SUMMER 2020

POL 101: Session 17 (NHA)

DEMOCRACY:
CONCEPT, PRACTICE &
CHALLENGES
 ORIGIN OF DEMOCRACY
• The word ”democracy” comes from the Greek
word demos, which means “common people” and Kratos,
which means strength.

• The term “democracy” first appeared in ancient Greek

political and philosophical thought in the city-state of
Athens.

• It was found in 508–507 BC by the Athenians and it

was led by Cleisthenes, an Athenian lawgiver credited
with reforming the constitution of ancient Athens. For
these accomplishments, historians refer to him as "the
father of Athenian democracy."
 OTHER ORIGIN OF DEMOCRACY
o The most popular phrase of Abraham Lincoln on democracy is a
government "of the people, by the people, and for the people”. It
means when people are the sources of all power and where the
opinion of the people are valued most it is called Democracy.

o Quoting the above phrase the famous speech known as the

Gettysburg Address was delivered during the American Civil War
by the then U S President Abraham Lincoln in 19 November 1863. It
is one of the best-known speeches in American history.

o The American Civil War was a civil war in the U S from 1861 to
1865, fought between the northern U S and the southern U S. The
civil war began primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy
over the enslavement of black people.
 CONCEPT & MEANING OF DEMOCRACY
o In the dictionary definition, democracy is government by
the people in which the supreme power is vested in the
people and exercised directly by them or by their elected
agents under a free electoral system.

o Democracy is a system of government in which the

citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives
from among themselves to form a governing body, such
as a parliament.

o It is also known as “rule of the majority”. The power can’t

be inherited in democracy. Representatives stand in an
election and the citizens vote for their representative. The
representative with the most number of votes gets the
power.
 BASICS OF A DEMOCRACY

A basic principle of democracy is majority rule and the

protection of individual and minority rights.

It is generally agreed that there are five criteria that are

necessary for any society to call itself democratic:

•Equality in voting
•Effective participation
•Enlightened understanding
•Citizen control of the agenda
•Inclusion (must be open to all citizens within a nation).
ELEMENTS OF MODERN DEMOCRACY

•Guarantee of basic Human Rights to every

individual
•Separation of Powers between the institutions of
the state i.e., Executive, Legislative and Judiciary
•Freedom of opinion, speech, press and mass
media
•Religious liberty
•General and equal right to vote
•Good Governance i.e., focus on public interest
and absence of corruption
 TYPES OF DEMOCRACY
Democracy is of two types. (1) Direct or pure democracy;
(2) Indirect or representative democracy.
In direct democracy all eligible citizens have direct
participation in the decision making of the government. It is
a form of democracy in which people vote on policy
initiatives directly. In direct democracy, people decide on
policies without any intermediary. This form of direct
democracy effectively grants the voting public a veto on
laws adopted by the elected legislature, as in Switzerland.

Depending on the particular system in use, direct

democracy might entail passing executive decisions,
making laws, directly electing or dismissing officials, and
conducting trials.
 REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
A representative democracy is a system of government in which all
eligible citizens vote for representatives who then enact policy initiatives.
The more common form of democracy is representative democracy
where citizens exercise power through elected representatives.

Following three factors can determine the effectiveness of a

representative democracy:

•First, there has to be an opportunity for genuine competition in the

selection of leadership.

•Second, there has to be free communication, both among the people

and in the press.

•Third, voters have to believe that a meaningful choice exists between

candidates and that differences in policy are honestly reflected in each.
 WHY IS A DEMOCRACY IMPORTANT?

In some countries, freedom of political expression,

freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and
internet democracy are considered important to
ensure that voters are well informed, enabling
them to vote according to their own interests.

What power do citizens have in a democracy?

By voting, citizens are participating in

the democratic process. Citizens vote for leaders to
represent them and their ideas, and the leaders
support the citizens' interests.
 WHAT IS FLAWED DEMOCRACY?

Flawed democracies are nations where

elections are fair and free and basic civil
liberties are honoured but may have issues
such as limited media freedom, minor
suppression of political opposition and
critics.

Authoritarian regimes are nations where

political pluralism has vanished or is
extremely limited.
 ADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRACY
➺ Democracy can provide for changes in government without
violence. In a democracy, power is transferred from one party to
another by means of elections. Thus, democracy allows for a stable form
of government.

➺ The government is bound by an election term after which it has to

compete with other parties to regain authority. This system prevents
monopoly of the ruling authority.

➺ This brings in a feeling of obligation towards the citizens. The

ruling authorities owe their success in the elections to the citizens. They
feel grateful towards the people and socially responsible for them.

➺ People gain a sense of participation in the process of choosing their

government. They get the opportunity to voice their opinions by means of
electoral votes. This breeds a sense of belonging towards society and
their nation.
ADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRACY
➺ Democracy promotes equality and the protection of people's rights.
There is a strong legal system, and for the law, everyone is equal. The social
and political rights are not based on their caste, creed, or any other factor. The
chances of discrimination on the basis of these factors are very less.

