Challenges to Democracy

 

Challenges to Democracy

Choose the correct option:

1.     Which one of the following laws was enacted by the Government of India in October 2005?
(a) The Right to Property Act             (b) The Right to Education Act
(c) The Consumer Protection Act        (d) The Right to Information Act

2.     Which one of the following is a foundational challenge of democracy?
(a) Empowering women
(b) Keeping military away from controlling government
(c) Ensuring greater power to local governments
(d) Empowering minority groups.

3.     Which one of the following is an indicator of deepening of democracy?
(a) Installation of democratic government
(b) Keeping military away from controlling government
(c) Strengthening of the practices of democracy
(d) Inclusion of women in party politics

4.     Which legal act is the best to empower people to carry out democratic reforms?
(a) The Right to Information Act   (b) The Right to freedom
(c) The Right to education                 (d) The Right to move freely

5.     Every established democracy faces
(a) challenge of expansion    (b) challenge of deepening of democracy
(c) foundational challenge                 (d) dictatorship

6.     Looking at the expanded definition, which one of the following statements is not correct about democracy?
(a) The rulers elected by the people must take all the major decisions.
(b) Elections must offer a fair choice to the people to change the current rulers.
(c) The choice should be available to all people on an equal basis.
(d) To exercise this choice government must not be limited by basic rules of the Constitution and citizens’ rights.

7.     In Nepal, Constituent Assembly about to be elected, unrest in Terai areas, Maoists have not surrendered arms.
(a) Foundational challenge            (b) Challenge of expansion
(c) Deepening of democracy              (d) None of the above

8.     In Belgium, one round of constitutional change takes place, but the Dutch speakers, not satisfied, want more autonomy.
(a) Foundational challenge                (b) Challenge of expansion
(c) Deepening of democracy              (d) None of the above

9.     Democracy does not stand for:
(a) Democratic Right                         (b) Elections
(c) Violence                                    (d) Accommodation of diversity

10.  Which one of the following situations represents the success of democracy?
(a) US as the only Super power disregards the UN and takes unilateral action.
(b) General Pinochet government defeated, but army is still under control of many institutions.
(c) The King of Nepal Birendra accepted constitutional Monarchy.
(d) Integration of French speaking and Dutch speaking people in Belgium.

11.  Which one of the following is not true regarding ‘Democratic Reforms’?
(a) Legal measures can sometimes prove to be counter-productive.
(b) The media should play an active role.
(c) Legal measures always help in reforming politics.
(d) Political empowerment and participation of citizens can help.

12.  What is the tempting way of reforming politics?
(a) Legal ways                               (b) Illegal ways
(c) Both a and b                               (d) None of the above

13.  How many parts of the globe is not under democratic government?
(a) One-sixth                                   (b) One-fourth
(c) One-third                                    (d) None of the Above

14.  Which one of the following countries is facing the challenge of expansion of democracy?
(a) India                (b) US        (c) Sri Lanka       (d) All of the above

15.  What is not true regarding a challenge?
(a) Any sort of problem or difficulty is called a challenge.
(b) A challenge is a difficulty which is significant and which can be overcome.
(c) A challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress.
(d) Once we overcome a challenge, we go up to a higher level than before.

16.  Mention reforms that Indian democracy needs?
(a) New laws to ban undesirable things.
(b) It is important to improve quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.
(c) Reforms in the administration that will reduce corruption in the political circles.
(d) All of the above

17.  Which one of the following statements about democracy is false?
(a) People feel free and equal in a democracy
(b) Democracies resolve conflict in a better way than others
(c) Democratic government is more accountable to the people.
(d) Democracies are more prosperous than others.

18.  In which of the following country, women are not allowed to take part in public activities?
(a) India        (b) South Africa           (c) Saudi Arabia         (d) Chile

19.  Which one of the following is not true regarding how politics can be reformed?
(a) Only legal constitutional changes can reform politics.
(b) There is a need to strengthen democratic practices.
(c) Citizen’s organisations and media should play an active role.
(d) The citizens should be empowered through rights like the Right to Information.

