Outcomes of Democracy · Class 10 Political Science: 100 flashcards
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1. Name the five reasons for which democracy was judged a better form of government.
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It can promote equality, dignity, better decisions, peaceful conflict management and correction of mistakes.
2. Are the five reasons conclusions or expectations?
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Expectations. They came from the Class IX discussion, and the whole of this chapter is an examination of whether they are realised under democracies.
3. Which alternatives to democracy does the chapter name?
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Rule by a monarch, by the military, or by religious leaders.
4. State the dilemma the chapter begins with.
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Democracy is admired as an ideal, yet its everyday results can disappoint. Most people support democracy against the alternatives, yet not so many are satisfied with the democracy they actually have.
5. What does the dilemma invite us to do?
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To think hard about the outcomes of democracy, and to ask whether we prefer democracy only for moral reasons or whether there are prudential reasons to support it too.
6. What is the difference between a moral reason and a prudential reason?
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A moral reason concerns what is right in itself; a prudential reason concerns the good consequences that follow. The same distinction was used in the first chapter about power sharing.
7. How many countries today claim and practise some kind of democratic politics?
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Over a hundred.
8. What four features are common to most of these countries?
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They commonly have constitutions, elections, parties and rights, but their social and economic settings differ.
9. In what three respects do these democracies differ greatly?
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In their social situations, their economic achievements and their cultures.
10. If democracies differ so much, what question can still be asked of all of them?
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Whether democracy can reasonably be expected to deliver certain results simply because of its form.
11. What position does our fascination for democracy often push us into?
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That democracy can address all socio-economic and political problems.
12. What two wrong turns follow when expectations are not met?
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Unmet results may lead people to criticise democracy or question their system, although the institutions may still exist.
13. What should we do before judging democracy's results?
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To recognise that democracy is just a form of government.
14. What can a form of government do, and what can it not do?
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It supplies conditions for progress; citizens and institutions must turn those conditions into results.
15. Why is the division between conditions and goals important in practice?
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Because when a problem remains unsolved, the question is not only whether the government failed, but whether the conditions existed and whether anyone used them.
16. In which five respects does the chapter examine democracy's record?
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Government quality, development, inequality, social conflict, and personal freedom are key expectations.
17. Why does the chapter discuss how to assess outcomes before assessing any?
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Because an expectation has to be stated before any record can be judged against it. Otherwise a complaint has nothing to measure against and a defence has nothing to meet.
18. Does widespread dissatisfaction with democracy in practice mean people want an alternative?
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No. Most people prefer democracy to the alternatives, such as rule by a monarch or the military or religious leaders, and are dissatisfied with it in practice at the same time.
19. Where did the five reasons first come from?
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From the argument among students in Madam Lyngdoh's class, in the Class IX chapter 'What is Democracy? Why Democracy?'.
20. What should you write instead of 'democracy guarantees equality and dignity'?
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That democracy is expected to promote equality and enhance dignity, these being among the reasons it was judged better — and then give the record, since whether the expectation is realised is the chapter's question.
21. What are we most concerned with ensuring in a democracy?
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That people have the right to choose their rulers and control over the rulers, and that citizens can participate, whenever possible and necessary, in decision making that affects them all.
22. What should be the most basic outcome of democracy?
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Government that must answer to citizens and respond to their needs.
23. Why can non-democratic rulers be quick and efficient?
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They can decide without extended discussion or concern about public approval.
24. Why is some delay bound to take place in a democracy?
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Because democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation.
25. What is the danger of a government that takes decisions very fast?
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A quick order may meet resistance if people have not accepted it.
26. Why may a democratic decision be more effective despite taking longer?
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Following proper procedures can make a decision more acceptable and more effective.
27. What is transparency?
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A citizen's right and means to examine the process of decision making, so that she can find out whether a decision was taken through the correct procedures.
28. What makes transparency possible in a democracy, and where is it often missing?
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Democracy ensures that decision making is based on norms and procedures. Transparency is often missing from non-democratic government.
29. What mechanisms is it right to expect a democratic government to develop?
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Ways for citizens to demand accountability and participate in decisions.
30. Name the three practices and institutions by which this outcome can be measured.
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Regular free elections, public discussion of major policies, and access to government information.
31. Where have democracies had greater success on the procedural record?
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Democracy performs best in holding regular, free elections and creating space for public debate.
32. Where do most democracies fall short on the procedural record?
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In elections that give everyone a fair chance, and in opening every decision to public debate. They also do not have a very good record in sharing information with citizens.
33. What is all one can say in favour of democratic regimes on elections, debate and information?
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That they are much better than any non-democratic regime in these respects.
