CBSE Class 10 Social Science Outcomes of Democracy Important Questions Set 04

Question 1. Which values make democracy better than other forms of government? Explain.
Answer:
Democracy means rule of the people — of the people, for the people and by the people; it is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally, either directly or through elected representatives.
Values it represents: freedom to citizens; representing the views and opinions of all citizens of the country, whether in majority or minority; resolving conflicts and quarrels through discussion and negotiation; and dignity to people from every section of society.

Teacher's Note:
a) Democracy's core values are freedom, inclusive representation, negotiated conflict resolution, and dignity.
b) These values are what set democracy apart from other forms of government.

Question 2. State any three merits of democracy.
Answer:
Democracy assures equality in every sphere of life — political, social and economic.
It upholds basic individual liberties, like freedom of speech.
In a democracy, transparency in governance is achieved.

Teacher's Note:
a) Equality, individual liberties and transparency are core democratic merits.
b) These together distinguish democracy from less accountable systems.

Question 3. How is a democratic government known as a responsive government? Explain with examples.
Answer:
A democratic government has to be responsive to the needs of its citizens.
Through discussions and public opinion, the democratic government can check the popularity of its decisions and the mechanism of administering justice.
A government that can respond to grievances faster is able to avoid confrontation and provide good governance; such governments are said to be responsive.

Teacher's Note:
a) Responsiveness means checking public opinion and acting on grievances promptly.
b) This helps avoid confrontation and maintains good governance.

Question 4. Why is a democratic government known as a legitimate government? Explain.
Answer:
A democratic government is called a legitimate government because it is the people's own government.
It may be slow, less efficient and may have other flaws, but it is still the people's government.
There is overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world; people of South Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Nepal, have no doubt about its suitability for their country.
People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them; democracy's ability to generate its own support makes it more legitimate.

Teacher's Note:
a) Legitimacy comes from being the 'people's own government', not from efficiency.
b) Widespread global support for democracy, despite its flaws, reinforces this legitimacy.

Question 5. “Transparency is the most important feature of democracy.” Analyse.
Answer:
Democracy ensures that decision-making is based on certain norms and procedures.
A citizen who wants to know whether a decision was taken through the correct procedure can find this out, for example by filing an RTI (Right to Information) request.
Citizens have the right and the means to examine the process of decision-making; this is known as transparency.

Teacher's Note:
a) Transparency means citizens can check that decisions followed proper procedure, using tools like RTI.
b) This right to examine decision-making is a hallmark feature of democratic governance.

Question 6. Explain any three merits of democratic governments over dictatorship.
Answer:
Democracy safeguards the interests of the people — real power lies with the people, exercised through elected representatives who are responsible to them, serving social, economic and political interests better.
Democracy is based on the principle of equality; all members of the state are equal before the law, enjoy equal social, political and economic rights, and the state cannot discriminate on the basis of caste, religion, sex or property; all have an equal right to choose their government.
Democracy is known for its stability, firmness and efficiency; the tenure of elected representatives is fixed, forming a stable government based on public support, with administration conducted responsibly.
By contrast, under dictatorship, a select few rule without being answerable to the public, with no chance to correct a wrong policy, and people's lack of say often leads to widespread dissatisfaction, which rulers may suppress with coercive measures.

Teacher's Note:
a) Democracy offers equality, stability and accountability that dictatorship lacks.
b) Dictatorship's unanswerable rulers and suppression of dissent are its key weaknesses by contrast.