Definition of Democracy:

Democracy has directly originated from the French democratic, but its real origin is
Greek. In Greek there are two words—demos and kratos. The former means people
while the latter rule and what we mean by democracy in English is rule of the people.

David Held, a renowned authority on the concept, defines the term as “Democracy
means a form of government in which, in contradistinction monarchies and
aristocracies, the people rule. Democracy entails a political community in which
there is some form of political equality among the people”. Precisely stated,
democracy is the rule by the people. Of all the definitions of democracy perhaps the
best and most popular definition is the following: It is called “the government of the
people, by the people and for the people”.

The former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is the author of this
definition. Lincoln uttered this definition in his Gettysburg Address delivered in 1864.
The sixties of the nineteenth century witnessed the height of the American Civil War
between the Northern and Southern states. Even today Lincoln’s definition is treated
by many as a classical one and any discussion of democracy cannot skip this.

Explanation of the Definition:

We have stated only two definitions because all the definitions sketch the same thing
so it is not necessary.

However, all the definitions have been found to contain the following
Elements:

1. Democracy is a form of government in which people’s participation is of primary

importance.

2. People may participate either directly or indirectly.

3. It is a form of government in which people have equal opportunity and this type of
government is based on individual merit and no place of hereditary privilege is to be
found in democracy.

4. Distribution of opportunities is adopted for reduction or removal of inequalities.

5. Democracy recognises that all the sections of the community will receive their due
shares.

6. Interests of the minorities will be duly protected and state makes arrangements for
that.

7. All the public offices and opportunities are opened to everyone and to fill the posts
public examinations are held. There is also open competition on in which every
eligible citizen has the right to participate.
8. It is a system of government which does not make any discrimination on the basis
of caste, religion, sex, birth etc.

9. In democracy all must have the scope to govern or to be a member of

government.

10. Rulers are to be accountable to the ruled and forms of accountability are many.

11. Rules are to be chosen by the ruled.

12. People shall have the right to decide who would rule them.

Democratic Principles

While their opinions vary, a consensus of political scientists agree that most
democracies are based on six foundational elements:

 Popular sovereignty: The principle that the government is created and

maintained by the consent of the people through their elected representatives.
 An Electoral System: Since according to the principle of popular sovereignty,
the people are the source of all political power, a clearly defined system of
conducting free and fair elections is essential.
 Public Participation: Democracies rarely survive without the active
participation of the people. Health democracies enable and encourage the
people to take part in their political and civic processes.
 Separation of Powers: Based on a suspicion of power concentrated in a single
individual—like a king—or group, the constitutions of most democracies
provide that political powers be separated and shared among the various
governmental entities.
 Human Rights: Along with their constitutionally enumerated rights freedoms,
democracies protect the human rights of all citizens. In this context, human
rights are those rights considered inherent to all human beings, regardless of
nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other
considerations.
 A Rule of Law: Also called due process of law, the rule of law is the principle
that all citizens are accountable to laws that are publicly created and equitably
enforced in a manner consistent with human rights by an independent judicial
system.

Representative democracy

This article is written by Daisy Jain, from the Institute of Law, Nirma University. This
is an exhaustive article that deals with representative democracy.

This article has been published by Sneha Mahawar.

Introduction

A democracy is a system of government in which citizens are empowered to make

political choices and participate in the creation and quotation of legislation. Even
while democracy was practiced by many historical civilizations, it is believed to have
been established in ancient Greece, specifically in the city-state of Athens; Athens’
democracy was a direct democracy.

There are two types of democracy:

1. Direct democracy is another name for pure democracy. In a direct

democracy, voters choose and dismiss public officials who are not performing
their duties adequately, suggest, decide, and alter constitutional laws, and
start referendums. A majority of the voters must adopt a law that is offered by
the country’s residents. Smaller groups, where it is simple to hear every vote
and there is a high voter turnout, are appropriate for this type of system.
2. Representative democracy is one in which voters select or elect a public
servant to speak for them when laws are being made. They are the ones who
propose and vote on laws on behalf of the constituents they are elected to
represent, known as electors. Larger nations with lower voter turnout or those
where it would be challenging to collect every voter’s ballot would benefit
more from this type of system.

