Challenges to Democracy - Challenge of Inclusivity in India and USA

By Harshit Sharma 22037

 INTRODUCTION

In a democracy, all eligible citizens are meant to participate equally in the proposal,
development, and establishment of the laws that are used to run their society, either directly or
indirectly through elected representatives. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek phrase
"Rule of the people," which was derived in the 5th century BCE from the words "people" and
"power" or "rule." The term "Democracy" comes from that phrase.

The phrase "government by the people" is where we get the word "democracy’. It is both the
most straightforward and the most difficult type of government. People either exercise their
power on their own or through representatives elected from amongst themselves in a government
that is "by the people." This type of administration is known as "government by the people" or
"government of the people." Abraham Lincoln famously defined democracy as being "of the
people, by the people, and for the people." According to the political scientist Larry Diamond,
democracy is made up of the following four essential components: (a) A political system that
allows for the selection and replacement of government officials through the use of free and fair
elections; (b) The active participation of the people, in their capacity as citizens, in politics and
civic life; (c) The protection of the human rights of all citizens; and (d) A rule of law, in which
the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.

There are fundamentally two kinds of democracies, which are referred to as direct and
representation. Without the involvement of any kind of middleman, every single citizen is able to
have their say in the decisions that are made in a direct democracy. When the population is in
comparison to the total number of citizens, it is more feasible to have a direct democratic system.
Nevertheless, taking into account the current society's size and level of complexity, we exercise a
form of democracy known as representational democracy. In this kind of system, a certain group
of individuals are elected, and those persons are responsible for representing the whole group.
Many democratic theorists agree that it is the most effective form there is.

India is the second most populous country in the world and the seventh largest country in terms
of land area. Its population of over 1.2 billion people accounts for approximately one-sixth of the
world's total population. It has the highest number of electors of any democracy in the world. It
is a very young nation despite being home to one of the world's oldest civilizations.

India is a constitutional republic with the longest written constitution in the world, and it is
governed by that constitution. Understanding the Indian democracy requires a concentration on
the various channels through which power flows. India has a relatively high population density.
Some people argue for dividing up some twenty-eight states and eight territories that are part of
the union.
 CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY

Many people feel that democracy is simply another form of government, such as dictatorship or
monarchy, but this is not the case. Democracy, contrary to popular belief, is not a political
theory, but rather a social phenomenon with both social and political consequences. There are
numerous forms of democracies that have emerged over time. This is primarily due to the fact
that democracy is not a strict idea. In truth, it is a very adaptable notion that adjusts to the needs
of each country. Every country today professes to be democratic; the primary reason for this is
because we have associated desirable attributes with democracy. If a state wishes to persuade its
citizens that it is good and works for their wellbeing, it might pretend to be a democracy.

However, not every country that claims to be democracy is truly democratic. In fact, there is no
country in the world which has a perfect democracy as there is always one element or the other
that is missing or where the scope of improvement lies.

Despite the fact that democracy is often regarded as the best form of government in the modern
world. However, it has its own set of issues. Some of these areas are as follows:

1. Growing economic and social inequities among the people: It is undeniable that all
citizens have the right to vote and compete in elections, but only the wealthy have a
chance of winning. The poor are obliged to sell their votes in order to meet their
fundamental needs such as food, clothing, and shelter.1
2. Role of anti-social elements: The role of anti-social elements increases dramatically
during elections. Voters are compelled to vote for a specific politician or party. Rigging
also occurs during elections.

1 meritnation.com. What Are the Basic Challenges of Democracy - Social Science - Democracy and Diversity -
9917692 | Meritnation.com. www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/what-are-the-basic-challenges-of-
democracy/democracy-and-diversity/9917692. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022.
 3. Corruption and inefficiency: Political leaders and government officials in most
democratic countries are dishonest, corrupt, and inefficient. As a result, most citizens are
uninterested in elections. They even have little trust in government authorities. This has a
negative impact on the functioning of a country's democracy.
4. Casteism and communalism are the most serious problems in many democratic
democracies. While distributing election tickets, political parties attempt to brainwash
voters. We have seen that legislators elected on the basis of community and caste operate
only for the benefit of those in their group.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that these issues are dependent on the country's level of social
development. The outcome of these trials is also determined by a country's unique condition.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing democracy's issues.

