Outcomes Of Democracy Flashcards
Merits of democracy
• Promotes equality among citizens.
• Enhances the dignity of the individual.
• Improves the quality of decision making.
• Provides a method to resolve conflicts.
• Allows room to correct mistakes.
Common features of democracy
they have formal constitutions,
they hold elections,
they have parties and
they guarantee rights of citizens.
How are different democracies different from each other?
these democracies are very much different from each other in terms of their:-
• Social situations,
• their economic achievements
• their cultures.
So, if their levels of achievements are different. The people should realize that democracy is just a form of government. It can only create conditions for achieving something. The citizens have to take advantage of those conditions and achieve those goals.
Political outcome- accountable, responsive and legitimate govt
A] ACCOUNTABLE FORM OF GOVERNMENT :-THIS IS THE MOST BASIC OUTCOME OF DEMOCRACY:-
• A democracy ensures that people will have the right to choose their rulers and will have control over them.
• They should be able to participate in the decision-making process that affects them.
• The government should be accountable, responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.
B] DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS BASED ON IDEA OF DELIBERATION AND NEGOTIATIONS:-
• Some people think that democracy produces less effective government as a non-democratic ruler do not have to bother about deliberation in assemblies and public opinion so they can be quick and efficient in making a decision and implementation. But it has been seen that their decisions are less acceptable to people and are changed frequently.
• Democracy is based on idea of deliberation sand negotiation so delay tend to happen as it follows a procedure before arriving at a decision and majority is taken before its implementation. So, these decisions are more acceptable to people and they are more effective. So, the cost of time democracy pays is perhaps worth it.
C] DEMOCRATIC PROCEDURES ARE TRANSPARENT:- -
• Democracy ensures that all the decisions that are taken should be based on proper norms and procedures.
• A Citizen has right and the means to examine the process of decision making. This is known as transparency. This system is missing from a non-democratic government.
D] DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IS A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT:-
• It is people’s own government. Therefore, there is overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world.
• People wished to be ruled by representatives elected by them as they also feel democracy is suitable for their country.
• Democracy’s ability to generate its own support is itself an outcome that cannot be ignored.
Drawbacks of democracy
• Democracies have had greater success in setting up regular and free elections and in setting up conditions for open public debate. But most democracies fall short of elections that provide a fair chance to everyone and in subjecting every decision to public debate.
• Democratic government does not have a very good record when it comes to sharing information with citizens.
• Democracies often frustrate the needs of the people and often ignore the demands of the majority of its population. Democracy is not free of corruption either. At the same time there is nothing to show that non democratic are less corrupt or more sensitive to the people.
Economic growth and development
• If all democracies and all dictatorships are considered for fifty years from 1950 and 2000 then dictatorships have slightly higher rate of economic growth than democracies.
• Economic development depends upon several other factors – population, global situation, cooperation from other countries, economic policies.
• Differences in the rates of economic development between less developed countries with dictatorships and democracies are negligible.
Democracy is not a guarantee of economic development.
But we can expect democracy not to lag behind dictatorships in this respect.
When we find such significant difference in the rates of economic growth between countries under dictatorship and democracy, it is better to prefer democracy as it has several other positive outcomes.
Reduction of inequality and poverty
Democracy is based on political equality but along with this we can see economic inequality growing.
• A small number of ultra-rich enjoy a highly disproportionate share of wealth and incomes and their share in total income of the country is increasing.
• On the other hand, the income of poor is declining. Sometimes they find it difficult to meet their basic needs of life, such as food, clothing, house, education and health.
• Though poor constitute a large proportion of voters, yet the democratic governments are not keen to take up the question of poverty and solve their problems.
• Democracies do not appear to be very successful in reducing economic inequalities.
- in Bangladesh more than half its population lives in poverty
Accommodation of social diversity
• Democracies develop a procedure to conduct their competition which reduces the possibility of tensions becoming explosive and violent.
• The social differences are respected in democracies and some mechanism is evolved to negotiate the differences.
- non democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social conflicts
Democracy must fulfil 2 conditions in order to achieve this outcome:
It is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion. The majority always needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view. Majority and minority opinions are not permanent.
It is also necessary that rule by majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of religion or race or linguistic group, etc. Rule by majority means that in case of every decision or in case of every election, different persons and groups may and can form a majority. Democracy remains democracy only as long as every citizen has a chance of being in majority at some point of time. If someone is barred from being in majority on the basis of birth, then the democratic rule ceases to be accommodative for that person or group.
Dignity and freedom of citizens
• Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting dignity and freedom of individual. It respects all the individuals equally.
• The passion for respect and freedom are the basis of democracy.
Instances
Dignity of Women
• Long struggles against male dominated societies have created some sensitivity to respect and treat women equally.
• It becomes easier for women now to wage a struggle against what is now unacceptable legally and morally in a democratic set up.
• In a non-democratic set up, this unacceptability would not have legal basis because the principle of individual freedom and dignity would not have the legal and moral force there.
Caste Discrimination
• Democracy in India has strengthened the claims of disadvantaged and discriminated castes for equal status and opportunity.
• There are instances still of caste-based inequalities but these lack moral and legal foundations.
It is distinctive about democracy is that its examination never gets over. Explain.
• As democracy passes one test, it produces another test. As people get some benefits of democracy, they ask for more and want to make democracy even better.
• The fact that people are complaining is itself a testimony to the success of democracy.
• This shows people’s awareness and ability to expect and look at power holders and high and mighty.
• It shows the transformation of people from the status of subject into that of citizen.
• The citizens believe that their votes make a difference to the way the government is run and to their own self-interest.
Democracy is good in principle but not so good in practice
• The decision-making process in democracy is time-taking; it takes lot of time to make or amend certain laws.
• The tyranny of the majority overrides the will of the minority. Democratic government does not have a very good record when it comes to sharing information with citizens.
• Corruption often dominates the functioning of democracies. Democracies often frustrate the needs of the people and often ignore the demands of the majority of its population
• An illiterate and uninformed electorate fails to give itself a legitimate and accountable government.
• The role of charismatic leaders and dynastic politics dominates political cultures.
