Outcomes of Democracy · Class 10 Political Science: 224 MCQs with answers

Q1. Roughly how many countries today claim and practise some kind of democratic politics?

Q2. State the five reasons for which democracy was judged a better form of government.

Q3. What should be the most basic outcome of democracy, and why?

Q4. Which set correctly names the features common to most of these countries?

Q5. What position does fascination for democracy often push people into?

Q6. Which preliminary step helps us judge democracy's results?

Q7. Complete the chapter's statement: democracy can only create conditions for achieving something, and:

Q8. In which five respects does the chapter go on to examine democracy's record?

Q9. Which of the five reasons concerns the ability of a democracy to change course when it has gone wrong?

Q10. Which alternatives to democracy are named when people are asked what they prefer?

Q11. Explain the dilemma about democracy with which the chapter begins.

Q12. How should the outcomes of democracy be assessed? Explain with reference to the expectations we bring to it.

Q13. 'Democracy is only a way of governing. All it can do is set up the conditions for reaching a goal.' Discuss the importance of this statement for judging democracy.

Q14. Examine the claim that widespread dissatisfaction with democracy shows that democracy has failed.

Q15. Which set names the practices and institutions by which a government's accountability can be measured?

Q16. What is 'all one can say' in favour of democratic regimes on elections, debate and information?

Q17. Which two substantive expectations does the chapter say are reasonable to hold of democracy?

Q18. What do people in South Asia believe about the suitability of democracy for their own country?

Q19. Is democratic government less efficient? Explain the chapter's answer.

Q20. What is transparency, and why is it often missing from non-democratic government?

Q21. 'Democracy produces an accountable, responsive and legitimate government.' Examine this statement.

Q22. 'Democratic government may be slow, but its decisions may be more effective.' Explain, with reference to efficiency and transparency.

Q23. Why is there overwhelming support for democracy all over the world despite its poor record on several counts?

Q24. Which set correctly names factors on which economic development depends?

Q25. What may we reasonably expect of democracy in respect of economic growth?

Q26. In which two democracies does the bottom 20 per cent receive less than 3 per cent of national income?

Q27. What does political equality mean in a democracy?

Q28. Which set correctly names the basic needs that those at the bottom sometimes find difficult to meet?

Q29. In which country does the chapter say more than half the population lives in poverty?

Q30. What happens to the incomes of those at the bottom of society, according to the chapter?

Q31. What does the evidence show about economic growth under democracies and dictatorships?

Q32. What does the evidence on income inequality within democracies show?

Q33. 'Democracy is not a guarantee of economic development.' Examine this statement with evidence.

Q34. 'Democracies are based on political equality, yet economic inequality grows.' Explain this statement.

Q35. Why have democratically elected governments not done more to reduce poverty? Discuss with reference to the chapter.

Q36. If conflicts cannot be permanently resolved, what does the chapter say democracy is best suited to produce?

Q37. What does the chapter call the ability of democratic regimes to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts?

Q38. Which country's experience does the chapter use to show that a democracy must meet two conditions to accommodate diversity?

Q39. Why must the majority work with the minority?

Q40. Which set correctly names the kinds of majority community the second condition warns against?

Q41. Democracy remains accommodative only while every citizen has what opportunity?

Q42. What reduces the possibility of social tensions in a democracy becoming explosive?

Q43. How do democracies accommodate social diversity?

Q44. 'Democracy accommodates social diversity.' Examine this statement.

Q45. Explain the two conditions a democracy must fulfil in order to accommodate social diversity, and why Sri Lanka is used to illustrate them.

Q46. 'Democracy only ensures that people do not break each other's heads. This is not harmony.' How far do you agree?

Q47. What has democracy in India done for disadvantaged and discriminated castes?

Q48. How does the chapter describe the role of expectations from democracy?

Q49. What does the chapter say is most distinctive about democracy?

Q50. A student writes in an examination that democracy guarantees equality among citizens and a high quality of decision-making. What is wrong with this?

Q51. Which of the following is NOT among the five reasons for which democracy was judged better than the alternatives?