India, as well, is a faulty democracy, according to the Economic Intelligence Unit Index. Flawed
democracies have free and fair elections and basic civil liberties are respected, but they have
flaws. They, for example, have an underdeveloped political culture, which is especially evident
in India given the people's negative attitude toward politics. There are also some challenges with
government functioning as a result of the rampant corruption. Education, corruption, women's
issues, student politics, leadership methods, and the architecture of political institutions all have
an impact on national and local politics. Other factors, including as the caste issue,
environmental policies, new long-term foreign investment in the economy, and so on, also have
an impact. Education, corruption, women's issues, student politics, political criminality,
leadership methods, and the architecture of political institutions all have an impact on national
and local politics. Other factors, including as the caste issue, environmental policies, new long-
term foreign investment in the economy, and so on, also have an impact.2

No political system operates in a vacuum. Every political system must take into account the
specific and historical aspects of the society in question. It is a reality that the environment in

2 “Political Inclusion Is Vital to Sustainable Democracy.” IDEA, www.idea.int/news-

media/news/political-inclusion-vital-sustainable-democracy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022.

which a political system functions influences it. This general rule cannot be applied to Indian
democracy, which is clearly influenced by a variety of social and economic circumstances.
Which are posing grave threats to Indian democracy. Many people claim that because of many
restrictions on free expression, India cannot truly be termed a democracy. However, this is not
the case; our constitution fundamentally guarantees us freedom of speech and expression. We
might also witness a lot of beneficial improvements as the times shift.

IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSIVITY IN DEMOCRACY

The most serious problem in democracy is growing social and economic disparity among
citizens. Although all citizens have the right to vote and run in elections, only the wealthy have a
chance of winning.

The impoverished are often forced to sell their votes in order to meet basic needs such as food,
clothing, and shelter. As a result, wealthy people are elected to the legislature, where they
establish laws and shape policies that benefit them.

Social equality is required for democracy to succeed. Social equality entails no discrimination
against citizens based on caste, class, colour, creed, sex, or language. In practise, however,
societal inequalities remain in India. Casteism is the primary cause of socioeconomic inequality.
Society is separated between upper and lower castes, each of which despises the other. The
masses have ultimate power in Indian democracy. However, the vast majority of Indians are
impoverished. Efficient people continue to accumulate wealth and poverty. While the poor
continue to suffer. Poverty is the primary cause of many ills. The impoverished do not even
consider the elections. He can't even exercise his right to vote on his own. During elections, the
rich send blankets, bicycles, serving machines, and other items to the poor in order to gain their
votes.

People's attitudes have become restricted as a result of social inequality. Every class considers its
own interests rather than national interests. The upper castes have a monopoly on power in the
administration. Because of societal inequity, the majority of people remain opposed to political
activities. As a result, establishing social equality is critical to the success of democracy. 3

Social inclusion ensures social and political engagement for all citizens, is part of a live
democratic culture, and is thus the foundation of a functioning democracy. This is a simple idea,
but developing an inclusive democracy may face numerous hurdles and competing opinions.
There are even some more difficult scenarios. People may still believe in democracy, but they
may become dissatisfied with the performance of public institutions, making them suspicious of
democratic institutions' ability to respond to citizens. Government critics may be viewed as
"overly critical" by those in power in some cases. In response to those critics, a democratic
administration could repress, limit, censor, and sacrifice the inclusion of many points of view on
current topics. Some administrations have even become less democratic as a result of their
refusal to be inclusive and open-minded.

In the world of democracy, inclusivity does not have a single meaning. Some define inclusivity
in terms of participation and how decisions are made by participating groups or individuals,
whether by agreement or majority voting. Others see inclusivity as deliberate effort to maximise
cognitive diversity, specifically by increasing the diversity of perceiving and interpreting the
world as a result of a larger pool of information, and it is thus important to maximise
representation rather than selecting representation or sorting.

Inequality manifests itself differently in different circumstances. It varies according to class,

gender, colour, and ethnic identity, as well as the many sorts of economic inequality. Income
inequality, wealth inequality, and inequality of opportunity (or the relative likelihood that people
from different backgrounds would achieve 'intergenerational social mobility') are all important
concepts to understand, because each type of inequality varies across and within countries. In the
United States, wealth inequality is greater than income disparity, whereas opportunity inequality
varies with region, even at the neighbourhood level.4

3 “Political Inclusion Is Vital to Sustainable Democracy.” IDEA, www.idea.int/news-media/news/political-inclusion-

vital-sustainable-democracy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022
4 meritnation.com. What Are the Basic Challenges of Democracy - Social Science - Democracy and

Diversity - 9917692 | Meritnation.com. www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/what-are-the-basic-

challenges-of-democracy/democracy-and-diversity/9917692. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022.