➺ In a direct democracy, the citizens directly participate in legislation, and have

the authority in policy initiatives. The laws and governing policies are made by
the citizens themselves, giving them maximum participation and
bringing transparency to the system. Policy decisions are made with the
consensus of people which makes the process fair.

➺ As people are directly responsible for the policies in a direct democracy,

it does not leave them a chance for blaming the representatives.

➺ In a representative democracy, not citizens, but the representatives elected

by them are responsible for making laws and formulating policies for the
government. They make the people's concerns heard, and the decisions or laws
made by them cater to the people's interests.
 DISADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRACY
➺ In a democratic nation, citizens hold the right to elect their representatives
and their governing authorities. According to a common observation, not all the
citizens are fully aware of the political scenario in their country or the issues their
nation faces. This may result in people making the wrong choices during
election.

➺ In some countries, people do not exercise their right to vote. Many are
reluctant to vote or less aware about the impact their votes can have. They do
not consider it as their privilege, and take the process of voting less seriously.

➺ Representatives may not necessarily be elected on merit. In a system of

voting, the majority rules and there is no distinction between the votes cast by
the literate and the illiterate. People may favor someone based on factors other
than pure capability. Thus, the individual elected by the public may not always
be the right candidate for the position.

➺ In a democracy, it takes longer to take decisions and implement them. In

a democracy, the implementation requires majority voting, thus making this form
of government relatively less prompt in taking actions.
 DISADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRACY
➺ As the government is subject to change after every election term, the
authorities may work on short-term goals. As they have to face an election after
the completion of each term, they may lose focus on working for the people and
rather focus on winning elections.

➺ Another disadvantage of democracy is that the mobs can influence people.

Citizens may vote in favor of a party under the influence of the majority.

➺ A lot of expenditure is made on elections. Even candidates may use money to

attract the masses to vote for them. This leads to a wastage of money and
resources, which could have been used in public interest.

➺ Election campaigns may involve immoral practices to appeal the masses.

Money and muscle power may be used to influence the public against the
opposition party.

➺ A disadvantage of direct democracy is that not all citizens are

knowledgeable enough to take the right decision regarding legislation. The
majority may influence the minority. This may breed inefficiency in governing.
 CHALLENGES OF DEMOCRACY

• THE FOUNDATIONAL CHALLENGE;

• THE CHALLENGE OF EXPANSION;
• THE CHALLENGE OF DEEPENING OF DEMOCRACY.

• The foundational challenge of democracy is faced by those countries which

haven't had any democratic form of government before. This form
of challenge involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime,
keeping the military away from capturing power and establishment of a
sovereign democratic state.

• The challenge of expansion involves applying the basic principle

of democratic government across all the religions, different social groups,
and various institutions.

• A deepening of democracy should happen in such a way that people can

realize their expectations of democracy. In general terms, it usually means
strengthening those institutions that help people’s participation and
control. This requires an attempt to bring down the control and influence of
the rich and powerful people in making governmental decisions.
VISIBLE CHALLENGES OF PRACTICING DEMOCRACY

Corruption and Inefficiency

In many democratic countries, the political leaders, officers,
tend to be corrupt, dishonest and inefficient. They ask for
the bribe. This results in lack of trust of the citizens. This
affects the working of democracy in the country very badly.

Role of Anti-Social Elements

The role of anti-social elements arises during the elections. A lot
of people are forced or bribed to vote for a particular candidate or
party. Rigging also takes place during elections.
VISIBLE CHALLENGES OF PRACTICING DEMOCRACY

Growing Economic and Social Inequalities Among

People
There is a lot of socioeconomic inequalities amongst the
people. Although all the citizens have the right to vote and fight
elections only rich people have a chance to win the election.

Casteism and Communalism

During elections, a large number of voters give weight to the
caste and religion of the candidate. Political parties also keep in
mind the caste or religion of a person while distributing tickets
for the election. Representatives elected on the basis of caste or
religion work for the welfare of the people belonging only to
their caste or religion.
 WHY DEMOCRACY FAILS?

1.Poverty
2.Major inequality
3.No middle class
4.Low education levels
5.Oil
6.Tribalism
7.Little civil society
8.Had been a colony
9.No earlier democratic experience
10.No democratic countries nearby
 REFERENCES
Gettysburg Address
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address
What are the Challenges of Democracy?
https://www.toppr.com/guides/political-science/challenges-to-democ
racy/what-are-the-challenges-of-democracy/
What are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy in
India?
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages
-of-democracy-in-India
Challenges to Democracy
Daniel Ziblatt
Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard
University
Center for European Studies, Harvard University, 27 Kirkland
St, Cambridge, MA 02138