What is Democracy?

Why Democracy?
Arguments against Democracy
Leads to instability

Leaders keep changing in a

democracy which results in
change in policies and this
brings discontinuity.

Delays in decision making

Democracy brings out

delay in governance since
politicians have to take
approvals from masses.
Political competition

Democracy is all about power

play, vote bank politics. There
is no scope of morality.
Bad decision making & no
strict implementation.

Elected leaders don't know

the best interest of the
people.

Lack of awareness among

ordinary people

They don't know what is

good for them; they should
not decide anything
More prone to corruption

It leads to corruption because it

is based on electoral
competition.
 Concluding Arguments Against Democracy

Clearly democracy is not a magical solution

for all the problems

It only ensures that It is also true that

people can make their democracy leads to
own decisions but it frequent changes in
doesn't guarantee that leadership. Sometimes
their decisions will be this can even affect the
good. government's efficiency.
Arguments for Democracy
 CHINA INDIA

China's Famine of India's economic

1958-1961 was the worst condition was not
recorded famine. much better during
those days.
Nearly 3 crore people
died Yet India did not have
a famine of the kind
China had.
The Economists pointed out that no
large-scale famine has ever taken place
in an independent and democratic
country

If China too had a multiparty

elections, an opposition party, a free
press, then so many may not have
died in famine
 Different responses of democratic &
non-democratic governments

Non-democratic Democratic
Depends upon the
wishes of rulers. If the Rulers have to
rulers don't want to, attend to the
they don't have to act needs of
according to the people
wishes of people.
 This example gives the first
argument for democracy. A
1
democratic government is a more
accountable form of government.

Accountable : required or expected to justify

actions or decisions; responsible.
"Leaders are accountable to Parliament"
2 Democracy improves decision making

❖ Democracy is based upon consultation

and discussion.

❖ When a number of people put their

hands together, they are able to point
out possible mistakes in any decision.

❖ This reduces the chances of rash or

irresponsible decision.
 Democracy provides a method to deal
3 with differences and conflicts

In any society people are bound to

have differences of opinions and
interests.

In india people speak

Different languages, practise
different religion and have different
opinions.
The preferences of one group can
clash with those of other groups.
How do we resolve such a conflict?

The conflict can be solved by brutal

power. Whichever group is more
powerful will dictate its terms and
others will have to accept that.

But that would lead to resentment

and unhappiness.

Democracy provides the only

peaceful solution to this problem.
 The preferences of one
group can clash with those
of other groups. How do we
resolve such a conflict?

In Democracy no one is a permanent loser & no

one is a permanent winner. Different groups can
live with one another peacefully. In a diverse
country like India, democracy keeps our country
together.
 Democracy enhances the dignity of
04 citizens

Democracy is In democracy the

based on the poorest and the
principle of least educated
political equality. will be accorded
the same status
as the rich &
educated.
Democracy in India has strengthened
the claims of the disadvantaged and
discriminated castes for equal status
and equal opportunity.
 Democracy allows government to
5
correct its mistakes.

1. Mistakes
done cannot
be hidden for
long in
democracy

2. There is a
3. Either the rulers
space for public
have to change
discussion on
their decisions, or
these mistakes,
the rulers can be
& room for
changed.
correction
Concluding Arguments For Democracy

Democracy cannot get us everything

and is not the solution to all
problems, but it is clearly better than
any other alternatives that we know
BROADER MEANING OF
DEMOCRACY
Why should we value Democracy?

❏ Introduced voting rights.

❏ People have the right to question the

government.

❏ It enables us to judge an existing

democracy and identify its weakness.

❏ It helps us to distinguish between a

minimal democracy and a good
democracy.
 Forms Of Democracy

Representative Direct
Democracy Democracy
In representative democracy, the majority of
people rule through their elected
representatives

Necessity of Elected Representative

Citizens do not have

Modern democracies involve the time, the desire or
large number of people and the skills to take part
they all can’t possibly take a is all the decision.
collective decision
❖ There are various ways of taking decision
in a democratic manner. The most common
is elected representatives

But if the community is small, all people can

sit together and take decisions directly. This
is how Gram Sabha's work in villages.
Democracy is a principle that can be applied to
any sphere of life.

A democratic decision involves consultation

with all those who are affected by that decision
and this can be applied to a government, family
or any other organisation
SUMMARY:

1. This also means that no country is a

perfect democracy

2. The features of democracy that we

discussed in this chapter provide
only the minimum conditions of a
democracy

3. That does not make it an ideal

democracy.

4. It is a work in progress which

requires a constant effort to save
and strengthen democratic forms of
decision-making from both leaders
and CITIZENS (unlike Dictatorship)
❖ Even when it fails to do some of these
things, it allows a way of correcting it's
mistakes.

❖ Other forms of government like

monarchy, dictatorship or one-party
rule do not require all citizens to take
part in politics. But democracy depends
on active political participation by all
the citizens.