CBSE Class 10 Social Science Outcomes of Democracy Notes Set 06

How do we judge democracy?

A government can be judged by what it produces. Democracy is measured against what we expect from it: an accountable, responsive and legitimate government, economic growth and equality, respect for diversity, and dignity and freedom for citizens. No democracy meets all expectations, but it can be compared with other forms of government.

Accountable, responsive and legitimate government

Democracy rests on citizens choosing their rulers and controlling them. Its main features are regular, free and fair elections, open public debate on major policies, and the citizens' right to know how decisions are made, which in India is protected by the Right to Information Act, 2005. This is transparency. Democratic government is accountable to the people and responds to their needs and expectations through negotiation, so it can be slow. A non-democratic ruler may decide quickly, but decisions can be rejected by the people and are made without open scrutiny. Democracy is therefore a legitimate government: it is people's own government, even if it is imperfect.

Economic growth and development

Democracies have not done better than dictatorships in economic growth. Between 1950 and 2000, dictatorships grew by an average of about 4.95 per cent a year, while democracies grew by about 3.95 per cent. Growth depends on many factors beyond the form of government, such as the size of the population, global conditions, cooperation from other countries and the economic priorities of the country. The gap in growth is small, and democracy offers other benefits that outweigh it.

Reducing inequality and poverty

Democracy rests on political equality, where each adult has one vote and each vote has one value. In practice, economic inequality is growing: a small group of rich people holds a large share of national income, while the poor have a very small share and some cannot meet basic needs such as food, clothing, health and shelter. Democracies have not removed poverty, so they are not fully successful here. Steps taken include minimum needs programmes, distribution of surplus land, reservation of jobs for backward classes, and social security such as old-age pensions and subsidised housing. Voters in a democracy can demand more.

Accommodating social diversity

Democracy must resolve conflicts among different groups peacefully. It works well when two conditions are met. First, the majority must always work with the minority so that government represents the general view. Second, the majority should not be fixed on religion, race or language; it should be formed by different persons in different issues. Democracy remains a democracy as long as every citizen has a chance of being in the majority at some point. Belgium shows that sharing power can maintain unity. Sri Lanka shows what happens when the majority ignores a minority.

Dignity and freedom of citizens

Every individual wants to be respected. Democracy is better at this because it rests on the principle of equal treatment, and struggles of women and weaker groups for dignity have been supported by democratic ideals. Where citizens can express their grievances and complaints freely, it is itself evidence that democracy is working. Democracy also improves the quality of decisions, provides a method for resolving conflicts and allows room to correct mistakes.

Worked examples

Example 1. Why do some people think democracy produces less effective government? Decisions need discussion and consultation, so they take time. A non-democratic ruler can act fast but may not consider public opinion, so the decision may be rejected or harmful.

Example 2. Why is democracy considered better than its alternatives? It lets people choose and control their rulers, provides dignity and equality, improves the quality of decisions through discussion, offers peaceful methods of resolving conflicts and lets mistakes be corrected.

Example 3. List factors affecting a country's economic development. Population size, global situation, cooperation from other countries and the country's own economic priorities.

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