34. What is it reasonable to expect of democracy in substantive terms?
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A government attentive to public needs and relatively free from corruption.
35. What is democracy's record on these substantive expectations?
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The record is mixed: democratic governments often fail to meet public needs fully.
36. Does corruption in democracies show that non-democracies are better?
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No evidence shows non-democratic systems are cleaner or more responsive.
37. In what one respect is democratic government certainly better than its alternatives?
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It is government authorised by the people. It may be slow or imperfect, but it has public legitimacy.
38. What does survey evidence from South Asia show about support for democracy?
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People support elected representatives both where democracy exists and where it does not.
39. In which country was democracy NOT preferred over dictatorship in the South Asian survey, and what did the largest group there say?
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Pakistan, where the largest group said it did not matter to them.
40. Why is support for democracy called an outcome in itself?
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Because the fact that democracy builds its own support is an outcome worth noting in itself — people dissatisfied with how democracy works still want to be governed by it.
41. Did democracies fulfil the expectation that they would produce development?
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In practice many democracies did not fulfil this expectation.
42. Which grew faster between 1950 and 2000 across all countries, democracies or dictatorships?
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Dictatorships had a slightly higher rate of economic growth: 4.42 against 3.95 for democracies.
43. What did the comparison of poor countries alone show?
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Virtually no difference: 4.34 under dictatorship against 4.28 under democracy. The difference between less developed countries with dictatorships and democracies is negligible.
44. Why is slower economic growth alone not a reason to reject democracy?
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Because economic development depends on several factors besides the form of government: the country's population size, the global situation, cooperation from other countries, and the economic priorities adopted by the country.
45. Name the four factors besides government on which economic development depends.
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Population size, the global situation, cooperation from other countries, and the country's economic priorities.
46. What is the chapter's verdict on democracy and economic development?
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We cannot say democracy is a guarantee of economic development, but we can expect it not to lag behind dictatorships, and it is better to prefer democracy because it has several other positive outcomes.
47. What does the inequality data show about South Africa and Brazil?
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In South Africa and Brazil, the richest fifth receives over 60 percent of income while the poorest fifth receives under 3 percent.
48. Which democracies are named as much better on income inequality?
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Denmark and Hungary, where the bottom 20 per cent receive around 10 per cent of national income.
49. What does the inequality data show about democracy in general?
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That within democracies there can be a very high degree of inequality, and that democracies differ greatly in how evenly income is shared.
50. What is political equality in a democracy?
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That all individuals have equal weight in electing representatives.
51. What develops alongside political equality?
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Growing economic inequalities.
52. What is happening at the top of the income scale in democracies?
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A small wealthy group receives a very large and rising share of income, while the poorest receive very little.
53. What is happening at the bottom of the income scale?
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Those at the bottom have very little to depend upon, their incomes have been declining, and they sometimes find it difficult to meet basic needs of food, clothing, house, education and health.
54. Have democracies been successful in reducing economic inequalities?
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Democratic politics has not substantially narrowed economic gaps.
55. Why is the weak record on poverty surprising?
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Because the poor constitute a large proportion of voters and no party wants to lose their votes, yet democratically elected governments do not appear as keen to address poverty as one would expect.
56. What is the puzzle about majority rule and the poor?
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Democracy is rule of the majority and the poor are in the majority, so democracy might be expected to be rule of the poor — yet it is not, and the chapter leaves this as a real failure to be explained.
57. What does the chapter say about poverty in Bangladesh?
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More than half of its population lives in poverty.
58. What dependence do people in several poor countries now have?
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They are dependent on the rich countries even for food supplies.
59. Why does the chapter use tables in this section?
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Because although arguments about democracy tend to be passionate, some debates can and should be resolved by facts and figures, and the debate about democracy's economic outcomes is one of them.
60. On the chapter's evidence, is the economic record one of democracy's strongest or least favourable areas?
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One of its least favourable: no faster growth, little success in reducing inequality, and less attention to poverty than expected, though it does not lag behind dictatorships on growth.
61. Is it fair to expect democracy to produce a harmonious social life?
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Yes, it is described as a fair expectation, and earlier chapters showed democracies accommodating various social divisions.
62. Which country is recalled as having successfully negotiated differences among ethnic populations?
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Belgium.
63. How do democracies reduce the possibility of social tensions becoming violent?
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They usually develop a procedure to conduct their competition, which reduces the possibility of tensions becoming explosive or violent.
64. Can any society fully and permanently resolve conflicts among groups?
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No. Conflicts among groups cannot be permanently eliminated by any society.
