WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? - Q&A

EXERCISES

1. Here is some information about four countries. Based on this information, how would you classify each of these countries. Write 'democratic', 'undemocratic' or 'not sure' against each of these.
a. Country A: People who do not accept the country's official religion do not have a right to vote.
b. Country B: The same party has been winning elections for the last twenty years.
c. Country C: Ruling party has lost in the last three elections.
d. Country D: There is no independent election commission.

Answer:
a. Undemocratic (In a democracy, every citizen must have equal right to vote regardless of religion.)
b. Not sure (Winning consistently could mean the party is genuinely popular, or it could mean malpractice. Without more info, we can't be certain, though it is suspicious.)
c. Democratic (The fact that the ruling party loses shows that elections are free and fair, and people have the power to change their government.)
d. Undemocratic (An independent election commission is crucial for free and fair elections; without it, the ruling party can manipulate results.)

2. Here is some information about four countries. Based on this information, how would you classify each of these countries. Write 'democratic', 'undemocratic' or 'not sure' against each of these.
a. Country P: The parliament cannot pass a law about the army without the consent of the Chief of Army.
b. Country Q: The parliament cannot pass a law reducing the powers of the judiciary.
c. Country R: The country's leaders cannot sign any treaty with another country without taking permission from its neighbouring country.
d. Country S: All the major economic decisions about the country are taken by officials of the central bank which the ministers cannot change.

Answer:
a. Undemocratic (In a democracy, elected representatives [Parliament] must have the final say, not unelected military officials.)
b. Democratic (This suggests the judiciary is independent and powerful, which is a key feature of democracy to check the government's power.)
c. Undemocratic (A democratic country must be sovereign, meaning its elected leaders should have the full power to take decisions without external pressure.)
d. Undemocratic (In a democracy, elected officials [ministers] should have the final authority over policies, including economic ones, not unelected officials.)

3. Which of these is not a good argument in favour of democracy? Why?
a. People feel free and equal in a democracy.
b. Democracies resolve conflict in a better way than others.
c. Democratic government is more accountable to the people.
d. Democracies are more prosperous than others.

Answer: d. Democracies are more prosperous than others.
Explanation: While democracy has many benefits like equality, conflict resolution, and accountability, economic prosperity is not guaranteed. There are examples of non-democratic countries (like China or some Middle Eastern monarchies) that have grown economically very fast, while some democracies remain poor. Prosperity depends on many factors like resources, policies, and global situations, not just the form of government.

4. Each of these statements contains a democratic and an undemocratic element. Write out the two separately for each statement.
a. A minister said that some laws have to be passed by the parliament in order to conform to the regulations decided by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
b. The Election Commission of a country orders re-polling in a constituency where large scale rigging was reported.
c. Women's representation in the parliament has barely reached 10 per cent. This led women's organisations to demand one-third seats for women.

Answer:
a. Democratic Element: Laws have to be passed by the parliament (elected representatives).
Undemocratic Element: Conforming to regulations decided by the World Trade Organisation (an external, unelected body influencing sovereign decisions).

b. Democratic Element: The Election Commission ordering re-polling to ensure fairness.
Undemocratic Element: Large scale rigging was reported (which violates the principle of free and fair elections).

c. Democratic Element: Women's organisations demanding one-third seats (citizens exercising their right to protest and demand rights).
Undemocratic Element: Women's representation has barely reached 10 per cent (indicates lack of equality and fair representation for a major section of the population).

5. Which of these is not a valid reason for arguing that there is a lesser possibility of famine in a democratic country?
a. Opposition parties can draw attention to hunger and starvation.
b. Free press can report suffering from famine in different parts of the country.
c. Government fears its defeat in the next elections.
d. People are free to believe in and practise any religion.

Answer: d. People are free to believe in and practise any religion.
Explanation: Freedom of religion is a cultural liberty and a democratic right, but it has no direct connection to preventing famines. Options (a), (b), and (c) are all mechanisms that pressure the government to act quickly to solve food shortages, whereas religious freedom does not influence government action on hunger.

6. There are 40 villages in a district where the government has made no provision for drinking water. These villagers met and considered many methods of forcing the government to pay attention to their need. Which of these is not a democratic method?
a. Filing a case in the courts claiming that water is part of right to life.
b. Boycotting the next elections to give a message to all parties.
c. Organising public meetings against government's policies.
d. Paying money to government officials to get water.

Answer: d. Paying money to government officials to get water.
Explanation: Bribery is illegal and corrupt. It undermines the rule of law and equality, which are foundations of democracy. The other options (courts, boycotts, public meetings) are legitimate ways for citizens to protest and demand their rights in a democracy.

7. Write a response to the following arguments against democracy:
a. Army is the most disciplined and corruption-free organisation in the country. Therefore army should rule the country.
b. Rule of the majority means the rule of ignorant people. What we need is the rule of the wise, even if they are in small numbers.
c. If we want religious leaders to guide us in spiritual matters, why not invite them to guide us in politics as well. The country should be ruled by religious leaders.

Answer:
a. Response: Even if the army is disciplined, army rule is undemocratic because the rulers are not elected by the people. There is no freedom for citizens to criticize or change the rulers if they are unhappy. Democracy is not just about discipline; it's about the people's consent.

b. Response: This argument assumes that only a few "wise" people know what is best. In a democracy, every citizen is considered equal and capable of deciding their own future. Excluding people based on perceived "ignorance" leads to dictatorship where the needs of the common people are often ignored.

c. Response: Politics and religion are different fields. Religious leaders may be experts in faith, but politics requires handling complex issues like economy, foreign relations, and law for all citizens, regardless of their religion. Mixing religion with politics often causes conflict and discrimination against other religious groups, which goes against the democratic value of secularism.

8. Are the following statements in keeping with democracy as a value? Why?
a. Father to daughter: I don't want to hear your opinion about your marriage. In our family children marry where the parents tell them to.
b. Teacher to student: Don't disturb my concentration by asking me questions in the classroom.
c. Employee to the officer: Our working hours must be reduced according to the law.

Answer:
a. No. This is undemocratic. Democracy involves consultation and freedom of choice. The daughter is being denied her right to have a say in a decision that affects her life.
b. No. This is undemocratic. In a classroom, a democratic environment allows students to ask questions and clear doubts. Stopping questions stifles free thought and interaction.
c. Yes. This is democratic. The employee is asking for their rights based on the "rule of law," which is a core democratic principle. It shows that rules apply to everyone, including officers.

9. Consider the following facts about a country and decide if you would call it a democracy. Give reasons to support your decision.
a. All the citizens of the country have right to vote. Elections are held regularly.
b. The country took loan from international agencies. One of the conditions for giving loan was that the government would reduce its expenses on education and health.
c. People speak more than seven languages but education is available only in one language, the language spoken by 52 percent people.
d. Several organisations have given a call for peaceful demonstrations and nation wide strikes in the country to oppose these policies.
e. The government has arrested these leaders.

Answer:
Decision: It is difficult to call this country a true democracy.
Reasons:
1. Undemocratic Element (b): The government is accepting conditions from international agencies that harm the welfare (health and education) of its own people. This compromises the country's sovereignty.
2. Undemocratic Element (c): By forcing only one language on a multilingual population, the government is violating the principle of equality and disregarding the rights of minorities (the 48% who speak other languages).
3. Undemocratic Element (e): Arresting leaders for peaceful demonstrations violates the fundamental democratic rights of freedom of speech and expression. In a democracy, people have the right to protest against the government.
Note: While point (a) (right to vote) is democratic, the other actions undermine the spirit of democracy.