficient functioning of the legislature and the executive. The judiciary also takes up the issues of importance and questions the functioning of the Parliament and the ruling government.

• Development of arts and other allied activities- The democratic system ensures the development of arts, literature, music, science and other allied activities as against the other systems in which any form of oppression towards the government is not tolerated. The integral parts of arts and literature are encouraged and can also be used as a basis for initiating reforms and changes in the present functioning of the government.

• Constitutional and legal framework- The functioning of a democratic system throughout the world is based on proper enactment of the constitutions and the operation of the rule of law. The legal framework is given more importance and the rights of all the citizens are equally protected. Everyone is covered under the provisions of the law and no one is considered above the law. This results in impartial governance in the country. This creates a powerful system where the power and authority reside in public.

But the democratic system is not free from its limitations. Some of its demerits are:

• Considers everyone to be rational- The democratic system functions on the presumption that everyone in the society is knowledgeable and aware of their rights and duties. But this is not the situation, especially in poor countries. Thus, people have limited or no particular knowledge about the functioning of the system is bound to make inappropriate decisions and judgements.

• The indifference of some sections- Some sections of the society especially the intellectual class are not the active participants of the democratic process. They are neither involves in the election process nor in voicing their opinions. Their apathy towards the system results in its major failure.

• The myth about promoting education, knowledge and patriotism- Even though democracy is said to promote civic education, knowledge about the rights and liberties and nationalism, all these are considered as absolute myths. In reality, the interests and personal affiliations of the political parties are treated and promoted as national interests. This causes dissatisfaction among the masses and can cause class struggles and rebellions.

• The myth about promoting equality- In any democratic county, the constitution promotes equality of all the citizens irrespective of their language, religion, region, caste and gender. But in reality, the law is bound in the shackles of money and muscle power. Those having both these influences control the working of the political system and the political parties become mere puppets in their hands. Thus, the system is controlled by the richer sections and the poorer sections are oppressed and harassed by them.

• Faulty functioning of political parties- The presence of different political parties is essential for maintaining the competitive fire in the democratic system. Political parties are considered to be promoting national interests. But in reality, most of the political parties are influenced by their party's guidelines and interests rather than promoting national interests. The influence of money and muscle power also renders them ineffective.

• Non-accountable governance- In constitutional terms, all the political parties and the government is responsible to the public. The public is considered to be the keeper of all the power and authority of the government. But in reality, neither the political parties no the government are directly responsible or accountable for their actions they play the blame game every time when a controversy arises. Thus, they always blame the opposition or the society for their failure rather than being accountable to the public for their actions.

• Expensive in terms of time and money- Democratic process is highly expensive and costly where a bulk of time and money is spent on it. In conducting elections, crores of rupees are being spent. This is a huge loss to the poorer countries. Also, a lot of time is wasted on debating and arriving at decisions regarding important issues. The centralised system of governance also increases the time frame of decision making. This makes the whole process costlier both in terms of money and time.

• Lack of representation of common people- In the democratic system, the common people do not participate in the majority of the decision making process. The people who vote in the general elections will be majorly comprised of people having their interests and affiliations to any major political party. Most of the common people do not cast their votes and remain behind in the election process. They are not active participants as candidates too.

These are the major limitations of the democratic process. Still compared to other forms of governments like dictatorship and autarky democracy can be considered as a better form of government as it considered the opinion of the public. Constant improvements in these will help in rectifying the issues in its workings and will make the system more stable and sustainable.

In indirect democracy it is the elected representative elected by the people exercise power, carry on the government and make laws. Indirect democracy is the form of democracy in which the public does not directly use the authority of governance but uses the power through a representative in which all the public or the majority of the public uses the power of government through their representative whom they chose from time to time.

There are both best qualities and limitations for the democracy. Both adverse and best qualities are being discussed below.

Qualities

• Responsible government to the public

The government will be responsible to the public because the power of choosing the representative for the nation is vested in the hands of the public. Therefore the government will accept the principle of public dominance. When the government is not bound to actions of the public and they influence the public freedom, the public has the power to change the leader next time.

• Public administration

The public administration in democratic government serves the whole population of the country. It doesn’t serve a particular creed, language group or any religion. It is the unique feature of the democratic government.

• Simplifies the decision-making process

Unlike the direct democracy, indirect democracy the decisions are made by the elected representatives but in a direct democracy the decision is made by all people in the country. This makes the decision making very rigid in direct democracy and simple in indirect democracy.