In the human rights stream, where the rights of every individual matter in order to respect and
safeguard human rights ideals, inclusivity means giving all types of organisations and individuals
the equal opportunity to voice demands and make suggestions on policies that influence their
life. Every individual deserves to be recognised because one victim is too many for any human
rights activist. The right to freedom of expression and opinion becomes crucial to upholding the
rights. The suppression of voices, censorship, suppression of perspectives, and lack of openness
in decision-making are the first steps toward obstructing inclusivity. The inclusion of vulnerable
groups such as women, children, people with disabilities, and the poor would imply a willingness
on the part of those in power to understand how these groups experience things, causing the
authorities to question their own conventional wisdoms about what is right and appropriate for
the people or communities.

CASE STUDY- THE UNITED STATES AND INDIA

The problem of inequality or the challenge to inclusivity is not restricted to a few countries, but
is a deep-rooted problem in most countries, even democracies like India and The USA. However,
it may exist in various forms in different countries. The example of India and the USA would be
most suited for studying this aspect given that India is the largest democracy and that USA is a
superpower.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Although the United States was founded on the purposeful exclusion and oppression of people of
colour, its fundamental principles uphold the ideals of freedom and equality. Many of the laws
and public policies in our nation, which ought to have provided a basis for development, were
instead designed specifically to prevent people of colour from fully participating. 5

5 “Systematic Inequality and American Democracy.” Center for American Progress, 9

Nov. 2021, www.americanprogress.org/article/systematic-inequality-american-

democracy.
A turning point in American history was the end of the Civil War. A new age of American
liberty and democracy was predicted to begin with the legalisation of slavery and the ratification
of the 14th and 15th amendments. With the support of the US Army and the Freedmen's Bureau,
millions of newly freed African Americans had access to home ownership, education, and
political participation for the first time. For the sake of liberated Black families, the federal
government and many volunteers restored the Southern economy by building hospitals, banks,
and schools.

People of colour got a taste of what American democracy may be like during reconstruction. The
inspirational moment was short-lived, however, and was quickly followed by nearly a century of
merciless repression and disenfranchisement. The systematic exclusion of people of colour from
voting participation contributed to the country's democratic institutions and policies remaining
racially homogenous even as the country's population grew more varied and focus was placed on
extending voting rights.

Over the years, despite the nation's efforts to criminalise the most severe forms of discrimination
and oppression, structural racism remained entrenched in society. A compromised American
democracy with a concentration of power and influence is the inevitable result. According to a
number of studies, the majority of Americans who are denied the right to vote are persons of
colour. This amplifies the racism issue in the USA and how it affects democracy.

The inability to participate fully in the democratic process results in a lack of political power,
which affects one's capacity to elect representatives who hold similar views and to carry out
political goals. Due to this, even more than 150 years after slavery was abolished, people of
colour, especially Black people, continue to experience discrimination and exclusion in the
electoral process.

Even while the nation has made progress, Americans of colour still do not have full voting rights.
For democracy to function, citizens must be allowed to vote and participate in the electoral
process, particularly those who have made mistakes in the past, paid their dues to society, and
are now leading productive lives. On election day in 2016, however, 6.1 million Americans—the
majority of whom are people of color—were unable to cast a ballot due to a felony record. The
extent to which policymakers can restrict the right to vote for persons of colour has increasingly
come under scrutiny. The American democracy is at danger from discriminatory voter purges,
contemporary poll taxes, and citizenship revocation.

A vibrant democracy demands broad participation from its citizens. The United States continues
to revive the ghosts of a dark past by adopting new voter suppression methods that target people
of colour, despite legal and policy advancements that have broadened the right to vote. Being
vigilant against these activities and rejecting any signs of the past's racism are not options.

These actions are crucial in ensuring that all Americans, regardless of race, colour, or religion,
may participate fully in American democracy but neither a cure nor exhaustive.

INDIA

India's fundamental principles are inherently egalitarian and pluralistic. The social revolution
was concerned with emancipation, equality, and justice, whereas the national revolution was
focused on democracy and liberty. At the same time, it was important to protect historically
marginalised and vulnerable groups and to create a society in which people felt a strong sense of
national identity while also appreciating cultural diversity.

India has done rather well in terms of democratic institutions, which may seem especially
amazing from a global perspective, considering many nations' failure to attain even the most
fundamental elements of a democratic institutional framework. Earlier democratic institutions in
India, many of which date back several centuries, were shortly after independence in 1947 fully
enshrined under the constitutional framework. Several "developed" nations still denied women
universal and equal voting rights when India attained independence in 1947. For twenty-four
years, women in Switzerland had been denied the right to vote. State-sponsored racial
discrimination was common in the United States, and African Americans were basically denied
the same voting rights.