Representative democracy

Representative democracy is a form of governance in which the people of a nation

elect the officials who will administer legislation and run the state on their behalf. It is
the reverse of both autocracies, where a ruler has unlimited authority and the
citizenry has no involvement in how a country is run, and direct democracy, where
the people can vote on laws to be made and other matters.

In comparison to direct democracy, representative democracy is based on the idea

that elected individuals should represent a group of people. It is also referred to as
indirect democracy or representative governance. Today, a number of representative
institutions are primarily how democracy is carried out. Elections are often held in a
representative democracy on the basis of an all-adult franchise. It means that
everyone, regardless of gender, caste, creed, area, language, or culture, is eligible to
cast a ballot in a general election after reaching the required age (such as 18 or 21
years old). The ‘electorate’ is the collective term for all of a community’s voters.

Representative democracy is crucial because it enables citizens to get to know their

representatives before electing them. It is unrealistic to expect people to have the
time or motivation to make significant decisions on a regular basis. As a result,
representative democracy holds the elected official responsible for the actions of the
people.
Examples of representative democracy

Representative democracies can be found in almost all modern democracies:

 United States – The federal government of the United States of America is a

representative democracy. The President, members of the House of
Representatives, and senators are chosen by the general public. The
governor and legislators in each state in the United States are chosen by the
people.
 United Kingdom – It is a representative democracy in the United Kingdom.
Members of the House of Commons and the Prime Minister are chosen
through elections. The monarch appoints House of Lords members in
England (queen or king). Parliament is made up of the two houses combined.
 Canada – The Prime Minister and Members of Parliament (MPs) who sit in
the House of Commons are chosen by the general public in Canada, which is
a representative democracy. The Monarch of Canada is the same as the
queen or the king of England. The Governor-General, who chooses the
senators for Canada, acts as the monarch’s representative.
 Australia – Australia comprises six states. The Prime Minister of the nation is
chosen by the people. The nation belongs to the British Monarchy as well.
However, all senators and representatives (who together make up parliament)
are chosen by the general public. The states and territories of the nation each
have their respective parliaments.
 India – Both the President and the Prime Minister are chosen by the people
in India’s representative democracy. The Prime Minister presides over
Parliament, whereas the President is in charge of the military forces in India.
The House of the People (Lok Sabha), which is chosen by the populace, and
the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), which is chosen by the President and
partly elected by the states and territories, make up Parliament which also
comprises Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Characteristics of representative democracy

The following are the characteristics of a representative democracy:

 Governing structure – In representative democracies, the government must

often operate within a pre-existing structure. For instance, the Constitution of
the United States serves as the nation’s governing structure. It lays forth the
regulations for Elections, checks and balances, the division of powers, which
positions must be filled by-elections, and other fundamental ideas.
 Independent judiciary – In a representative democracy, the judiciary is
typically independent. This body has the authority to judge whether or not the
laws passed by the legislative body comply with the country’s constitution (or
other governing structure).
 Elected legislature – In a representative democracy, at least a portion of the
legislative body is chosen by popular vote. In the majority of cases, this is true
for the whole legislative body.
 Appointment of officials – Representative democracies offer procedures via
which elected officials can nominate individuals to fill certain positions. For
instance, with Congress’ consent, the president of the United States can
 designate cabinet members. The president has the option to select a new vice
president in the absence of a new election in the event that one is required.

Features of representative democracy

There are two systems of representation:

(a) Territorial representation – Under geographical or territorial representation, the

entire nation is split into constituencies, which are geographical regions with roughly
equal populations. Each constituency’s voters have the right to choose which
representatives are elected. This approach is easy to use and practical. It makes it
possible for voters to get to understand their representatives better. However,
occasionally it could result in regional problems receiving an excessive amount of
attention, pushing national concerns to the side.

(b) Functional representation – Functional representation suggests that voters

from various professions or functions should be able to choose their representatives
based on this very principle. These representatives should cast votes on matters
pertaining to their individual responsibilities. People from the industrial sector, for
instance, should vote on industrial policy, and people from the agricultural sector
should vote on agricultural policy.

