Ch. 4 Electoral Politics Q&A Class 9 Civics
Q. Differentiate between general and by elections.
A. General Elections By Elections
i) They are conducted when i) They are conducted when their
either the house has dissolved or is vacancy caused by the death
the term (5 years) is over. or resignation of a member.
ii) Elections are held in all constitu- ii) Held in only one constituency
-encies at the same time, either on which has is a vacant.
the same day or within a few days.
iii) Function is to elect national/ iii) Function is to elect a single
state government. MP/ MLA to fill vacancy.
Q. Mention 2 merits and 2 demerits of electoral competition.
A. Merits-
i) Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders.
ii) They know that if they raise issues that people want to be raised, then their popularity and chances to win increase in the next elections.
Demerits-
i) Electoral competition creates a sense of disunity and factionalism in every locality.
ii) Electoral fights do not allow long term policies to be formulated.
Q. Discuss the steps involved in election procedure.
A. 1. Voter's List- The list of all those eligible to vote is prepared much before the election. This list is called the election roll or the voter's list.
2. Nomination Of Candidates- Political parties nominate candidates who get the party symbol and support. All those wishing to contest have to fill a nomination form, deposit some security money and give their affidavits.
3. Election Campaign- Campaigns the place for a 2 week period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of polling. It has to stop 48 hours before the voting day.
4. Polling- Every person whose name is on the voting list can go to a nearby polling booth to cast their vote. Votes are recorded using EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines).
5. Counting Of Votes- After polling EVMs are sealed and taken to a secure location. There they are opened and votes secured by each candidate are counted. The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared elected.
Q. Mention any 2 challenges to free and fair elections and 2 reforms.
A. Challenges-
i) In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the electoral race and to secure a 'ticket' from major parties.
ii) Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives from these families.
Reforms-
i) More chances should be given to dedicated and educated people so that they have a chance of competing in the elections instead of conventional family parties.
ii) Educational qualification should be specified to be able to compete in elections.
Q. What are the responsibilities of the Election Commission (EC)?
A. 1. EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections.
2. It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
3. EC can order the government to follow some guidelines, to prevent use or misuse of governmental power to enchance its chances of winning elections or to transfer some government officials.
4. When on election duty, government officers work under the control of the EC and not the government.
Q. Define the following:
a) Booth capturing: Supporters or hired musclemen of a party or a candidate gain physical control of a polling booth and caste false votes by threatening everyone or by preventing genuine voters from reaching the polling booth.
b) Code of conduct: A set of norms and guidelines which all parties and candidates must follow during election period.
A. General Elections By Elections
i) They are conducted when i) They are conducted when their
either the house has dissolved or is vacancy caused by the death
the term (5 years) is over. or resignation of a member.
ii) Elections are held in all constitu- ii) Held in only one constituency
-encies at the same time, either on which has is a vacant.
the same day or within a few days.
iii) Function is to elect national/ iii) Function is to elect a single
state government. MP/ MLA to fill vacancy.
Q. Mention 2 merits and 2 demerits of electoral competition.
A. Merits-
i) Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and leaders.
ii) They know that if they raise issues that people want to be raised, then their popularity and chances to win increase in the next elections.
Demerits-
i) Electoral competition creates a sense of disunity and factionalism in every locality.
ii) Electoral fights do not allow long term policies to be formulated.
Q. Discuss the steps involved in election procedure.
A. 1. Voter's List- The list of all those eligible to vote is prepared much before the election. This list is called the election roll or the voter's list.
2. Nomination Of Candidates- Political parties nominate candidates who get the party symbol and support. All those wishing to contest have to fill a nomination form, deposit some security money and give their affidavits.
3. Election Campaign- Campaigns the place for a 2 week period between the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of polling. It has to stop 48 hours before the voting day.
4. Polling- Every person whose name is on the voting list can go to a nearby polling booth to cast their vote. Votes are recorded using EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines).
5. Counting Of Votes- After polling EVMs are sealed and taken to a secure location. There they are opened and votes secured by each candidate are counted. The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency is declared elected.
Q. Mention any 2 challenges to free and fair elections and 2 reforms.
A. Challenges-
i) In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the electoral race and to secure a 'ticket' from major parties.
ii) Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives from these families.
Reforms-
i) More chances should be given to dedicated and educated people so that they have a chance of competing in the elections instead of conventional family parties.
ii) Educational qualification should be specified to be able to compete in elections.
Q. What are the responsibilities of the Election Commission (EC)?
A. 1. EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections.
2. It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.
3. EC can order the government to follow some guidelines, to prevent use or misuse of governmental power to enchance its chances of winning elections or to transfer some government officials.
4. When on election duty, government officers work under the control of the EC and not the government.
Q. Define the following:
a) Booth capturing: Supporters or hired musclemen of a party or a candidate gain physical control of a polling booth and caste false votes by threatening everyone or by preventing genuine voters from reaching the polling booth.
b) Code of conduct: A set of norms and guidelines which all parties and candidates must follow during election period.