Class Notes

Class: IX Topic: What is Democracy? Why Democracy?

Subject: Democratic Politics

1. The word ‘Democracy’ comes from the Greek word –

(a) Democracia

(b) Demokratia

(c) Demos

(d) Kratia

2. What kind of government is there in Myanmar?

(a) Government elected by the people

(b) Communist government

(c) Army rule

(d) Monarchy

3. The head of the government in Nepal is the:

(a) President

(b) Prime Minister

(c) King

(d) Vice President

4. Who led a military coup in Pakistan in 1999?

(a) Benazir Bhutto

(b) Nawaz Sharif

(c) Pervez Musharraf

(d) None of the above

5. In which case was the real power with external powers and not with the locally
elected representatives?

(a) India in Sri Lanka

(b) US in Iraq

(c) USSR in Communist Poland

(d) Both (b) and (c)

6. ‘One person, one vote’ means

(a) One person is to be voted by all

(b) One person has one vote and each vote has one value

(c) A person can vote only once in his life

(d) both (a) and (c)

7. How many members are elected to the National People’s Congress from all over
China?

(a) 3050

(b) 3000

(c) 4000

(d) 2000

8. Why can the Chinese government not be called a democratic government even
though elections are held there?

(a) Army participates in election

(b) Government is not accountable to the people

(c) Some parts of China are not represented at all

(d) Government is always formed by the Communist Party

9. Democracy must be based on

(a) One-party system

(b) Free and fair election

(c) Choice from only the ruling party

(d) All the above

10. When did Zimbabwe attain independence and from whom?

(a) 1970, from Black minority rule

(b) 1880, from White minority rule

(c) 1980, from Americans

(d) 1980, from White minority rule

11. Which party has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence and who is its ruler?

(a) ZANU-PF, Robert Mugabe

(b) ZANU-PF, Kenneth Kaunda

(c) Zimbabwe Freedom Party, Nelson Mandela

(d) Zimbabwe Party, P Johnson

12. Which of these features is/are necessary to provide the basic rights to the citizens?

(a) Citizens should be free to think

(b) should be free to form associations

(c) Should be free to raise protest

(d) All the above

13. Which organ of the government is required to protect the rights of the citizens?

(a) Executive

(b) Legislature

(c) Independent judiciary

(d) Police

14. What is Constitutional Law?

(a) Provisions given in the Constitution

(b) Law to make Constitution

(c) Law to set up Constituent Assembly

(d) none of the above

15. Which of these is permitted under the Rule of Law?

(a) Prime Minister can be punished for violating the Constitution.

(b) Police has a right to kill anybody.

(c) Women can be paid lesser salaries

(d) President can rule for as long as he wants.

16. Some of the drawbacks of democracy is

(a) Instability and delays

(b) corruption and hypocrisy

(c) Politicians fighting among themselves

(d) all the above

17. In which of these cases can democracy not provides a complete solution?

(a) Removing poverty completely

(b) Providing education to all

(c) Giving jobs to all

(d) All the above

18. In which period did China face one of the worst famines that have occurred in the
world?

(a) 1932-36

(b) 1958-61

(c) 2001-2002

(d) 2004-2007

19. A democratic government is better than a non-democratic government because

(a) It may or may not be accountable

(b) It always responds to the needs of the people

(c) It is a more accountable form of government

(d) None of the above

20. Democracy improves the quality of decision-making because

(a) Decisions are taken by educated people

(b) Decisions are taken by consultation and discussion

(c) Decisions are taken over a long period of time

(d) All decisions are approved by judiciary

21. The most common form that democracy takes in our time is that of

(a) Limited democracy

(b) representative democracy

(c) Maximum democracy

(d) none of the above

22. Which body in Indian political system is an example of direct democracy?

(a) Zila Parishad

(b) Panchayat Samiti

(c) Gram Sabha

(d) Vidhan Sabha

23. Which of these is an example of perfect democracy?

(a) USA

(b) UK

(c) India

(d) None of the above

24. Which of these is not a feature of monarchy, dictatorship or one-party rule?

(a) Censorship of press

(b) No opposition party or parties

(c) Citizens taking part in politics

(d) One-man rule

25. Which of these is not a good argument in favour of democracy?

a) People feel free and equal in a democracy
b) Democracies resolve conflict in a better way than others
c) Democratic government is more accountable to the people
d) Democracies are more prosperous than others

26. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in October 1999.
b) He overthrew a democratically elected government and declared himself the ‘Chief Executive’ of the
country.
A) a is true , but b is false
B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true

27. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in October 1999.
b) Pakistani media, human rights organisations and democracy activists said that the referendum was based
on democratic process.

A) a is true , but b is false

B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true

28. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) In China, elections are regularly held after every five years for electing the country’s parliament,
b) Before contesting elections, a candidate needs the approval of the Chinese Communist Party.
A) a is true , but b is false
B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true

29. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) Mexico has never been under a military or dictator’s rule. But until 2000 every election was won by a party
called PRI.
b) The PRI was known to use democratic process to win elections.
A) a is true , but b is false
B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true

30. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) Holding elections of any kind is sufficient in democracy.
b) The elections must offer a real choice between political alternatives.
A) a is true , but b is false
B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true
31. Consider the following two statements and select the answer using the codes given below
a) Zimbabwe attained independence from White minority rule in 1980.Since then the country has been ruled
by ZANU-PF
b) Television and radio are free to criticise government policies.
A) a is true , but b is false
B) Both a and b are true
C) Both a and b are false
D) a is false but b is true

32. In Saudi Arabia:

a) Men do not have right to vote

b) Women do not have right to vote

c) Both men and women have right to vote

d) Both men and women do not have right to vote

33. Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to:

a) African minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.

b) American minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.

c) Russian find it difficult to get the right to vote.

d) Al the above

34. In Fiji, The electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than
that of :

a) An African –Fijian

b) A Chinese- Fijian

c) An Indian Fijian

d) A Pakistani-Fijian

35. Elections have been held regularly in Zimbabwe and always won by...........
36. In Zimbabwe, president ................... is popular but also uses unfair practices in elections.

37. The example of Zimbabwe shows that popular ................... of the rulers is necessary in a
democracy.

38. Everyone should be equal in the................. of the law.

39. There are some conditions that apply to the way a government in run after the...........

Write true (T) or false(F)

40. A democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.

41. Every government in contemporary world wants to be called a democracy, even if it is not so.

42. In Pakistan, general Parvez Musharraf lead a military coup in Novemeber 1998.

43. Syria is a small east Asian country.

44. In a democracy, the final decision making power rest with the people.

45. In China, elections are held after every six years for electing the Parliament.

46. Until 2005, every election in Mexico, was won by a party called PRI.

47. A democratic government cannot do whatever it likes, simply because it has won an election.

48. A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional law and citizens rights.

49. In a democracy, rulers elected by the people cannot take all the major decisions.

50. Given below are two statements –one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other labeled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): In China the elections do not offer the people any serious choice.
Reason (R): They have to choose the ruling party and the candidates approved by it.
In the context of the above two statements, which of the following is correct?
A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false
D. (A) is false , but (R) is true

51. Given below are two statements –one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other labeled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Clearly, there are many reasons why Pakistan under General Musharraf should not be called a
democracy.
Reason (R): Pakistan has had elections, elected representatives have some powers. But the final power rests
with military officers and General Musharraf himself.
In the context of the above two statements, which of the following is correct?
A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false
D. (A) is false , but (R) is true
Answers

1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5. d 6. b

7. b 8. d 9. b 10. d 11. a 12. d

13. c 14. a 15. a 16. d 17. d 18. b

19.c 20. b 21. b 22. c 23. d 24. c

25. d 26.b 27. a 28. b 29. a 30. d

31. a 32. b 33. c 34.c 35. ZANU-PF 36. Mugabe

37. approval 38. eyes 39. 40. true 41. true 42. false
elections

43. false 44. false 45. false 46. false 47. true 48. true

50. A 51. A