Q52. A survey finds that most people in a country prefer democracy to rule by a monarch, the military or religious leaders, while most are also dissatisfied with how their own democracy works. What does the chapter call this?

Q53. What does the chapter do with the gap between democracy in principle and democracy in practice?

Q54. Someone argues that democracy should be supported because representing people is right in itself, whatever the results. What kind of reason is being given?

Q55. Why does the chapter look for reasons of the prudential kind at all?

Q56. Two countries both hold elections and guarantee rights, but one is wealthy and the other poor, with entirely different cultures. What does the chapter conclude from such cases?

Q57. Given how widely democracies differ, which question does the chapter ask instead of comparing their achievements?

Q58. A citizen concludes from an unsolved public problem that his country cannot really be a democracy. Which wrong turn is this?

Q59. What are the two wrong turns the chapter warns against when expectations go unmet?

Q60. A law guarantees a right that almost nobody uses. On the chapter's account, what does this show?

Q61. A problem remains unsolved after years in a democracy. Which two questions does the chapter's framework suggest asking?

Q62. Why does the chapter devote a whole opening section to how outcomes should be assessed?

Q63. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Blaming democracy for every unsolved problem is a mistake. Reason (R): Democracy is a way of choosing rulers and of holding them to account.

Q64. Consider the following statements about how to assess democracy's outcomes. I. Democracy is just a form of government. II. It can only create conditions for achieving something. III. Citizens must take advantage of those conditions. IV. Democracy can address all socio-economic and political problems. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q65. Which pairing of a finding with what it does NOT mean is correct?

Q66. Why does the chapter recall the Class IX discussion at all?

Q67. A commentator says that since democracies differ so much in wealth and culture, judging them by a single standard is meaningless. How does the chapter answer?

Q68. Which of the five reasons is about handling disagreement between groups rather than about individuals?

Q69. A politician promises that adopting democratic institutions will by itself end poverty, corruption and social division. Which warning does the chapter offer?

Q70. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): The chapter opens with a method for assessing outcomes rather than with a verdict on democracy. Reason (R): The five expectations of democracy were reached in the Class IX textbook.

Q71. Which statement best expresses the division of work the chapter sets out?

Q72. A campaign succeeds because citizens used the freedoms available to them under a democratic constitution. Which part of the chapter's framework does this illustrate?

Q73. Why is the phrase 'just a form of government' doing important work in the chapter?

Q74. Consider the following about the countries that claim to practise democratic politics. I. They have formal constitutions. II. They hold elections and have parties. III. They guarantee rights of citizens. IV. They are alike in their social situations and economic achievements. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q75. A student asks why the chapter reports poor records as well as good ones. What is the reason?

Q76. Which of these correctly describes the relationship between the five reasons and the rest of the chapter?

Q77. Which conclusion would the chapter reject?

Q78. If democracies differ so greatly from one another, how can any common expectation be stated?

Q79. What mistake does our fascination for democracy lead to, and what follows from it?

Q80. 'Democracy is just a form of government.' Explain what follows from this.

Q81. Why does the chapter discuss how to assess outcomes before assessing any of them?

Q82. A state promises its citizens good roads and clean water but gives them no way of choosing or removing the officials in charge. Which basic outcome of democracy is missing?

Q83. Why does the chapter keep 'accountable' and 'responsive' as two separate demands?

Q84. A military government announces and implements a new tax in a single week, while a democratic legislature takes months over a similar measure. What does the chapter concede about this?

Q85. A city council takes eight months to approve a new water scheme after hearings, committee reports and two rounds of amendment. What feature of democracy makes such delay unavoidable?

Q86. A decree is announced overnight and then resisted for years; a law debated for months is accepted with little protest. Which argument of the chapter does this illustrate?

Q87. Why does the chapter say the cost of time is 'perhaps' worth it rather than certainly?

Q88. A citizen wants to find out whether a contract for a local road was awarded according to the correct procedure, and is able to do so. What is this called?

Q89. Why is transparency possible in a democracy and often missing elsewhere?

Q90. A student writes that transparency means a democratic government always takes good decisions. What is wrong with this?