Basic principles of representative democracy

Representative democracy is built on a number of basic principles, the most

significant of which are:

 Equality of all citizens before the law – All people must be treated equally
under the law to be considered equal. International normative actions that go
beyond government standards and compel governments to follow them also
support it. These laws support the rules that prohibit unfair discrimination on
the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, political views, or any other type of
prejudice. Without outside intervention, everyone has the right to freely
choose their domestic and international political status for their individual and
collective rights as well as to promote political pluralism and the rule of law.
 Free and fair elections – The most basic features of democracy, which set it
apart from other kinds of administration, are free and fair elections. Voters
have the chance to express their political views through voting during
elections and have the option of punishing their representatives in the
subsequent election if they believe those latter fail to adequately represent
them. In a democracy, no one has a continuous mandate; instead, they all get
the support of the people for a set amount of time before running for office
again. Free elections, however, merely lay the foundation for the development
of a democratic society. Only when the electoral bodies are entirely
autonomous of the state authorities during the electoral process are elections
regarded as unbiased.
 Principle of popular sovereignty – Popular sovereignty is the principle of
majority rule being used to carry out the political will of the people. Citizens
either carry it out personally or through representative entities they have
directly elected. Democracy, as a form of popular government, bases its
 legitimacy on the idea of popular sovereignty, which is exercised through
formal freedoms of belief, expression, and association while also being
guaranteed by representative democratic processes (elections). This ensures
that the outcome of an election accurately reflects the wishes of the
electorate. According to the doctrine of popular sovereignty, the electorate
possesses sovereign authority. The king elects his deputies, who together
make up the representative body known as the parliament, as he is unable to
wield this authority directly.
 Political liberty – This idea holds that people in democracies are shielded
from governmental meddling in the enjoyment of fundamental liberties such
as freedom of expression, assembly, movement, and thought. It is claimed
that democracy and freedom go hand in hand. The idea of self-governance
includes the freedoms of communication, petitioning the government, and
joining any political party, interest organization, or social movement in addition
to the right to vote and run for public office.

Difference between representative democracy and direct democracy

Criteria for Direct democracy Representative
comparison democracy

Meaning Direct democracy is a type of Representative democracy is

democracy in which citizens a form of governance in
collectively vote on laws and which the people of a nation
policies. elect the officials who will
administer legislation and
run the state on their behalf.

Representation In a direct democracy, the Meanwhile, in a

electorate (voters) votes on representative democracy,
the policy proposals without the electorate chooses the
the use of legislative representatives who will act
representatives as on their behalf and enact
intermediaries, which means legislation. Politicians and
that the populace passes all elected officials take office to
laws and makes all political serve their constituents’
choices on their own. interests.

Transparency More specific and Less transparent

transparent

Voting People’s decisions are The representative may

consistently upheld. disregard the people’s right
to vote him out and continue
in office when they want to
 do so.

Size It is viable only for small It is more viable for large

countries and communities. countries, as there must be a
sufficient number of people
to represent the total
population because nobody
can hold office at the same
time.

Efficiency Less efficient More efficient

Examples Athens and Switzerland US, France, UK, and India

How does a representative democracy function

In a representative democracy, voters often choose representatives instead of

directly voting on legislation. The policies and regulations of our nation are then
developed, put forth, discussed, and decided upon by these representatives. They
are expected to carry out their duties in a way they believe we would approve of. In
other words, they speak for us. By giving these tasks to those whose job it is to be
specialists in these subjects, we are relieved of the stress of needing to bone up on
the intricacies of law and policy. Because direct democracy is simply too laborious
and people are simply too engaged to make it work, representative democracy is so
widely used today. Within representative democracies, nevertheless, there are still
traces of direct democracy. Many people refer to Switzerland as a semi-direct
democracy. Representatives are in charge of running the country on a day-to-day
basis and taking decisions, but anybody can suggest constitutional amendments or
ask for a referendum on any law.

Advantages and disadvantages of representative democracy

The most common type of government is a representative democracy. As a result, it

has advantages and disadvantages for both the people and the government.

