NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Political Science Chapter 7 Out comes of Democracy
Question 1. Describe the principal characteristic of dictatorship.
Answer:
Dictatorship means rule by one man or by a few. In a dictatorship, all the power of the state is concentrated in one man or a group of men.
- All the decisions are made and no one can question his authority. His dictate is a law and all have to follow his orders, whether they like it or not.
- No constitution: In countries run by dictators, there is no set of fundamentals that define the distribution of one-man rules governing the politics of the nation or governmental power.
- There is no freedom of speech and expression, freedom of the press or electronic media, and no freedom to form assemblies, unions, etc. People are not supposed to disagree with the government. All the decisions are taken by a dictator and all the citizens are expected to follow them.
- Monopolization of power: In a dictatorship, all powers are vested and concentrated
in one person who directs all the powers and policies as well as programs
for the society. People’s views, interests, and opinions are disregarded altogether. - Complete control of media: In a dictatorship, mass media has no freedom.
They can’t say or publish any material against the government or the dictator.
Strict censorship is exercised over the print and electronic media.
Question 2. Democracy is the rule of the majority. The poor are in the majority. So democracy must be a rule of the poor. How can this not be the case?
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Answer:
- Democracy is a rule of the majority means that it is ruled by majority views.
- Rule by majority does not mean rule by majority in terms of religion, race, linguistic groups, poor or rich.
- It means that in the case of every decision or in the case of every election, different persons and groups may and can form a majority.
- So, to say that democracy must be a rule of the poor will give rise to a further division of society on a different line and lead to conflict.
- Democracy remains democracy only as long as every citizen has a chance of
being in the majority at some point in time.
Question 3. “Democracy promotes dignity and freedom of the citizen (individual)”. Explain the statement.
Or
State examples show that democracy promotes the dignity and freedom of the citizens.
Answer:
- The passion for respect and freedom is the basis of democracy. This principle
has been achieved at various levels in various democracies. - In the case of the dignity of women, most societies across the world were historically male-dominated.
- It is possible in a democratic government that equality in gender is ensured.
- In India, the claims of the disadvantaged and discriminated against have been accepted. Reservation of seats for SCs/STs and OBCs in educational institutions and government jobs shows that the weaker sections are protected.
- Democracy transforms people from the status of a subject into that of a citizen.
- Most individuals today believe that their votes make a difference, i.e., the
government runs according to their wishes.
Question 4. ‘Not so many would be satisfied with the democracy in practice’. Support your answer.
Answer:
- Democracy seems to be good in principle but not in practice. It means the
principles are in favour of the people but in practice they do not enjoy the same. - The economic growth rate in democratic regimes is less when compared to those in other forms of government (Dictatorship).
For example, The data collected between 1950 and 2000 shows that the growth in all democratic regimes was 3.95%, but in all dictatorial regimes, it was 4.42%.
Question 5. What are the different characteristics and aspects of democracy?
Answer:
- Democracy means “rule by the people”.
- All the citizens in a democracy take part in elections to elect their representatives who form the government and are accountable to the people for their actions and performance.
- Every citizen is equal in the eyes of the law and has equal rights and freedom in the country. In a democracy, all the material resources are owned collectivity by the society. Besides, all the resources are evenly and widely distributed.
Distinct features, aspects, and characteristics of democracy. Political Aspect: Political democracy means political equality of all citizens without any discrimination on the grounds of sex, race religion, region, language, etc.
Everybody has the right to vote, to contest the election, and to take part in the formation of government directly or indirectly. Besides equality in the eyes of the law of the land, democracy as a form of government has the following features.
- Elections should be held regularly: More than one party contests the elections.
- Elections should be held on the basis of universal adult franchise.
- There should be freedom of speech, expression, assembly, and freedom of press
(print media) and electronic media. - Separation and division of power between the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
Social aspect: It means equality, unity, and harmony in the society. Everyone should have equal access to the material resources of the society without any discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, region, or language and no community should be given any preference over other religions or communities. The government should take measures to uplift all sections of society.
Economic Aspect: It means equal economic status for all citizens. No gap or little gap between the rich and the poor. Equal distribution of income among all the people. Balanced economic development of all regions.
Question 6. What factors sustain democracy in India?
Or
How is the democratic system in India? State reasons.
Answer:
The following factors sustain democracy in India:
- Democracy is liked by almost all Indians It is based on the principles of equality, freedom, and brotherhood.
- To achieve the prescribed goals (secularism, socialism, democratic, republic
national unity and international security, etc.) the formers of the Indian
constitution revived completely on the norms of democracy. - The formers of the Indian constitution provided for a representative democracy
in a liberal framework.
Question 7. Mention any three conditions which are necessary in order to achieve a positive outcome in democracy.
Answer:
- Accommodation of social diversity can lead to a peaceful and harmonious life among
citizens. - Democracy is not simply a rule by majority opinion (like “majoritarianism” in
Sri Lanka). Minority opinion should also be considered like in Belgium. - It is also necessary that rule by the majority does not become rule by the majority
community in terms of religion language race, etc.
Question 8. Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting the dignity and freedom of the individual. Explain.
Answer:
The people prefer a democratic form of government over any other form due to the
following reasons:
- Democracy promotes equality among citizens.
- It promotes freedom to elect or reject the government.
- It promotes the freedom of political parties or organizations.
- It guarantees public opinion.
- It enhances the dignity of the individuals.
- It improves the quality of decision-making.
- It also provides a method to resolve conflicts or variations.
- It enables us to correct failures or mistakes, etc.
Question 9. “Democracy provides a base for the accommodation of social diversity.” Explain.
Answer:
- It will be a fair expectation of the citizens that democracy should produce a harmonious social life.
- Democracy accommodates various social divisions. In the case of Belgium, it is in the form of power-sharing between logistics groups.
- India had a coalition form of government in the past decade where many political parties agreed to form a government.
- Democracy emphasizes both majority and minority opinion in the decision¬ making process.
Question 10. What is the accountability of democratic government?
Answer:
The accountability of the democratic government must be with its citizens. In fact, without this measure and important characteristics, no government can be called a democratic government.
If they are working according to public opinion keeping their interest in mind, I think they would do it. The citizens of the country can check on their representatives and they can ask about the policy, programs, laws, decisions projects, etc.
They can force the party in power to fulfill their declared agenda at the time of election. Even the opposition parties work keeping their responsibility towards the people or citizens because they also want to be popular or more popular day by day if they work keeping the public opinion and interest in their mind.
Question 11. Write three values each which differentiate between social and political democracy.
Answer:
Social Democracy
- Claims for the disadvantaged and discriminated castes for equal status and
equal opportunities. - Promotes equality among citizens.
- Enhances the dignity of the individual.
Political Democracy
- Ensures freedom of the citizens.
- Leads to a peaceful and harmonious life among citizens.
- Produces an accountable, responsive, and legitimate government.
Question 12. Describe the characteristics of liberal democracy.
Answer:
The following are the main characteristics of liberal democracy:
- The government is formed by the elected representatives of citizens and is accountable and responsible to them.
- More than one political parties compete for political power.
- There are periodic elections based on universal adult franchise.
- The competition for power is open and not secretive. It is not through open elections
but through secret ballot papers. - Civil liberties such as freedom of speech, religion and association, etc., are guaranteed.
- Pressure groups and other organized and unorganized groups are also allowed to operate in the system. They are also able to influence government decisions and policies.