Q91. A country holds elections every five years on schedule, but candidates without money are almost never heard. How does the chapter describe this pattern?

Q92. On which of the three measures do democratic governments have the weakest record?

Q93. Consider the following statements about democracy's procedural record. I. Democracies have done better at holding regular, free elections. II. Most democracies subject every decision to public debate. III. Their record on sharing information is not very good. IV. They are much better than non-democratic regimes in these respects. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q94. A newspaper series documents one corruption scandal after another under an elected government. What does the chapter conclude from such 'routine tales'?

Q95. A commentator argues that because elected governments are corrupt, a military regime would be cleaner. Which statement in the chapter answers this?

Q96. Which two failings does the chapter attribute to democracies on the substantive record?

Q97. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democratic government is certainly better than its alternatives in one respect. Reason (R): Democratic government is legitimate government, the people's own government.

Q98. An elected government is slow, somewhat inefficient and occasionally corrupt. On the chapter's account, what advantage does it still hold over an efficient dictatorship?

Q99. Why does the chapter repeat every shortfall of democracy in the same sentence that names legitimacy?

Q100. A survey finds that people in a country without a democratic government still say they want to be ruled by representatives they elect. What does the chapter draw from evidence like this?

Q101. In the South Asian survey, democracy was preferred over dictatorship everywhere except one country. Which country, and what did the largest group there say?

Q102. Why is democracy's ability to generate its own support called an outcome in itself?

Q103. Which pairing of an expectation with democracy's record is correct?

Q104. A student argues that democracy's slowness proves it is the worse form of government. Which reply follows the chapter?

Q105. Which of the following is NOT one of the things the chapter says we may expect from democracy on this outcome?

Q106. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democracy's record on being attentive to people's needs and free of corruption is not impressive. Reason (R): Evidence does not show that non-democratic systems are cleaner or more responsive.

Q107. A government holds regular elections and permits open debate but refuses to release information about how it spends public money. On which of the three measures is it failing?

Q108. What does the phrase 'people's own government' capture that efficiency cannot?

Q109. Consider the following statements. I. Non-democratic rulers can be very quick in decision making. II. Democratic decisions may be more acceptable and more effective. III. Transparency is often missing from non-democratic government. IV. Democratic governments share information better than any other kind. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q110. Why does the chapter measure accountability through institutions and practices rather than through the good intentions of rulers?

Q111. An elected government ignores the demands of most of its population on a major issue. Does this show that the country is not a democracy?

Q112. Which statement best describes the overall verdict of this section?

Q113. Why is participation in decision making qualified by 'whenever possible and necessary'?

Q114. How can democracies be measured on the outcome of accountable government, and what does the record show?

Q115. Assess democracy's record on responsiveness and corruption.

Q116. 'Democratic government is legitimate government.' Explain.

Q117. A speaker claims that because democracies produce good government, they must also produce faster development. What does the evidence show?

Q118. A student reads that all dictatorships grew at 4.42 per cent and all democracies at 3.95 per cent between 1950 and 2000. What is the correct conclusion?

Q119. When only poor countries are compared, poor dictatorships grew at 4.34 and poor democracies at 4.28 per cent. What does this show?

Q120. Why is the poor-country comparison the fairer one for a country like India?

Q121. A country's growth slows sharply during a worldwide recession although its government has not changed. Which factor affecting development does this illustrate?

Q122. Why does the chapter say slower growth alone cannot be a reason to reject democracy?

Q123. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democracy cannot be called a guarantee of economic development. Reason (R): Over the fifty years from 1950, dictatorships had a slightly higher rate of economic growth.

Q124. A minister argues that since dictatorships grew slightly faster, his country should abandon elections for twenty years. Which reply follows the chapter?

Q125. Two countries both hold free elections, but in one the richest fifth take 64.8 per cent of income and in the other 34.5 per cent. What does this show?

Q126. A researcher wants examples of democracies with relatively even income distribution. Which two does the chapter point to?

Q127. Why does the chapter say it is 'perhaps more than development' reasonable to expect democracies to reduce economic disparities?

