Chapter-7 

Outcomes of Democracy

Exercises

1. How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government? 

Ans. Democracy produces an accountable government: Democracy produces an accountable governments, as the people have the right in choosing their representatives through the electoral process. These elected representatives form the government and participate in the decision-making process on behalf of the people. If these elected representatives do not work properly, people have a chance to not elect them in the next election.

Democracy Produces Responsive Government: Democratic governments are elected by the people and are responsible towards the people and Parliament. These governments promote the formation of public opinion and take care of the needs and expectations of the people.

Democracy Produces Legitimate Government: A democratic government is people’s own government. People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them. They also believe that democracy is suitable for their country. Democracy’s ability to generate its own support is itself an outcome that cannot be ignored.



2. What are the conditions under which democracies accommodate social diversities?

Ans. Democracies allow social diversity under the following conditions: Minority and majority views do not last. Minority and majority must collaborate to ensure that government operations represent general opinions. It must be realised that just governing by majority vote is not democracy.

3. Give Arguments to support or oppose the following assertion ঃ

Ans. 


∎ Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.

∎ Democracy Can't reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.

∎ Government of poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on indutries and infastructure. 

∎In democracy all citizens have one vote, which means that there is absence of any domination and conflict.

4. Identify the challenges to democracy in the following descriptions. Also suggest policy/institutional mechanism to deepen democracy in the given situations:


• Following a High Court directive a temple in Orissa that had separate entry doors for dalits and non-dalits allowed entry for all from the same door.

•A large number of farmers are committing suicide in different states of India.


• Following allegation of killing of three civilians in Gandwara in a fake encounter by Jammu and Kashmir police, an enquiry has been ordered.

Ans.


5. In the context of democracies, which of the following ideas is correct democracies have successfully eliminated: -

A. conflicts among people


B. economic inequalities among people

C. differences of opinion about how marginalized sections are to be treated

D. the idea of political inequality

Ans.


6. In the context of assessing democracy which among the following is odd one out. Democracies need to ensure:

A. free and fair elections

    

B. dignity of the individual

    

C. majority rule

D. equal treatment before law


Ans.


7. Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy show that

A. democracy and development go together.

B. inequalities exist in democracies.

C. inequalities do not exist under dictatorship.

D. dictatorship is better than democracy.

Ans.


8. Read the passage below


 Nannu is a daily wage earner. He lives in Welcome mazdoor Colony, a slum habitation in  East Delhi. he lost his ration card and applied For a duplicate one in January 2004. He made several rounds to the local Food & Civil Supplies office for the next three months. But the clerks and officials would not even look at him, leave alone do his job or bother to  tell him the status of his application. Ultimately, he filed and an application under the right to Information Act asking for the daily progress made on his application, names of the officials, who were supposed to act on his application and what action would be taken againts these officials for their inaction. Within a week of filing application under the right to Information Act, he was visited by an inspector from the Food Department, who informed him that the card had been made and he could collect it form the office. When Nannu went to collect his card next day, he was given a very warm treatment by the Food & Supply Officer (FSO), who is the head of a Circle, The FSO offered him tea and requested him to withdraw his application under the right to Information, since his work had already been done.

What does Nannu's  example show? What impact did Nannu's action have on officials? Ask your parents their Exaperience when they approach government officials to attend to their problems. 

Ans:



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