20.  Which one of the following law is a good example of a law that seeks to empower people to carry out democratic reforms?
(a) Right to Information Act
(b) Law banning sale and purchase of alcoholic drinks in Haryana
(c) Law banning dowry
(d) None of the above

Picture-based Questions:

Question 1.
Each of these cartoons represents a challenge to democracy taken from NCERT textbook pages 103-105. Describe what that challenge is. Also place it in one of the three categories mentioned in the first cartoon.

 

 

 Answer:
(i) Mubarak Re-elected: It means that he has used unfair means in the election. This is a case of challenge of expansion of democracy.

(ii) Seeing the Democracy: This cartoon points out the use of muscle power in establishing democracy. This is a case of the foundational challenge.

(iii) Liberal Gender Equality: This cartoon shows that measures have been taken to strengthen democracy by accommodating social diversities. This is a case of the challenge of deepening of democracy.

(iv) Campaign Money: This cartoon shows that money and muscle power can be ignored while making government decisions. This is a case of the challenge of deepening of democracy.

2016
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 1.
‘Most of the established democracies are facing the challenge of expansion.’Support the statement with examples.
Answer:
Most of the established democracies are facing the challenge of expansion. This statement can be supported giving the following examples.

·        The challenge of expansion involves applying the basic principles of democracy across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.

·        It involves ensuring greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation and inclusion of women and minority groups.

·        It also implies that less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control. Most countries including India and other democracies, like the United States, face this challenge.

Question 2.
‘The challenge of deepening of democracy is being faced by every democracy in one form or another.’ Support the statement with arguments.
Answer:
The challenge of deepening of democracy is faced by every democracy in one way or the other. This challenge ensures:

·        strengthening of democratic institutions and principles.

·        to check the influence of the wealthy and powerful people in the democratic decisions.

·        empowering the general section of people through democratic institutions.

2015
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 3.
How are the challenges to democracy linked to the possibility of political reforms? Explain.
Answer:
Challenges to democracy are linked to the possibility of political reforms in the following ways.

·        Carefully-devised changes in law can help to discourage wrong political practices.

·        Democratic reforms are to be carried out by political parties, activists, movements and politically-conscious citizens.

·        Ordinary citizens too should participate in political affairs.

·        Democratic movements, citizen’s organizations and media can play an important role in establishing democracy and thus reforming politics.

·        Laws to empower citizen like RTI should be made accessible so that parties, their functioning and above all democracy can be reformed from time to time.

Question 4.
‘A challenge is an opportunity for progress.’ Support the statement with your arguments.
Answer:
A Challenge is an opportunity for progress. This statement can be supported giving the following arguments.

·        A challenge is not just any problem. We usually call only those difficulties a challenge which are significant and can be overcome. For example, established democracies face the challenge of expansion of democratic principle across the regions which can be overcome by empowering different social groups and local governments.

·        A challenge is a difficulty that carries an opportunity for progress like the foundational challenge faced by evolving democracies. Once the transition is made to democracy, it opens the opportunity for further progress in democracy.

·        Thus, once we overcome a challenge, we go up to a higher level’than before. For instance, democracy, after facing the foundational challenge and the challenge of expansion, leads to the challenge of deepening. This challenge involves empowering the political institutions like political parties, pressure groups and movement groups.

2013
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 5.
‘Legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy’. Justify the statement with an example.
Answer:
Legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy. This statement can be explained giving the following arguments.

·        Democratic reforms need to be carried out mainly by political activists, political parties, movement groups and politically-conscious citizens.

·        Any legal change must produce positive effects of politics. But sometimes the result may be counterproductive. For example, many states have banned people from contesting election who have more than two children. This has resulted in denial of democratic opportunity to many poor and women, though it was not an intention.

·        Laws that seek to ban something need not be successful always.

·        Laws that give initiative to the political actors have more possibilities of surviving.