Q128. Every adult in a country has one vote of equal value, yet the income gap between rich and poor keeps widening. Which contrast does this illustrate?

Q129. A report finds that a small group of the very wealthy has increased its share of national income every year for a decade. Which feature of democracies does this describe?

Q130. Consider the following statements about inequality in democracies. I. Democracies are based on political equality. II. Economic inequalities have been growing alongside it. III. The share of the ultra-rich in total income has been increasing. IV. Democracies have been very successful in reducing economic inequalities. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q131. In an election, every party promises to lift the poor out of poverty, since they make up a large share of the electorate. Afterwards little changes. Which observation of the chapter does this fit?

Q132. Why is democracy's weak record on poverty described as surprising rather than expected?

Q133. A student reasons: democracy is rule by the majority; the poor are the majority; so democracy must be rule by the poor. What does the chapter's evidence show about this reasoning?

Q134. A poor country imports much of its grain through aid and purchase from wealthy nations. Which observation of the chapter does this match?

Q135. Which pairing of a question with the chapter's verdict is correct?

Q136. Why does this section rely on tables of figures rather than on arguments from principle?

Q137. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democracies do not appear very successful in reducing economic inequalities. Reason (R): Democracies are based on political equality, with every individual having equal weight in electing representatives.

Q138. Which of the following is NOT a factor the chapter names as affecting economic development?

Q139. How does the correction from the first topic — that democracy is just a form of government — bear on the economic record?

Q140. A family in a country with rising national income cannot afford both school fees and medical treatment. Which point of the chapter does this illustrate?

Q141. Consider the following about democracy and economic growth. I. Across all countries, dictatorships grew slightly faster from 1950 to 2000. II. Among poor countries the difference was negligible. III. Development depends on several factors besides government. IV. Democracy guarantees economic development. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q142. An economist says democracy has failed economically and should be judged a failure overall. What does the chapter's overall position suggest?

Q143. Which statement best describes how the chapter treats the gap between growth figures for all countries and for poor countries?

Q144. Why might equal votes fail to produce equal incomes?

Q145. Which country's figures show the top 20 per cent taking 50.0 per cent and the bottom 20 per cent 4.0 per cent of national income?

Q146. Why is slower economic growth not a reason to reject democracy?

Q147. Explain the contrast between political equality and economic inequality in democracies.

Q148. Why is democracy's record on poverty surprising?

Q149. Assess democracy's overall economic record.

Q150. Two communities compete fiercely for jobs and political power but settle every dispute through elections and courts rather than riots. Which feature of democracy does this illustrate?

Q151. A politician promises that democracy will end all conflict between the country's communities for ever. What is wrong with the promise?

Q152. A government refuses to acknowledge that a large linguistic minority exists, and bans its organisations. How does the chapter describe this kind of response?

Q153. Why does the chapter follow its 'definite plus point' immediately with the Sri Lankan example?

Q154. A government wins a narrow majority and then passes every measure it likes without consulting any other group. Which condition has it failed?

Q155. A citizen finds herself in the majority on a question of taxation and in the minority on a question of school language policy. Which idea does this illustrate?

Q156. In a country, one language group wins every election simply because it outnumbers all the others combined, and members of other groups never form part of a governing majority. Which condition has failed?

Q157. What does rule by majority properly mean, according to the chapter?

Q158. A group is legally free to vote, but because of the community it is born into it can never be part of any governing majority. What does the chapter say about such a group?

Q159. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democratic rule ceases to be accommodative for a group barred from ever being in the majority on the basis of birth. Reason (R): Democracy must leave every citizen a real possibility of joining a majority at some stage.

Q160. How do the two conditions differ from each other?

Q161. Belgium and Sri Lanka were both democracies, yet one accommodated its ethnic differences and the other did not. How does this section explain the difference?

Q162. Consider the following statements about democracy and social diversity. I. Democracies develop procedures to conduct their competition. II. No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among groups. III. Non-democratic regimes often suppress internal social differences. IV. Majority and minority opinions are permanent. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q163. A margin note objects that democracy only stops people breaking each other's heads, which is not harmony. Which response fits the chapter?