Advantages

1. It is a very effective system of government when it is functioning properly.

Representative democracy permits decisions to be taken by a group of
elected people who can devote their whole attention to the decision-making
process, as opposed to requiring everyone to vote on everything. Larger
nations with complicated voting procedures frequently find that representative
democracies are the better option. There are ways to speed up the process
without having to wait for every voter to cast their ballot.
 2. People can still be heard. In a representative democracy, people lose their
ability to directly affect policy, but their impact on the government is still felt.
The public has the right to vote to have an elected official removed from office
if they are not pleased with how they are doing their duties..
3. Even those who don’t take part in politics can benefit from it. The decisions
that are made by elected officials affect their entire area or region. The
choices made by their representatives benefit everyone who resides in that
area. Even those people who are not active in politics gain from this
representation. For instance, even people who did not vote will gain if the
representative aids in the passage of a measure that lowers taxes in that
area.
4. It is possible to impose restrictions on an elected official’s freedom of action.
In a representative democracy, a district may vote to remove an elected
individual who fails to live up to their anticipations through recall elections,
other equivalent procedures, or other means.

Disadvantages

1. For this system of government to function, trust is necessary. The people

must have faith that the representative they elect will try to represent them in
the best interests of the people. If someone had a hidden purpose, they might
campaign on one platform, win office as a representative, and then follow a
completely other course.
2. Things can still be challenging to complete. In a representative democracy, a
clear majority is uncommon to have the last say. In most systems, there are
numerous political parties, each of which has a distinct platform of objectives
that it wants to continue. When those platforms clash, it causes a stalemate in
the government and may prevent some work from getting done.
3. Representatives may not always speak for all people. The notion that elected
politicians in representative democracies are “out of touch” is a frequent
criticism. This happens because a representative is required to be there when
the government meets, which may be thousands of miles from the district
where their people reside. It may also be challenging for one elector to serve
the requirements of everyone in some communities or districts due to the
widely diverse types of individuals that live there.
4. It hinders involvement in various ways. People who live in representative
democracies are aware that, whether or not they decide to vote, their interests
will be represented in the government. Some people interpret this to mean
that they decide not to cast a ballot because they are already represented in
this way. Some people decide without voting because the candidates for
office do not adequately represent their interests.

Conclusion

General, direct, impartial, confidential, and free elections are the internationally
acknowledged principles of establishing representative democracy. Representative
democracy developed at its own speed, accepting and then putting these ideas into
practice. By persistently upholding popular sovereignty and international agreements
that safeguard and uphold human rights and freedoms, these ideals have been put
into action.
Direct democracy: what are the pros and cons?

Direct democracy, or “pure democracy,” is often seen as the truest form of

democracy. The people choose the laws they live under, cutting out the “middlemen”
to vote on their behalf. In this way, it can be seen as inherently more virtuous than
representative democracy. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its drawbacks. So
what are the main pros and cons?

Pros:

-Transparency: Direct democracy is surely the most transparent form of democracy.

There are no “backroom deals” made to decide the outcome or scope of legislation,
because discussions and debates on important issues are held in public. And it’s the
people who decide whether a proposal becomes law, and thus they bear full
responsibility for the outcome.

-Accountability: Speaking of responsibility, direct democracy ensures that there is

no doubt about who is accountable for the successes or failures of a countries laws
or policies. Moreover, the government cannot claim to be unaware of the will of the
people, and partisan lobbying and other interference in the legislative process is
minimal or non-existent.

-Cooperation: Direct democracy encourages citizens to communicate and

cooperate with one another, not only to consider current legislation, but also to craft
legislation that best serves the most people, and thus has the best chance of winning
majority support. And when people know with certainty that their voice will be
considered in the process, they are far more likely to participate and cooperate with
fellow citizens.

Cons:

-Indecision: Simply put, there are more people now than there were when direct
democratic systems existed. Many, many more. Consider the United States, with its
some 350 million people. If they all had to vote on every policy initiative or legislative
proposal, nothing would ever get done. It simply would not be an efficient system,
and thus it could actually weaken the effectiveness of the government.