65. What can societies do about conflict, if not resolve it permanently?
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Learn to respect differences and evolve mechanisms to negotiate them. Democracy is best suited to produce this outcome.
66. How do non-democratic regimes often deal with internal social differences?
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They often turn a blind eye to them or suppress them.
67. What is described as a definite plus point of democratic regimes?
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The ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts.
68. Which country's example shows that democracy must meet conditions to accommodate diversity?
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Sri Lanka shows that democratic accommodation depends on two safeguards.
69. State the first condition.
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Majority rule must not become permanent rule by one religious, racial or linguistic community; different groups should form majorities on different questions.
70. Why must the majority work with the minority?
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So that governments function to represent the general view.
71. What does it mean that majority and minority opinions are not permanent?
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That a majority forms on a particular question, so the same person may be in the majority on one issue and the minority on another, and today's minority may become tomorrow's majority.
72. State the second condition.
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Rule by majority must not become rule by the majority community in terms of religion, race or linguistic group; in every decision or election, different persons and groups may and can form a majority.
73. What does rule by majority properly mean?
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Different people and groups must be able to form a majority on different questions or elections.
74. When does democracy remain democracy?
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Only while each citizen retains a real possibility of joining a majority at some stage.
75. What happens when someone is barred from being in the majority on the basis of birth?
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Democratic rule ceases to be accommodative for that person or group.
76. What kinds of majority community does the second condition warn against?
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A majority defined in terms of religion, race or linguistic group.
77. How do the two conditions differ?
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The first concerns how decisions are made — the majority must work with the minority. The second concerns who can ever be part of the majority — it must not be fixed as one community.
78. What separates Belgium from Sri Lanka in this section?
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Both were democracies. Belgium negotiated differences among ethnic populations successfully, while in Sri Lanka the majority community dominated, leaving a group permanently outside the majority. The difference is whether the two conditions were met.
79. What objection does a margin note raise about democracy and harmony?
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That democracy merely ensures people do not break each other's heads, which is not harmony.
80. How can that objection be answered from the chapter?
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The chapter never claims perfect harmony, since no society can permanently resolve its conflicts. Keeping disagreement non-violent is the condition under which respect and negotiation — which democracy is best suited to — can take place.
81. In which respect does democracy stand much superior to any other form of government?
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In promoting the dignity and freedom of the individual.
82. Why do conflicts often arise among individuals?
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People seek recognition as equals and may protest when society denies them that respect.
83. What does the chapter call the basis of democracy?
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The passion for respect and freedom.
84. Have democracies achieved dignity and freedom fully?
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No. They have recognised it at least in principle and achieved it in various degrees.
85. Why is it hard for some societies to recognise that all individuals are equal?
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Because many societies were shaped by long histories of domination and unequal status.
86. What have long struggles by women achieved?
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Women's movements have made equal treatment a democratic expectation, although discrimination continues.
87. Does this mean women are always treated with respect?
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Women still face disrespect in many settings.
88. What changes once the principle of women's equality is recognised?
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Once equality is accepted, women can challenge mistreatment with legal and moral support.
89. Why would the same struggle be harder in a non-democratic set-up?
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Because the unacceptability of mistreatment would have no legal basis, the principle of individual freedom and dignity not having legal and moral force there.
90. What has democracy done for disadvantaged and discriminated castes in India?
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It has strengthened disadvantaged castes' claims to equal status and opportunity.
91. What is the position of caste-based inequalities and atrocities that still occur?
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They persist, but neither law nor moral reasoning supports them.
92. What does the chapter suggest makes ordinary citizens value their democratic rights?
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Recognising equal dignity helps ordinary people value and defend democratic rights.
93. What role do expectations from democracy play in judging a country?
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They provide standards for evaluating democratic performance.
94. What is most distinctive about democracy?
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That its examination never gets over.
95. Why does democracy's examination never end?
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Each improvement creates fresh demands, so citizens ask democracy to do more.
96. What do people always come up with when asked about the way democracy functions?
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More expectations, and many complaints.
97. Why is the fact that people complain a testimony to democracy's success?
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It shows awareness and a willingness to question those who hold power.
98. What transformation does the democratic project bring about?
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It turns people who once obeyed rulers into citizens who can question them.
99. What do most individuals today believe about their vote?
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Voters believe their ballot can affect government decisions and their own interests.
100. How does the chapter's ending connect to its opening dilemma?
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It opened with democracy being good in principle but doubted in practice, and closes by showing that the capacity to be dissatisfied — to expect, criticise and demand more — is itself something democracy produces.
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