Grade – 10 - Civics

Prepared By: Navya Rai

Navya Rai
 Democracy
Democracy is a form of government,
where a constitution guarantees
basic personal and political rights,
fair and free elections and
independent courts of law.
How do We Assess Democracy’s
Outcomes?
Democracy is a better form of government
than dictatorship in the following aspects:
Promotes Enhances Improves
equality among the dignity the quality
citizens. of the of decision
individual. making.

Provides a Allows
method to room to
resolve correct
conflicts. mistakes.
 Accountable, Responsive and
Legitimate Government
Transparency
Decision Citizens have the
making is based right and means to
on norms and examine the
decision making
procedures. process.

It is a legally
Government is elected govt
Answerable to formed according
people. to the will of the
people.
 Accountable
Accountable
◍ Expected outcome –
◍ Non-democratic
governments take quick
decisions as compared to
democratic governments.
◍ But as due to deliberations
and negotiations, the
decisions of democratic
government are acceptable
to citizens.
 Accountable

◍ Democratic government
follows rules and
procedures People have Mechanism - To measure
the rights and means to democracies on the basis of
examine the process of this expected outcome–
regular free and fair
decision making, as it is elections, public debate on
transparent. major policies and
◍ It develops mechanisms legislation, citizens’ right to
information about the
for citizens to take part in
government.
decision making
whenever they think fit.
 Actual performance
Accountable
♣ Actual Performance: It has greater success in
holding regular and free elections and setting up
conditions for open public debate.
♣ But does not provide fair chance to everyone and in
subjecting every decision to public debate..
♣ Democratic governments do not have a very good
record when it comes to sharing information with
citizens.
♣ But still compared to non-democracies they are
better in this respect.
 Responsive
♥ Expected outcome - is attentive to the needs and
demands of the people and is largely free of
corruption.
♥ Actual Performance – Democracies often frustrate
the needs of the people and often ignore the
demands of a majority of its population.
♥ They ignore the needs and demands of a majority of
its population. They are corrupted also but even
non democracies are not less corrupt
 Legitimate Government

►Expected Outcome -
Democratic government is
people’s own government.
►Actual Performance – There
is an overwhelming support
for the idea of democracy all
over the world.
►The accompanying evidence
from South Asia shows, the
support exists in countries
with democratic regimes as
well as countries without
democratic regimes.
 Legitimate Government

• People wish to be ruled

* Dictatorships have
slightly higher rate of
economic growth.
* Economic
development depends
upon several other
factors – population,
global situation,
cooperation from
other countries,
economic policies.
Economic growth and development
(Economic outcome)
◍ Differences in Conclusion - Democracy is not
the rates of a guarantee of economic
economic development. But we can
development expect democracy not to lag
between less behind dictatorships in this
developed respect. When we find such
countries with significant difference in the
dictatorships rates of economic growth
and between countries under
democracies are dictatorship and democracy, it
is better to prefer democracy as
negligible.
it has several other positive
outcomes.
 Reduction of inequality and poverty
(Economic outcome)
 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 . The situation is
much worse in some other
countries.
 Accommodation of social
diversity (Social outcome)

 How democracy
accommodate diversities
 Democracies develop a
procedure to conduct their
competition which reduces
tension among them.
 The social differences are
respected in democracies
and some mechanism is
evolved to negotiate the
differences.
 Conditions to achieve the above
outcome
◍ Democracy is not just rule
by majority but also takes
minority’s view. The
majority always needs to
work with the minority.
◍ Rule by majority should not
be rule by majority
community in terms of
religion or caste or
linguistic group. Democracy
allows every citizen to be in
majority at some point of
time.
 Dignity and freedom of the citizens
◍ Democracy 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 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
◍ The claims of disadvantaged and
discriminated castes for equal status and
dignity have been strengthened.
◍ Caste based inequalities are still practiced in
our society but it lacks legal and moral
foundations.
◍ It is the recognition
that makes ordinary
citizens value their
democratic right.
 People’s demand for more benefits
• Most distinctive about democracy is that its examination
never gets over. 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.
Thank You