Class 9 Civics Chapter 1 Notes - What is Democracy? Why Democracy?

Why define Democracy? 

Major Decisions by Elected Leaders

• Dictatorships and Monarchies: Representatives may be elected but lack real decision-making power.
• Case Study: Pakistan: Under General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power through a military coup in October 1999, the real power was held by non-elected leaders, despite the presence of an elected parliament and government.
• This gives us the first feature of democracy. In a democracy, the final decision-making power must rest with those elected by the people.

Free and Fair Electoral Competition

• A true democracy grants its citizens what is called the ‘universal adult franchise’. it means all adults have a right to vote without any discrimination based on sex, colour, race, caste or class. 
• Each person can cast one vote, all votes are counted, and the person who gets the maximum number of votes gets elected in many countries, this is not how the system works. 
• There are many instances of denial of equal right to vote
  (i) In Saudi Arabia, women do not have the right to vote.
  (ii) Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to the Russian minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.
  (iii) In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian Fijian.
• That gives us the third feature of democracy. In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote, and each vote must have one value.

Rule of Law and Respect for Rights

• In Zimbabwe, elections are held regularly but are won by only one party, i.e. Zanu-PF. the party uses unfair practices in elections that are against the principles of democracy.

• Robert Mugabe has been ruling Zimbabwe since independence.
• Over the years, President Mugabe has changed the constitution several times to increase the power of the president and make him less accountable.
• In a democracy, people and opposition can criticize the government, but this is not allowed in Zimbabwe.
• The government has ignored some court judgments, which are also against the principles of democracy.
• Television, radio, and press are controlled by the government.
• The example of Zimbabwe shows that popular approval of the rulers is necessary in a democracy, but it is not sufficient. Popular government can be undemocratic. Popular leaders can be autocratic. In a democracy, the state should respect some basic rights of the citizen. They should be free to think, have opinions, express these in public, form associations, protest, and take other political actions.
• Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law. These rights must be protected by an independent judiciary whose orders are obeyed by everyone. A democratic government cannot do whatever it likes simply because it has won an election. It has to respect some basic rules. In particular, it has to respect some guarantees to minorities. Every major decision has to go through a series of consultations.

• The fourth and final feature of democracy.  A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional law and citizen's rights.

Summary Definition

Democracy is a form of government in which:

• Rulers elected by the people make all the major decisions.
• Elections offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the current rulers.
• This choice and opportunity are available to all people on an equal basis.
• The exercise of this choice leads to a government limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens' rights.

Why Democracy?

Debating Merits of 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 our own mistakes.

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, and this leads to delays.
• Elected leaders do not know the best interests of the people. It leads to bad decisions.
• Democracy leads to corruption, for it is based on electoral competition.
• Ordinary people do not know what is good for them; they should not decide anything.

Arguments for Democracy

• A democratic government is a better government because it is a more accountable form of government.
• Democracy provides a method for the quality of decision-making.
• Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts.
• Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.
• Democracy is better than other forms of government because it allows us to correct our own mistakes.
• Democracy is considered the best form of government.

Broader Meaning of Democracy

Representative Democracy, its Importance

• Representative democracy is one in which people elect their representatives to legislatures. These representatives, in turn, form the government and govern. In this type of democracy, a majority is allowed to make decisions on behalf of all the people.
• Representative democracy becomes necessary because of the following reasons:
  (i) Modern Democracies involve such a large number of people that it is physically impossible for them to sit together and make a collective decision.
  (ii) Even if they could, the citizens do not have the time, the desire or the skills to take part in all the decisions.

Nominal Democracy and Ideal Democracy

• A nominal democracy, as we normally use the term, refers to a system of governance that is run by the people’s elected representatives.
• An ideal democracy is a broader concept. An ideal democracy is a system in which every citizen must be able to play an equal role in decision-making. For this, one does not need just an equal right to vote.
• Every citizen needs to have equal information, basic education, equal resources and a lot of commitment. There may not be any country in the world that passes this test of democracy. Yet, an understanding of democracy as an ideal reminds us of why we value democracy.

Role of Citizens Played in a Democracy

• Citizens must learn to tolerate the differences and views of all others who disagree with them. That is, the citizens must accept the principle of mutual tolerance and dissent. 
• Citizens must act with a sense of discipline and responsibility. They have a right to express their dissent. They must express their grievance through channels provided by the democratic system. 
• Citizens must participate and seek to influence public opinion. This can happen only when they are well-informed on civic matters. 
• Citizens must exercise their right to vote. This provides a direction to the whole democratic process.