CLASS 9 Civics CH 2 (PDF - Io)

CHAPTER-1 WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
WHY
DEMOCRACY?
1. What is Democracy?
Democracy is a form of government in which the
rulers are elected by the people.
2. Features of Democracy
• The rulers are elected by the people.
• Free and competitive elections are held.
• Each adult irrespective of religion, education,
caste, colour,
wealth have one vote, one value.
• The elected rulers take decisions within limits set
by
constitutional law and citizens’ rights.
• Rule of Law
• The rights of the citizens must be protected
through
Constitution.
• There must be an independent judiciary.
3. Major Decisions by Elected leaders

• In Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf led a
military coup in
October 1999 and overthrew democratically elected
government
and became President of the country.
→ In 2002, he held a referendum in the country
which was
based on malpractices and fraud granted him a five-
year
extension.
→ After passing law, ‘Legal Framework Order’ which

gave the
president power to dismiss the national and
provincial
assemblies, elections were held to the national and
provincial
assemblies.
• In this case, Pakistan has had elections, elected
representatives
have some powers. But the final
power rests with military officers and General
Musharraf
himself. So,this should not be called a
democracy.
• In a democracy, the final decision-making power
must rest
with those elected by the people.
4. Free and fair electoral competition

• In China, elections are regularly held after every
five years for electing the country’s parliament called
National People’s Congress.
→ Before contesting elections, a candidate needs the
approval of
the Chinese Communist Party.
→ The government is always formed by the
Communist Party.
• Mexico holds elections after every six years to
elect its
President.
→ But until 2000 every election was won by a party
called PRI
(Institutional Revolutionary Party). → Opposition
parties did
contest elections, but never managed to win as PRI
was known
to use many dirty tricks to win elections.
• Both the cases should not be called a democracy.
• A democracy must be based on a free and fair
election where
those currently in power have a fair chance of losing.
5. One person, one vote, One value

• There are many instances of denial of equal right to
vote.
→In Saudi Arabia women do not have the right to vote.
→ Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way
that
people belonging to Russian minority find it difficult to
get the
right to vote.
→ In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of
an
indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian-
Fijian.
• In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one
vote and
each vote must have one value.
6. Rule of Law and respect for rights

• Since independence, Zimbabwe ruled by ZANU-PF.
→ Its leader, Robert Mugabe has been ruling the
country. He is
popular but also uses unfair practices in elections.
→ Elections have been held regularly and always won
by
ZANU-PF.
→ Opposition party workers are harassed and their
meeting
disrupted.
→ Public protests and demonstrations against the
government
are declared illegal.
→ Television and radio are controlled by the
government and
give only the ruling party’s version.
→ Independent newspapers are there but the
government
harasses those journalists who go against it.
→ The government has ignored some court
judgments that went
against it and has pressurised judges.
• In this case, government is not democratic as there
is no there
is no citzen' basic rights, no political opposition, no
judiciary.
• A democratic government rule within limits set by
constitutional law and citizens’ rights.
Why Democracy?
7. Arguments against democracy
• Leaders keep changing in a democracy. This leads
to
instability.
• Democracy is all about political competition and
power play.
There is no scope for morality.
• So many people have to be consulted in a
democracy that it
leads to delays.
• Elected leaders do not know the best interest of
the people. It
leads to bad decisions.
• Democracy leads to corruption for it is based on
electoral
competition.
• Ordinary people don’t know what is good for them;
they
should not decide anything.
8. Arguments for democracy

• A democratic government is a better government
because it is
a more accountable form of government.
• Democracy improves the quality of decision-
making.
• Democracy provides a method to deal with
differences and
conflicts.
• Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.
• Democracy allows us to correct its own mistakes.
9. Broader Meanings of Democracy

• The most common form that democracy takes in
our times is
that of a representative democracy where majority is
allowed to
take decisions on behalf of all the people.
→ The majority of people rule through their elected
representatives.
• A democratic decision involves consultation with
and consent
of all those who are affected by that decision.
• Democracy is a principle that can be applied to any
sphere of
life.
→ Democracy can apply to a government or a family
or any
Other organisation.

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CHAPTER-1 WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?

3. Major Decisions by Elected leaders

→ After passing law, ‘Legal Framework Order’ which

4. Free and fair electoral competition

5. One person, one vote, One value

6. Rule of Law and respect for rights

8. Arguments for democracy

9. Broader Meanings of Democracy

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