-Participation: We are busy people. We have jobs to do, families to care for, and
sports teams to form unhealthy obsessions over. If we are asked to weigh in on
every decision, eventually we would just lose interest. Or simply be unable to keep
up with such a demand.

-Tension: Important decisions often create tension between people with opposing
views. The more important the decision, the more tension. The more decisions, the
more tension. Trying to implement direct democracy today could lead to even more
acrimonious societies, where people are angrier and, perhaps, more violent.
4 Major Modern Devices of Direct Democracy

Some of the major modern devices of direct democracy are as follows: I.

Referendum II. Initiative III. Recall IV. Plebiscite.

I. Referendum:

Literally, the term “Referendum” means “refer to”. It is a device whereby the public
opinion or verdict can be ascertained by a direct reference to the people.

It is a process through which the verdict of a people is sought on any ordinary or

constitutional law passed by the legislature of the state.

According to Prof. Monobloc, “Referendum is a device whereby the electorate may

veto an act which a legislative body has already passed.”

In simple words, we can say that Referendum is a device of Direct Democracy. It is

the power of the people to approve or disapprove any bill which their legislature has
already passed. They decide, through a popular vote, as to whether the bill passed
by the legislature is to remain a law or not. It gives to the people the final power to
decide the fate of the laws passed by the legislature.

Referendum can be of two types:

(1) Compulsory Referendum:

It means the bill, after its passage in the legislature has to be compulsorily submitted
to the people for their final approval or disapproval.

(2) Optional Referendum:

It means the bill after it has been passed by the legislature is submitted to the people
for referendum only when such a demand is made by a definite and fixed number of
people of the state. Otherwise the bill becomes a law without a Referendum.

(i) Merits of Referendum:

(i) Referendum corrects the faults of legislature which may act corruptly or in
defiance of public opinion

(ii) It keeps up a useful and healthy contact between the elected representatives and
the people, and

(iii) It secures that no law which is opposed to popular opinion can be passed.

Other merits of Referendum are:

1. Based on the Principle of Sovereignty of the People:

Referendum enables the people to express their views directly. It gives to the people
the opportunity to exercise their sovereign power.

2. Source of Political Education:

Referendum provides political education to the people. It promotes a keen sense of

responsibility and stimulates patriotism among the people.

3. Greater respect for Laws:

People are more willing to obey their self-accepted laws.

4. Makes the Legislators more Responsible:

Referendum tends to increase the sense of responsibility of the legislators. The

legislators behave more responsibly because they are conscious of the fact that laws
passed by them are to go in for public approval in a referendum.

5. A Guarantee against unpopular Laws:

Referendum is a guarantee against the passing of laws against public opinion. It’s a
device for checking the errors committed by the legislators. It enables the people to
reject unnecessary and arbitrary laws.

(ii) Demerits of Referendum:

1. People are not competent to judge the Laws passed by the Legislature:

In contemporary times legislation has become highly complex. Ordinary citizens

cannot grasp the details of all the laws submitted for referendum. They cannot really
judge the merit of a law.

2. Source of Delay in Legislation:

Referendum is a source of delay in the enforcement of laws. First the legislature

takes time to pass a law then the people taken time to approval or reject it.

3. The System Lowers the Prestige of The Legislature:

When a law passed by the members of the legislature are rejected by the people, it
lowers the prestige of the legislators.

4. In Referendum, the people can vote on the basis of their emotions and reject
even good laws:

In a referendum exaggerated pictures are drawn to attract voters. In particular the

opponents of the law act more vigorously to defeat the measure. The result of a
popular vote cannot be always deemed as an expression of true popular opinion.

5. Delay caused by Referendum leads to inefficiency:

The common man is generally conservative and does not care to keep pace with
times. The progressive reforms are therefore delayed, since they have to be finally
got approved by the people in a referendum.

6. Unsuitable for a big State:

Referendum cannot be really used in a large countries like India and the United
States.

Thus, Referendum has both advantages and disadvantages. It cannot be effectively

and efficiently used in big states. Frequent voting in referendum is neither possible
nor desirable because it can make people develop voting fatigue.