Q164. Why is suppressing a social difference not the same as accommodating it?

Q165. Which statement about majorities in a democracy is correct?

Q166. What does the chapter mean by 'accommodative' democratic rule?

Q167. Which pairing of a response to social difference with the kind of regime is correct?

Q168. Why is the phrase 'at some point of time' important in the chapter's test?

Q169. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Democracy is best suited to producing respect for social differences. Reason (R): Belgium successfully negotiated differences among its ethnic populations.

Q170. A majority community argues that since it has the most votes, it is entitled to decide every question in its own favour for ever. Which part of the chapter answers this?

Q171. Which of the following is NOT one of the two conditions a democracy must fulfil to accommodate diversity?

Q172. Why does the chapter say democracy is best suited to handling social diversity, rather than simply that it is good at it?

Q173. A student writes that since Sri Lanka was a democracy, its conflict proves democracy cannot accommodate diversity. What is the correction?

Q174. Consider the following about the second condition. I. Rule by majority must not become rule by majority community. II. Different persons and groups may form a majority in every decision. III. Anyone barred from the majority by birth is no longer accommodated. IV. The largest religious group should form the permanent majority. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Q175. Which statement best captures the relationship between this section and the chapter on power sharing?

Q176. A coalition government includes a party that opposed most of its partners on education but agrees with them on the economy. What does this show about majorities?

Q177. Why does the chapter use the word 'fair' to describe the expectation that democracy should produce a harmonious social life?

Q178. Why is the ability to handle social differences called a definite plus point of democracy?

Q179. Explain the first condition a democracy must fulfil to accommodate social diversity.

Q180. Explain the second condition a democracy must fulfil to accommodate social diversity.

Q181. What lesson does Sri Lanka teach about democracy and social diversity?

Q182. Why is being in the minority on some questions compatible with democracy, but being barred from the majority by birth is not?

Q183. After finding democracy's record mixed on government and weak on economic outcomes, where does the chapter say democracy is much superior to any other form of government?

Q184. Two neighbours quarrel repeatedly because one feels the other never treats him with due respect. Which observation of the chapter does this illustrate?

Q185. A reformer argues that democracy exists mainly to deliver economic growth. Which statement from the chapter points to a different foundation?

Q186. A student writes that democracies have fully achieved dignity and freedom for all. What does the chapter actually say?

Q187. Why is it not a simple matter for some societies to recognise that all individuals are equal?

Q188. A woman denied equal pay takes her employer to court and points to the law in her support. What made her struggle easier, on the chapter's account?

Q189. Why would the same woman's struggle be harder in a non-democratic set-up?

Q190. Read the Assertion and Reason and choose the correct option. Assertion (A): Women in democracies are not always treated with respect. Reason (R): Long struggles by women have created some sensitivity that respect and equal treatment of women are necessary ingredients of a democratic society.

Q191. Decades of campaigning by women's groups in a country have not ended discrimination, but have made equal treatment of women widely accepted as essential to democratic life. How does the chapter describe this result?

Q192. A Dalit family is denied entry to a public place, and its complaint is registered as a crime rather than dismissed as custom. Which point of the chapter does this illustrate?

Q193. A critic points to continuing caste atrocities as proof that democracy has done nothing for dignity. What is the chapter's reply?

Q194. What does the chapter suggest makes ordinary citizens value their democratic rights?

Q195. A village that obtained a school after years of demands now demands a hospital. Which idea from the chapter does this illustrate?

Q196. Why do people asked about the way democracy functions always come up with more expectations and many complaints?

Q197. A newspaper survey records widespread complaints about the government, and the editor concludes that democracy has failed. What does the chapter say about such complaints?

Q198. Why do complaints about democracy show that people have changed?

Q199. People in a town who once accepted whatever officials decided now publicly demand explanations for unbuilt roads. What transformation does the chapter say this reflects?

Q200. Under an old monarchy, villagers bowed to every order of the king's officer; two generations after elections came, their grandchildren question the district officer in public meetings. What change does the chapter say democracy brings about?