Limitations

• Many political parties

Indian democratic system has been following the multi-party system. Even though there are a multi-party in the democratic system, all the parties will be formed according to the national interest and they promote all the programs for the upliftment of the people. Whereas in practice the party members will give importance to the party rather than promoting national devotion.

• Lack of strong government

The central will weaker because there are many state governments and many political parties. The government cannot make the independent decisions on its own and it should consider the state government and also satisfy the different ideological political parties.

• Cost of elections

The cost of elections in India is huge. Because in India the elections are being conducted every 5 years and also there are different elections for Panchayat, legislature and Parliament. This leads to a huge cost for the conducted elections.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. This the word democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

There are five major perspectives of democracy:

• Traditional liberal theory

• Pluralist theory

• Elitist theory

• Marxist theory

• Socialist theory

Liberal theory- Liberal democracy is a form of democracy which has a liberal political ideology. Representative democracy operates under the principle of classical liberalism. It was often called a Western theory of democracy or the popular theory of democracy. The main thinkers and followers of the liberal democracy are Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, J.S Mill, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson, etc. All these scholars have presented their democratic thoughts in relation to personal happiness, independence and rights etc. A liberal democracy may various constitutional form: it may have a constitutional monarchy or a republic. It may have parliamentary, Presidential or semi-presidential.

Marxist theory- It is a particular form of democracy, which is a type of economic democracy with its nature but Marxist people prefer it to call People's democracy. Karl Marx and Fredric Engel are the great thinkers of Marxism. But the practical approach of this ideology was forwarded by the Lenin, Stalin, and Moa Le Dong etc.

Socialist theory- The democracy which is meant for the society is known as social democracy. The main goal of social democracy is equality. Equality means there should be equal treatment for all the people and there should be no discrimination among the people in the name of caste, race, gender, language etc., Existence of the inequality on the grounds of these factors will against the agenda of the social democracy. There are two necessary things for the establishment of social democracy:

• Everyone should be given equal opportunity

• There should no discrimination for privilege classes depending on the race, caste, religion, language, etc.,

Thus, democracy has its own perspectives in different purviews. It is important for the country to maintain democracy in all these senses. Only then the citizens would be given an equal and competent platform for self-development and to ensure the development and progress of the society and the country as a whole.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. Democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

The liberal democracy gives more importance to personal thoughts, interests, independence, rights and duties. It gives more emphasis to the rule of law, separation of powers and duties, functioning of government, open society, civil liberties, political freedom, constitutionalism and other political thoughts. Liberal democracy is based on some basic guidelines:

• Everyone is considered to be rational and intelligent who takes informed decisions.

• Everyone is equal in political, social, economic and moral spheres.

• Every action should be based on the constitution. The principle of a limited rule should be followed.

• All the authority and power is vested in the sovereign citizens. They are the safe keepers of the governance and rule in the country.

• The rule for the formation of government and governance is clearly specified. The government is selected by considering the principle of majority. They should be acceptable to the public and rule according to their needs and interests. They should be accountable to the public for their actions.

• Everyone has their rights and duties to be followed. No one can be denied their rights and liberties and it should be properly governed and protected by an independent and impartial judiciary.

• There should be a spirit of competition within the political system involving more than one political party. Free and fair elections should be conducted within the tenure specified with the active participation of the public and parties.

• The public opinion should be considered while framing rules and regulations.

For the efficient functioning of the social and political system of the world, a form of governance that co-ordinates all the perspectives should be adopted.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. Democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

But the efficient functioning of the system can be seen very rarely. The democratic system functions on the presumption that everyone in the society is knowledgeable and aware of their rights and duties. Thus, people have limited or no particular knowledge about the functioning of the system is bound to make inappropriate decisions and judgements.

Some sections of the society especially the intellectual class are not the active participants of the democratic process. They are neither involved in the election process nor in voicing their opinions. Their apathy towards the system results in its major failure. In the democratic system, the common people do not participate in the majority of the decision making process. The people who vote in the general elections majorly comprise of people having their interests and affiliations to any major political party. Most of the common people do not cast their votes and remain behind in the election process. They are not active participants as candidates too.

The interests and personal affiliations of the political parties are treated and promoted as national interests. The law is bound in the shackles of money and muscle power. Those having both these influences control the working of the political system and the political parties become mere puppets in their hands. Thus, the system is controlled by the richer sections and the poorer sections are oppressed and harassed by them.

Thus, democracy can be considered as the rule of unqualified. The person who represents the system is given more importance and consideration than the system itself. The qualified people who have the talent and the drive to bring better governance remain far from the system and the government and political power will be controlled by the future generations of the present ruling class.