II. Initiative:

Initiative is the second modern device of Direct Democracy. It is a positive device by

which people have the right to initiate measures for legislation. Under it, a fixed
portion of the people can submit either a bill or a demand for law-making.

The legislature has to then compulsorily deliberate upon the measure and give its
decision. In each case, the bill is submitted to a referendum for a final decision by
the people. If the majority of- the people approves the bill, it becomes a law. If the of
the people disapprove it, the bill stands rejected.

In simple words, initiative means the right of the people to submit bills for legislation.
The bills initiated by the people become laws only when approved in a referendum.
Initiative is thus the positive power in the hands of the people by which they can get
passed the laws of their choice and need.

A. Merits of Initiative:

Since Initiative also involves Referendum (A bill initiated by some people becomes a
law only when approved by the majority of all the people given in a referendum) the
arguments in favour of referendum are also applicable to Initiative. However, some
distinct merits of initiative require separate mention.

1. Better Obedience of Laws:

A law proposed by the people themselves is more willingly obeyed by them. It

checks revolts.

2. Laws are based on Popular Will:

Secondly, it removes the danger of sectionalism because all the people act for
passing the law. People get directly involved in law-making.

3. Means for eliminating the Lapses of Legislature:

Thirdly, it rectifies acts of omission on the part of the legislature. It ensures that
legislation is not governed by private interest. People at large can undertake law-
making.

4. Secures Better Laws:

Under it, a bill is initiated by the people. Then the legislature given its decision on it.
Thereafter, the bill faces the whole electorate and becomes a law only when
approved by a majority.

B. Demerits of Initiative:

1. Initiative lowers the Morale of Legislators:

First, Initiative virtually supersedes the legislature. Legislature tends to become slow
and inefficient.

2. People cannot be Good Legislators:

Initiative can lead to faulty legislation. The popularly initiated measures are,
generally, unskillful in form.

3. Vested Interests can dominate Law-making:

It can provide an opportunity to the demagogues to exploit the situation. Ignorance,

credulity and selfishness of the masses is played upon and exploited for group
advantages by vested interests.

Thus there are both merits and demerits of Initiative. The fact is that it cannot be
used in big states with large populations.

III. Recall:

Recall is the third popular device of Direct Democracy. It means the power of the
people to recall their representatives/legislators who may not be acting according to
dictates of public opinion or who may be misusing their authority as the
representatives of the people. Where Recall prevails, the voters possess the right to
call back any elected officer or representative who fails to carry out his duties
faithfully.

Merits:

1. Recall Keeps the Representatives in discipline:

It is an effective way of keeping the representatives disciplined.

2. Checks Selfishness on the Part of Representatives:

It keeps the representatives away from temptations because they always fear their
recall.
3. Prevents Corruption:

It is a weapon against political corruption and defection.

Demerits:

1. Recall can be a Source of injustice:

Recall can lead to an injustice. The people are not the embodiment of wisdom. The
opponents of a representative can play a big role in recall.

2. Cheeks the Representatives from becoming Active Actors:

The representatives cease to be independent. They always act under fear of recall.

3. Recall should never cover Judges of the Courts:

The recall of judges can lead to reign of incompetence, ignorance and superstition. It
should not cover Judges.

4. Recall can be based on ill will and Party Politics:

Personal grudges can lead to recall.

IV. Plebiscite:

The term ‘plebiscite’ is of French origin. It means, “An appeal to the suffrage of the
people”. Latin word ‘Plebiscitum’ which means decree (scitum) of the people (plebis)
also constitute a source of the term of Plebiscitum. Plebiscite, as such, means the
device for knowing public opinion on any issue or problem or policy. It means to
know the wish of the people over any particular issue or decision. The verdict is then
used by the government as the basis for policy formulation on that issue. According
to Leacock, “It is used for any kind of popular vote on an issue.”

Thus, Referendum, Initiative, Recall and Plebiscite are the four modern devices of
Direct Democracy. These are being used mostly in Switzerland and in some states
of American and Australian federations. In most of other states, these are not being
used because of some internal limitations.