·        Laws that empower people and carry out democratic reforms are best. For example, Right to Information empowers people to look into the functioning of the government and act accordingly.

·        At a larger scale, it will initiate a corruption-free society. (any five)

Question 6.
Explain with examples how some countries face foundational challenge of democracy.
Answer:
The foundational challenge of democracy consists of making the transition to democracy and then instituting a democratic government.
This challenge involves three main areas of change.

·        It brings down the existing non-democratic regime.

·        It keeps the military away from controlling government.

·        It establishes a sovereign and functional state. The example of struggle for democracy in Nepal justifies the foundational challenge. People demanded abolition of monarchy and establishment of democratic institutions.

2012
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 7.
How are some countries in the world facing foundational challenge of democracy? Explain with examples
Answer:
Refer to answer 6

Question 8.
Explain the three major challenges faced by modern democracies.
Answer:
The following are the major challenges to democracy in India.

·        Foundational challenge: This challenge involves:
(i) making transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government.
(ii) bringing down the existing non-democratic regime.
(iii) keeping military away from controlling government.
(iv) establishing a sovereign and functional state.

·        Challenge of expansion of democracy: This challenge signifies:
extension of democratic power to local governments.
(ii) expansion of federal principles to all the federal units.
(iii) political empowerment to w men and minorities.

·        Challenge of deepening of democra. ; This challenge ensures:
(i) strengthening of democratic institutions and democratic principles.
(ii) to check the influence of the wealthy and powerful people in democratic decisions.
(iii) empowering the general section of people through democratic institutions.

Long Answer Type Question [4/5 Marks]

Question 9.
How are some countries of the world facing the challenge of expansion of democracy? Explain with examples.
Answer:
Most of the established democracies face the challenge of expansion of democracy.

·        This involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.

·        Ensuring greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation, inclusion of women and minority groups falls under this challenge.

·        This also means that less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control.

·        Most countries including India and other democracies like the United States
face this challenge. *’

·        In India, certain socio-economically backward groups have yet to get the political powers. Additionally some north-eastern states have not yet fully integrated with the mainstream India. These are the examples of challenge of expansion of democracy.

2011
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks]

Question 10.
Explain any three aspects of challenge of expansion of democracy.
Answer:
Refer to answer 1

Question 11.
Explain the challenge of expansion of democracy by stating three points.
Answer:
Refer to answer 1

Question 12.
Explain the challenge of deepening of democracy by stating three points.
Answer:
Refer to answer 2

Question 13.
The best laws to bring about political reforms are those that empower citizens. Justify this statement with an example.
Answer:
Refer to answer 5

Long Answer Type Questions [4/5 Marks]

Question 14.
‘Legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy.’ Explain with example.
Answer:
Refer to answer 5

Question 15.
Explain the ‘foundational challenge’ of democracy by stating three points.
Answer:
Refer to answer 6

2010
Long Answer Type Questions [4/5 Marks]

Question 16.
Explain which four guidelines should be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reforms in India.
Answer:
The following are the guidelines that should be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reforms in India.

·        Carefully-devised changes in law can help to discourage wrong political practices and encourage good ones.

·        At the same time, legal-constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy. They are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and politically-conscious citizens.

·        Legal changes can sometimes be counterproductive. Generally, laws that seek to ban something are not very successful. Rather laws that give political actors incentives to do good things have more chances of working. For example, the Right to Information Act empowers people to act as watchdogs of democracy.

·        The main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen democratic practice. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.

·        Any proposal for political reforms should not only think about what is a good solution but also about who will implement it and how measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens’ organisations and the media are likely to succeed.

Question 17.
What is a challenge? Explain the three major challenges before the countries of the world regarding democracy.
Answer:
A challenge refers to a difficulty which carries within it an opportunity for further progress and can be overcome. For three major challenges, refer to answer 8

Question 18.
‘Most of the democracies of the world face the challenge of expansion and challenge of deepening of democracy.’ Justify the statement.
Answer:
Refer to answers 1 and 2

 

 

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