Raghav Grover

Class X

Challenges to Democracy

The challenges faced by democracy are:

1. Foundation challenge;
2. Challenge of expansion;
3. Challenge of deepening of democracy.

Political reform:

All the suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called
democratic reforms or political reforms

Challenges faced by countries which do not have a democratic form of government:

These countries face the foundation challenge of making the transition to democracy and then
instituting democratic government. They also face the challenge of bringing down the existing non-
democratic regime, and keeping the military away from controlling the government. Such countries
have to make great efforts to establish a sovereign and functional State.

Three challenges faced by democracy:

Foundation challenge. It relates to making the transition to democracy and then instituting
democratic government. It involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, keeping
military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign and functional State.

Challenge of expansion. It involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all
the regions, different social groups and various institutions. It pertains to ensuring greater power to
local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation, inclusion of
women and minority groups, etc. Most established democracies, e.g., India and US, face the
challenge of expansion.

Challenge of deepening of democracy. This challenge involves strengthening of the institutions and
practices of democracy. It means strengthening those institutions that help people’s participation
and control in the government. It aims at bringing down the control and influence of rich and
powerful people in making governmental decisions.

Based on the multiple contexts of democratic and non-democratic nations worldwide, here are the
key challenges to democracy:

Constitutional Design: Constitutional discrimination against a section of people ultimately defeats

the purpose of a democratic setup. In Belgium, for instance, the constitution prejudices against the
Dutch community. Even after several rounds of amendments, the Dutch do not enjoy the same level
of autonomy as the other citizens.

Democratic Rights: Many democratic countries fail to provide their citizens with the rights that
characterize democracy. The Chinese one-party democracy monopolizes all power in the country.
The citizens live under massive censorship of the press and are bereaved of many similar rights. The
case of Hong Kong is similar.

Corrupt Institutions: A democracy cannot function at its best without the efficiency of its
institutions. Corrupt or inefficient political machinery poses a key challenge to the successful

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functioning of a democratic nation. There are many solutions to how do democratic governments
ensure transparency. The honest and accountable functioning of their institutions is the primary
requisite.

Rigged Elections: The concept of rigging the elections is not unknown today. Countries across the
globe have witnessed the collapse of the political setup due to the rigged elections. A free and fair
electoral framework is quintessential for the working of a democracy.

Unitary Rule: A democracy works with the collective participation of people. If the central
government dominates the governance of a nation, then it adversely affects the democratic rule.
Federalism is one of the principal requisites of democracy.

These are a few major challenges faced by every democratic and pseudo-democratic nation
worldwide. Class 10th chapter on Challenges on Democracy also familiarises students with the core
concepts and ideologies related to the government and democracy. At the end of it, it is essential to
read and understand the multifaceted problems that adversely affect a democratic setup.

Broad guidelines for political reforms:

As legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy,

democratic reforms need to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and
politically conscious citizens.

Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Generally, laws, that seek
a ban on something are rather counter-productive; for example, many states have debarred people
who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections. This has resulted in denial of
democratic opportunity to many poor women, which was not intended. The best laws are those
which empower people to carry out democratic reforms; for example, the Right to Information Act
which acts as a watchdog of democracy by controlling corruption.

Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political parties. The most
important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by
ordinary citizens.

Any proposal for political reforms should think not only about what is a good solution, but also about
who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens organizations
and media are likely to succeed.

In the context of India, there is both need and room for reforms. When it comes to the major
challenges to democracy, we can frame the following reforms for India’s polity:

1. Making legislation is not the only way to effect change.

A problem with the system in India is its overdependence on the law. When there is talk of political
reform, people often look towards the legislative. However, this is not quite sensible. Laws are the
only norms to regulate society. They cannot reshape people’s corrupt mindset.

Good laws undoubtedly help in discouraging wrong political practices. Yet, good laws alone are not
enough.

2. The legal change should not prove counterproductive.

For any attempt of reform to work, it must be framed with the welfare of people at its core. The law
barring people with more than two children from standing in the panchayat elections is counter-

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productive. While it attempts to control overpopulation, it also denies many people the opportunity
to voice their ideas and opinions.

3. Strong political practices go a long way in reforming the system.

Reforms should focus primarily on strengthening democratic practices. They should focus on how do
democratic governments ensure transparency. With the participation of people, a democratic
framework can reach greater heights. Political practices should aim to empower ordinary citizens.

4. What, who, and how for every solution

A solution for political reform is incomplete without properly defining certain relevant questions.
Any political reform should look into the right solution, the right authority for its implementation,
and the right strategy to do the same. Besides, these solutions should not simply leave all authority
in the hands of political leaders.

Reform starts with the people. Therefore, it is essential to encourage people’s participation in
reforming the system.

Redefining Democracy

Other than being a form of government in which rules are essentially elected by the general
public, it should also have the following features:

 The elected rules must be the decision-makers.

 Elections should offer the fair opportunity to the people to change their rules as per their
preferences and concerns.
 The opportunity and choice of taking part in elections should be given equally to every citizen.
 When the right to vote is exercised by everyone, the government will be limited to constitutions
and citizen’s rights.

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