The large size of a modern state and the large size of the electorate make it difficult
for a modern state to adopt and use devices of Direct Democracies Most of the
modern states have been living with Indirect Democracies. Even in Switzerland,
which has been the home of Direct Democracy, these device are being used along
with representative institutions.
Why Do We Need Elections?

Elections take place regularly in any democracy. There are more than 100 countries
in the world in which elections take place to choose people’s representatives. The
mechanism by which people can choose their representatives at regular intervals
and change them is called an election.

In an election, the voters make many choices:

 They can choose who will make laws for them.

 They can choose who will form the government and take major decisions.
 They can choose the party whose policies will guide the government and law-
making.

What Makes an Election Democratic?

The minimum conditions of a democratic election include the following points.

1. Everyone should be able to choose their own representative.

2. Parties and candidates should be free to contest elections and should offer
some real choice to the voters.
3. Elections must be held regularly after every few years.
4. The candidate preferred by the people should get elected.
 5. Elections should be conducted in a free and fair manner where people can
choose as they really wish.

Is It Good to Have Political Competition?

Elections are all about political competition. This competition takes various forms. At
the constituency level, it takes the form of competition among several candidates.
Here are a few reasons that support political competition as being good for people.

1. Regular electoral competition provides incentives to political parties and

leaders.
2. Political parties know that if they raise issues that people want to be raised,
their popularity and chances of victory will increase in the next elections. On
the contrary, if they fail to satisfy the voters with their work, they will not be
able to win again.
3. If a political party is motivated only by the desire to be in power, despite that, it
will be forced to serve the people.

What Is Our System of Election?

Elections are held in India in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) regularly
after every five years. After five years, the term of all the elected representatives
comes to an end.

Elections held in all constituencies at the same time, either on the same day or within
a few days, are called General Elections. Sometimes elections are held only for one
constituency to fill the vacancy caused by the death or resignation of a member. This
is called a By-Election.

Electoral Constituency

India is divided into different areas for the purpose of elections. These areas are
called electoral constituencies. The voters living in an area elect one
representative.

 For the Lok Sabha elections, India is divided into 543 constituencies. The
representative elected from each constituency is called a Member of
Parliament or an MP.
 Each state is divided into a specific number of Assembly constituencies. In
this case, the elected representative is called the Member of the Legislative
Assembly or an MLA. Each Parliamentary constituency has within it several
assembly constituencies.

The same principle applies to Panchayat and Municipal elections. Each village or
town is divided into several ‘wards’ that are like constituencies. Each ward elects
one member of the village or the urban local body. Sometimes these constituencies
are counted as ‘seats’, for each constituency represents one seat in the assembly.
Reserved Constituencies

Some constituencies are reserved for people who belong to the Scheduled Castes
[SC] and Scheduled Tribes [ST]. In the Lok Sabha, 84 seats are reserved for the SC
and 47 for the ST.

 In SC reserved constituency, only someone who belongs to the Scheduled

Caste can stand for election.
 Only those belonging to the Scheduled Tribes can contest an election from a
constituency reserved for ST.

In many states, seats in rural (panchayat) and urban (municipalities and

corporations) local bodies are now reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and
women candidates as well.

Voters’ List

In a democratic election, the list of those who are eligible to vote is prepared much
before the election and given to everyone, which is officially called the Electoral
Roll and is commonly known as the Voters’ List. It is the responsibility of the
government to get the names of all the eligible voters put on the voters’ list.

The voters are required to carry Election Photo Identity Card [EPIC] when they go
out to vote so that no one can vote for someone else. But the card is not yet
compulsory for voting as voters can show many other proofs of identity, like the
ration card or the driving licence.

Nomination of Candidates

Anyone who can be a voter can also become a candidate in elections. The candidate
should be a minimum of 25 years of age. Every person who wishes to contest an
election has to fill out a ‘nomination form’ and give some money as a ‘security
deposit’. The candidate has to make a legal declaration, giving full details of:

1. Serious criminal cases pending against the candidate,

2. Details of the assets and liabilities of the candidate and his or her family, and
3. Educational qualifications of the candidate.