Still compared to other forms of governments like dictatorship and autocracy, democracy can be considered as a better form of government as it considered the opinion of the public. Constant improvements in these will help in rectifying the issues in its workings and will make the system more stable and sustainable.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. This the word democracy implies giving the power to the people of the country. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people.

Democracy is the best form of government not because the people have no knowledge of any superior rule to this, but as it is based on important rules, rights, regulations and etiquettes. As against autocracy, dictatorship and other forms of governance, democracy is more inclusive and ideal as it gives the power of governance to the people. In a dictatorship or autocracy, the power would be retained in the hands of a specific authoritarian regime that can even result in military rule. The freedom of the individuals would be curtailed. Any method of criticising the government will not be allowed. The freedom of speech and expression would cut and controlled. This can result in discrimination, class struggle, oppression, use of money and muscle power and unaccountable governance. This will result in the disruption of peace in society.

But in a democracy, the ultimate authority and power of decision making rest with the sovereign citizens of the country. Even in indirect democracy, the representatives are elected through time-bound elections to represent and fulfill the needs and interests of the people. Thus, the government becomes responsible and answerable to the public for its actions giving the public the ultimate power and authority.

The public would be aware of their rights, liberties and the duties of the elected government towards them. They have the power of questioning the ruling government through the efficient functioning of the opposition and through different media. This ensures spreading of public knowledge and results in a more educated, conscious and aware society. Democracy also ensures the promotion and spread of ethical and moral values, attitudes and etiquettes in society. This results in the character and personality formation of individuals who are aware and conscious about their actions, responsibilities and their results. This results in empowering society.

The democratic system ensures the development of arts, literature, music, science and other allied activities as against the other systems in which any form of oppression towards the government is not tolerated. The integral parts of arts and literature are encouraged and can also be used as a basis for initiating reforms and changes in the present functioning of the government.

Thus, democracy can be considered as the most efficient form of government functioning throughout the world. It makes the public the ultimate authority of the political systems and its workings. Thus, the government becomes responsible and answerable to the public for its actions. This ensures smooth and efficient governance in the country.

Democracy is the most popular form of government in the world. Today most of the countries in the world are democracies. The word ‘democracy' is derived from two Greek words- demos and kratia meaning public and power respectively. It can be defined as the government that is for the people, of the people and by the people. Thus, democracy is the form of governance in which the public has the ultimate power in decision making.

But the efficient functioning of the system can be seen very rarely. There are many defects associated with the functioning of a democratic government. Some of the defects and their corresponding solutions are:

• The democratic system functions on the presumption that everyone in the society is knowledgeable and aware of their rights and duties. But this is not the situation, especially in poor countries. Thus, people have limited or no particular knowledge about the functioning of the system is bound to make inappropriate decisions and judgements. Thus the knowledge base of the public should be widened. The government with the assistance of NGOs and other interested stakeholders can organise law camps for legal and political awareness. This would empower them to make informed decisions.

• Some sections of the society especially the intellectual class are not the active participants of the democratic process. They are neither involves in the election process nor in voicing their opinions. Their apathy towards the system results in its major failure. They should be brought into the political process as the academic intellectuals who are more aware of the happenings can be a major asset to the functioning of the system. They should be motivated and included in the political framework.

• In any democratic county, the constitution promotes equality of all the citizens irrespective of their language, religion, region, caste and gender. But in reality, the law is bound in the shackles of money and muscle power. Those having both these influences control the working of the political system and the political parties become mere puppets in their hands. Thus, the system is controlled by the richer sections and the poorer sections are oppressed and harassed by them. The poorer and vulnerable sections should be given more representation. The marginalisation of communities should be prevented. The use of mafia and money power for political interests should be curtailed.

• The democratic process is highly expensive and costly where a bulk of time and money is spent on it. In conducting elections, crores of rupees are being spent. This is a huge loss to the poorer countries. Also, a lot of time is wasted on debating and arriving at decisions regarding important issues. The centralised system of governance also increases the time frame of decision making. This makes the whole process costlier both in terms of money and time. The cost of elections should be minimised. The political parties must refrain from conducting expensive electoral campaigns. A ceiling must be fixed for the expenses and it must be adhered to. All sorts of corruption and red-tapism must be ended.

These are the major limitations of the democratic process. Still compared to other forms of governments like dictatorship and autocracy, democracy can be considered as a better form of government as it considers the opinion of the public. Constant improvements in these will help in rectifying the issues in its workings and will make the system more stable and sustainable.