Democracy

In democracy, there is equality for all. It does not allow a single person or group to force their decisions on the people. Everyone is given rights in a democracy and also, the right to protest which is given in any other form of government.

In Ancient Greece, people directly participated in the decision-making process of the government. Every person contributed in the functioning of the government. This is impractical in places with huge population.

A political party is called a regional party when it wins a minimum of 6% votes and 2 seats in the State Legislative Assembly elections.

In Bi-party system, there are only 2 political countries in the whole country like in the USA. One party would be the ruling party and the other would be the opposition party.

The opposite party has the maximum number of votes after the ruling party. The status of the Cabinet Minister gives the leader the power to criticize the ruling party if it does something wrong. This keeps a check on the ruling party’s decisions.

Democratic nations follow the Universal Adult Franchise that gives everyone above the age of 18 the right to vote regardless of religion, gender, caste or region.

Parliament consists of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. These are the Central level legislature who discuss and decide on matters that affect the entire country or matters that affect more than one or two states.

The Election Commissioner handles all the decisions regarding the elections. Therefore, they are given enough power so that no political party or group can manipulate elections or the election process.

Every state election is supervised by that state’s Chief Electoral Officer. The Officer is appointed by the President after consulting the State government.

The Election Commission is responsible for elections throughout the country therefore it is located at the capital of the country. It is also called Nirvachan Sadan.

Abraham Lincoln defined Democracy as ‘a government of the people, by the people and for the people’.

Explanation: Abraham Lincoln emphasized that although in a democracy, the government takes the decisions for functioning of the country, it is chosen by the people and works for the benefit of the people.

A political party is recognized as a National Party by the Election commission when it wins at least 6% votes in Lok Sabha or State Elections in a minimum of four states.

Explanation: A national party needs to have substantial presence in at least four states. Its strength is judged through the percentage of votes it gets in each state.

A political party is an association of people with a similar ideology who form an organization to win political power by winning elections and forming a government.

Explanation: In a democracy, it is the political parties who contest elections and form a government i.e. the legislature of a country.

Functions of the political parties:

1. Make policies for the political administration of a region.

2. Contest elections to form a government.

3. While ruling party forms the government, opposition parties must criticize and question its decisions.

Explanation: Political parties have many functions in a democracy. They are important as they are the decision-makers of the country and the representatives of the people. They have functions both when they are in power and when they are not.

Advantages of Single Party System:

1. During an emergency, one party can work independently as it does not have to discuss or consult with other parties. This increases efficiency.

2. Decisions under one-party rule would be faster and decisions regarding expenditure can be controlled singularly.

3. It strengthens a national identity rather than numerous regional identities within a country.

Explanation: Although single party systems can be more efficient in decision making, a democracy with more than one party is preferred as it gives more choice to the people.

Functions of the Election Commission:

1. It is the authority that recognizes a political party as a national or regional party.

2. It provides symbols to parties and independent candidates which becomes their identity during an election.

3. It decides the dates of the entire elections from registration, campaigning to polling and counting of votes.

Explanation: The Election Commission plays a vital role in the conduct of a fair election. It is an independent body and has complete power during elections to ensure a just election.

Regional parties of Tamil Nadu include DMK, AIADMK, Telugu Desam and DMDK.

Explanation: Regional parties of Tamil Nadu have the strongest presence in Tamil Nadu but also have presence in other states.

Types of democracy:

1. Direct democracy: All the people directly participate in the decision making and functioning of a government. Such a system was followed in Ancient Greece and can be seen in the local Panchayats.

2. Indirect democracy: People elect their representatives who then form the government and run the state. These representatives usually belong to a political party. Most of the countries follow this system.

Importance of democracy:

1. A democratic government guarantees some fundamental rights to all the people as they are elected by the people.

2. It becomes responsible and responsive to people’s needs and therefore works towards the public welfare.

3. It discusses and decided on policies that are just and balanced so that no group’s needs are ignored.

Types of election:

1. Direct elections: The citizens vote themselves to elect their representatives. Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly members are elected through direct elections.

2. Indirect elections: The representatives of the people elect a person. People are not directly involved. Members of Rajya Sabha, President and Vice-President are elected through indirect elections.

Other types of election include by-elections and mid-term polls which are conducted in special circumstances:

3. By-elections: It happens in the case of death or resignation of an elected member. Elections are held in that particular constituency for the empty seat.

4. Mid-term polls: If the Parliament or a state legislature is dissolved for some reason before the end of term, fresh elections are held before 5 years of the term are completed.

Role of the Opposition Party:

1. The Opposition Party wins the maximum votes in Lok Sabha after the ruling party. This recognizes the choice of the majority that did vote for the ruling party.

2. It prevents the ruling party from becoming an authoritarian government.

3. It criticizes the decisions or policies of the government and gathers public pressure on the ruling party.

4. It discusses and checks the expenditure of the ruling party.

5. The pressure from Opposition Party forces the ruling party to make correct decisions and stops it from abusing its power.