This information is made available to the public so that voters can make their
decision on the basis of the information provided by the candidates.

Election Campaign

The election campaigns are conducted to have a free and open discussion about
who is a better Representative and, in turn, which party will make a better
government. In India, Election Campaigns take place for a two-week period between
the announcement of the final list of candidates and the date of polling. During this
period, the candidates contact their voters, political leaders address election
meetings and political parties mobilise their supporters.
Some of the successful slogans given by different political parties in various
elections:

 Save Democracy
 Land to the Tiller
 Protect the Self-Respect of the Telugus

According to India’s Election Law, no party or candidate can:

1. Bribe or threaten voters.

2. Appeal to them in the name of caste or religion.
3. Use government resources for election campaigns.
4. Spend more than 25 lahks in a constituency for a Lok Sabha election or more
than 10 lahks in a constituency in an Assembly election.

If any political party does so, their election can be rejected by the court. In addition to
the laws, all the political parties in our country have agreed to a Model Code of
Conduct for election campaigns. According to this, no party or candidate can:

 Use any place of worship for election propaganda.

 Use government vehicles, aircraft and officials for election.
 Once elections are announced, ministers shall not lay the foundation stones
for any projects, take any big policy decisions or make any promises of
providing public facilities.

Polling and Counting of Votes

The day when the voters cast or ‘poll’ their vote is called election day. The voting is
done in the following manner.

1. Every person whose name is on the voters’ list can go to a nearby polling
booth.
2. Once the voter goes inside the booth, the election officials identify her, put a
mark on her finger and allow her to cast her vote.
3. An agent of each candidate is allowed to sit inside the polling booth and
ensure that the voting takes place in a fair way.

A ballot paper is a sheet of paper on which the names of the contesting candidates,
along with party names and symbols, are listed. The ballot paper was used earlier.
Nowadays, electronic voting machines (EVM) are used to record votes.

 The machine shows the names of the candidates and the party symbols.
 The voter has to just press the button against the name of the candidate she
wants to give her vote to.
 Once the polling is over, all the EVMs are sealed and taken to a secure place.
 A few days later, all the EVMs are opened, and the votes secured by each
candidate are counted.
 The candidate who secures the highest number of votes from a constituency
is declared elected.
What Makes Election in India Democratic?

1) Independent Election Commission

In India, elections are conducted by the Election Commission (EC). The Chief
Election Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President of India. Election
Commission is independent and has a wide range of powers which are:

1. EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections, from

the announcement of elections to the declaration of results.
2. It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that
violates it.
3. During the election period, the EC can order the government to follow some
guidelines, to prevent the use and misuse of governmental power to enhance
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.

2) Popular Participation

The quality of the election process can also be checked by seeing the participation of
people. People’s participation in the election is measured by voter turnout figures.
Turnout indicates the per cent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote.

1. In India, the poor, illiterate and underprivileged people vote in larger

proportion as compared to the rich and privileged sections.
2. Common people in India feel that through elections, they can bring pressure
on political parties to adopt policies and programmes favourable to them.
3. The interest of voters in election-related activities has been increasing over
the years.

3) Acceptance of Election Outcome

One final test of the freedom and fairness of the election is the outcome of the
election.

1. The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the national and
state level.
2. In the US, an incumbent or ‘sitting’ elected representative rarely loses an
election. In India, about half of the sitting MPs or MLAs lose elections.
3. Candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money on ‘buying votes’ and
those with known criminal connections often lose elections.
4. Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes are usually
accepted as ‘people’s verdicts’ by the defeated party.

Challenges to Free and Fair Elections

Elections in India are essentially free and fair. Sometimes this may not be true for
every constituency. There are many limitations and challenges to Indian elections.
These include:
1. Candidates and parties with a lot of money enjoy a big and unfair advantage
over smaller parties.
2. Candidates with criminal connections have been able to push others out of
the electoral race and to secure a ‘ticket’ from major parties.
3. Tickets are distributed to relatives from their families.
4. Elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens as major parties are quite
similar to each other, both in policies and practice.
5. Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage
compared to bigger parties.