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What Is Democracy Why Democracy
What Is Democracy Why Democracy
What Is Democracy Why Democracy
CLASS – 9
Meaning of Democracy:-
Democracy is taken from a Greek word- ‘Demokratia’ or Latin word- ‘Democratia’
- In Greek- Demos means ‘people’ and Kratia means ‘rule’. i.e. democracy means rule of people.
- Meaning of Democracy by Abraham Lincoln :-“Democracy is a form of government of the people,
for the people, by the people.
- Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
Features of Democracy:
(i) Major decisions are taken by elected leaders.
(ii) In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a military camp in October 1999 and overthrew a
democratically elected government and became the chief executive of the country.
(iii) Later, he changed his designation to president.
(iv) In 2002, he issued a “Legal Framework Order” that suggested that the President could dismiss
the national or provincial assemblies.
(v) The work of the civilian cabinet was supervised by National Security Council which was
dominated by military officers.
(vi) Elections were held to the National and State Assemblies
(vii) The elected leaders had some powers. But the final power rests with the military officers and
General Musharraf.
(viii) So, Pakistan under General Musharraf cannot be called a democracy. Because the elected rulers
cannot take the final decisions.
(ix) In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those elected by the people.
One Person, One Vote, One Value : Many instances of denial of equal right to vote in the world :
(i) In Saudi Arabia, women do not have the right to vote.
(ii) Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to Russian minority
find it difficult to get the right to vote.
(iii) In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than that
of an Indian-Fijian.
- Democracy is based on a fundamental principle of political equality.
- In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value.
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(vii) Public protests and demonstrations against the government are declared illegal.
(viii) There is a law that limits the right to criticise the President.
(ix) Both print and electronic media are controlled by the government and give only the ruling
party’s version.
(x) Popular governments and popular leader like, Mugabe can be autocratic.
(xi) People should be free to think, to have opinions, to express these in public, to form associations,
to protest.
(xii) The state should protect some basic rights and take other political actions.
(xiii) Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law.
(xiv) Democratic government has to respect some basic rules and it has to respect some guarantees
to the minorities.
(xv) In democracy, every major decision has to go through a series of consultations.
(xvi) A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional law and citizen’s rights.
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