Another early adopter of affirmative action laws to address the remaining impacts of previous
socioeconomic injustices was India. No matter how we evaluate the particular successes and
failures of this early departure, the "reservations" and other priorities for scheduled castes
(formerly the "untouchables") and scheduled tribes expanded the range of legal support for social
justice. Before the 1950 adoption of the Indian constitution (which included various affirmative
action provisions), positive action would not become a popular choice in the United States for
many years

The restructuring of states according to language was another essential component of inclusion.
The state shown an unrelenting sensitivity to language-based agitations after a wave of protests
in the 1950s that posed the greatest threat to India's survival. The state's provinces were divided
up into linguistically more similar entities in 1956.

However, rather than being tied to democratic infrastructure, democratic practises are the main
barriers to Indian democracy. The effectiveness of democratic institutions is influenced by a
variety of societal factors, including socioeconomic inequality levels, political traditions,
educational attainment, and popular organisations. In India, a variety of societal restrictions that
have been passed down from the past often impede democratic practise.

Since a democratic society must have a fair distribution of power, equality has significant value.
Finally, a government "of the people and for the people" must include all of the people equally.
Of course, the answer to this is not as simple as "yes" or "no." Depending on a person's class,
education level, gender, and other factors, they may be less or more able to exercise their right to
vote, seek legal protection, express themselves in public, and overall benefit from democratic
institutions. In every institutionally democratic nation on the planet, one of the main goals of
democratic practise is to lessen the power asymmetries brought on by these socioeconomic
imbalances. This issue is particularly difficult given the historical economic and social injustices
in India.

Understanding the nature of inequality as well as the difficulties associated with democratic
practise in India requires an in-depth understanding of these qualities. When seen in isolation,
economic disparity indicators may in fact be a profoundly misleading foundation for
comprehending the wide-ranging effects of inequality on Indian lives and democratic practise.
They may also make it difficult to see the different ways that both public and governmental
policies may be used to promote more justice.
Political engagement and democratic principles are essential for achieving greater equality in
Indian society. Indeed, effective use of democratic rights promotes and supports efforts to reduce
inequality. There is a "virtuous loop" at play here, and policy analysis and social action in India
need to better understand its nature. As was previously stated, there have been significant
advancements made in that area over the past fifty years. While decreases in inequality have
increased the reach of democratic practise, these advancements are frequently the result of
determined exploitation of democratic opportunities that were already present.

Caste, class, gender, and religious group disparities and injustices are all prevalent in Indian
culture. These disparities have expanded, which contributes to a cycle of oppression and
deprived living. Significant injustices and divisions of a type and magnitude that only a small
number of countries must deal with are created by the convergence of several forms of
inequality.

CONCLUSION

Many people feel that democracy is simply another type of governance, such as dictatorship or
monarchy, but this is not the case. After thoroughly examining the concept of democracy, we
discovered that it is an ideal. Democracy, contrary to popular belief, is not a political theory, but
rather a social phenomenon with both social and political consequences.

It should be obvious that democracy is under danger due to rising inequality. Since the degree of
disruption inequality will bring to democracy depends on how brittle democracy is, this cannot
be predicted. The United States is clearly seeing a loss of democracy as elected officials no
longer fairly represent all citizens. Instead, there is more awareness of wealthy people, especially
those who donate to political campaigns. People without resources are being excluded more and
more. More fragile democracies respond with unrest.
The future of Indian democracy is at stake. It is standing on a crossroads that leads to people's
democracy. There is no doubting that political democracy, as it exists in the majority of the
world's capitalistic governments today, has a number of flaws. However, democracy is not at
blame. The flaw is blamed on the socioeconomic structure within which it is designed. It will
take time to eliminate all of the obstacles to Indian democracy. The new generations carry the
burden placed on them by the founding fathers to ensure the success of this experiment. The
entire world is watching India's democratic experiment.

Though India claims to be one of the world's largest democracies, there are several problems that
are preventing the genuine functioning of the democratic republic of India. Another factor
influencing people's attitudes about participating in the establishment and operation of the
government is a lack of knowledge of actual democratic ideals among Indian citizens. The
growing disparity between affluent and poor must be overcome. Our country's abundant
resources must be distributed fairly. Pockets of societal unrest caused by caste and religious
divides, as well as exploitation and oppression of the disadvantaged and marginalised, must be
eradicated. Our girls should feel valued, and our women should feel safe. Only by teaching and
instilling a feeling of responsibility in the public can population statistics be managed.

Our democracy will emerge bigger when people's minds are freed from the bondages of caste
and the massive influence of religious fundamentalism; when we preserve a political atmosphere
of togetherness and tranquillity; when we uphold the elevated ideas of socialism and secular
values; and when our personal responsibilities to the nation take precedence over our demand for
fundamental rights.