WHAT DEMOCRACY?WHY DEMOCRACY?

"Democracy is better than other forms of governments because it allows us

to correct its own mistakes." Do you agree with it or not?

(i) There is no guarantee that mistakes cannot be made in democracy. No

form of government can guarantee that.
(ii) The advantage in a democracy is that such mistakes cannot be hidden for
long.
(iii) There is a space for public discussion on these mistakes. And there is a
room for correction.
(iv) Either the rulers have to change their decision or the rulers can be
changed.
(v) I believe, this cannot happen in a non-democratic government; so I fully
agree that democracy does allow us to correct its own mistakes.

How does democracy improve the quality of decision making?

A democratic decision involves consultation with and consent of all those who
are affected by that decision.

Those who are not powerful have the same say in taking the decisions as those
who are powerful.

This can apply to a government or a family or any other organization. The chance
of rash or irresponsible decision is also less in a democracy.

How democracy can enhance the dignity of the citizens?

(i) Democracy is based on the principle of political equality, on recognising
that the poorest and the illiterate has the same status as rich and the
educated.

(ii) People are not subjects of a ruler, they are the rulers themselves.

(iii) Even when they make mistakes, they are responsible for their conduct .

Why Pakistan under General Musharraf should not be called a democracy

as stated by President Musharraf?

Pakistan under General Musharraf should not be called a democracy due to the
following reasons:

(i) People may have elected their representatives to the national and
provincial assemblies but those elected representatives are not really
the rulers.

(ii) they cannot take the final decisions.

(iii) The power to take final decision rests with army officials and with
General Musharraf, and none of them are elected by the people.

(iv) This happens in many countries,' where formally they have an elected
parliament and government but the real power is with those who are not
elected.

How did Robert Mugabe establish his dictatorial rule in Zimbabwe, after

Independence?

Elections have been held regularly and always won by ZANU- PF. President
Mugabe is popular but also uses unfair practices in elections.
his government has changed the constitution several times to increase the
powers of the President and make him less accountable.

Opposition party workers are harassed and their meetings disrupted. Public
protests and demonstrations against the government are declared illegal.

There is a law that limits the right to criticise the President.

Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the ruling
party's version.

What was PRI? What dirty tricks did it play to win elections in Mexico

1.All those who were employed in government offices had to attend its party
meetings.

2.Even the teachers of government schools used to force parents to vote for the
PRI.

3.Media largely ignored the activities of opposition political parties except to

criticise them.

4.Sometimes the polling booths were shifted from one place to another in the last
minute, which made it difficult for people to cast their votes.

5.The PRI spent a large sum of money in the campaign for its candidates.

How did China establish a Communist Government?

In China elections are regularly held after every five years for electing the
country's parliament, called National People's Congress. The National People's
Congress has the power to appoint the President of the country. It has nearly
3,000 members elected from all over China. Some members are elected by the
army. Before contesting the elections, a candidate needs the approval of the
Chinese Communist Party. Only those who are members of the Chinese
Communist Party or eight smaller parties allied to it were allowed to contest
elections held in 2002 -2003. The government is always formed by the communist
party.

What is the electoral system in Fiji Estonia and Saudi Arabia?

In Fiji, the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian Fijian.

In Estonia, Estonia made its citizenship rules in such a manner that people belonging

to the Russian minority find it difficult to get the right to vote .

In Saudi Arabia, women did not have the right to vote until 2011 .

What are the main features of democracy?

The main features of democracy are:

(i) In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those
elected by the people.

(ii) A democracy must be based on free and fair elections, where those
currently in power have a fair chance of losing.
 (iii) In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote
must have one value.

(iv) A democratic government rules within limits set by the constitutional law
and citizens' rights.

(v) Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts. It

enhances the dignity of the citizens.

Give arguments against democracy.

The arguments against democracy are:

(i) Leaders keep changing in a democracy. This leads to instability.

(ii) Democracy is all about political competition and power play. There is no
scope for morality.

(iii) So many people have to be consulted in a democracy that it leads to

delays.

(iv) Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people. It leads to bad
decision-making.

(v) Democracy leads to corruption because it is based on electoral

competition.

(vi) Ordinary people don't know what is good for them, so they should not
decide anything.

Give arguments in favor of democracy .

The arguments in favor of democracy are:

1.A democratic government is a better government because it is a more

accountable form of government.

2.Democracy provides methods to deal with differences and conflicts.

3. Democracy improves the quality of decision-making.

4.Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.

5.Democracy is better than other forms of government as it allows rulers to

correct its own mistake .

What is the broader meaning of democracy explain with example

1. Today in most countries democracy can be called representative democracy.

Because all the people do not rule. Decisions are taken by the representatives on behalf
of all the people.

2. The powerful and the not so powerful people both have the same say in taking
decisions.

3. A democratic decision involves consultation and consent of the people who are
affected by the decision.

4. Democracy is a principle which can be applied to any sphere of life.

5. Sometimes, the word democracy is not used to describe any existing government but
to set up an ideal standard that all democracies must aim to reach.