Ch. 8 Challenges to Democracy Questions and Answers

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Q. Enlist and clarify the types of challenges faced by the countries concerned with democracy.

A. ・Foundational Challenge of making the transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government. This involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, preventing a military coupe and establishing a sovereign and functional state.

・ Challenge of expansion: This involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions. Ensuring greater power to local governments, an extension of the federal principle to all the units of the federation, the inclusion of women and minority group etc. fall under this challenge.

・Challenge of deepening democracy: is faced by every democracy in one form or another. This involves the strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy. This should happen in such a way that people can realise their expectations of democracy. But ordinary people have different expectations from democracy in different societies. Thus, this challenge takes different meanings and paths in different parts of the world. It usually means strengthening those institutions that help people's participation and control. This requires an attempt to bring down the control and influence of the rich and powerful people in making the governmental decision.
Q. Describe the different criteria on which political reforms depend?

A. Criteria on which political reforms depend:

・ It is very tempting to think of legal ways of reforming politics, to think of new laws to ban undesirable things. Carefully devised changes in law can help to discourage wrong political practices and encourage good ones. But legal constitutional changes by themselves can't overcome challenges to democracy. Democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.

・ Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Sometimes the result may be counter productive eg. many states have banned people who have more than two children from contesting panchayat elections. This has resulted in the denial of democratic opportunity to many poor and women. The Right to Information Act is a good example of a law that empowers the people to find out what is happening in government and act as watchdogs of democracy. Such a law helps to control corruption and supplements the existing laws that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties.

・Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political practice. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.

・Any proposal for political reforms should think not only about what is a good solution but also about who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizen's organisations and the media are likely to succeed.
Q. Redefine democracy. What are its different aspects?

A. Redefining Democracy

・The rulers elected by the people must take all the major decisions.

・Elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change their current rulers.

・ This choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis.

・ The exercise of this choice must lead to a government limited by the basic rules of the constitution and citizen's rights. 

Different Aspects

・ Democratic rights are not limited to the right to vote, stand in elections and form political organisations. A democracy must offer some social and economic rights to its citizens.

・ Power sharing is the spirit of democracy. Power sharing between governments and social groups is necessary for a democracy.

・Democracy can't be the brute rule of majority and respect for minority voice is necessary.

・ Eliminating discrimination based on caste, religion and gender is important in a democracy.

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