Civics Chapter 2
What is Democracy? Why Democracy?
Question 1.
What does a candidate need before contesting elections in China?
Answer:
Approval of the Chinese Communist Party.
Question 2.
In a democracy, the final decision must rest with those leaders or representatives who are _______ .
Answer:
Elected by the people
Question 3.
What is peculiar with ZANU-PF?
Answer:
It has always won elections
Question 4.
The one of the main features of a democratic government is that it rules within the limits set by the constitutional law above _______ .
Answer:
Citizen’s rights
Question 5.
Why does a democratic government is a better government?
Answer:
Because it is more accountable form of government
Question 6.
Democracy offers _______ .
Answer:
Dignity of citizens and principle of political equality
Question 7.
Democracy cannot provide solution to all the problems, it is also a difficult form of government to implement. It is _______ .
Answer:
One of the weaknesses of democracy
Question 8.
The major challenges to democracy are _______ .
Answer:
Economic equality among people and abolition of casteism from society.
Question 9.
It is a system in which only those who are in power and their supporters are benefited, and excludes minorities and weaker sections.
Answer:
Dictatorship
Question 10.
It Is a system under which military chief enjoys all the powers and suppress all the protests against him by the people.
Answer:
Military
Question 11.
The strength of democracy is its ability to uphold the values for which it stands for. These values are _______ .
Answer:
Freedom, Equality and Justice
Question 12.
Who led a military coup iirPakistan in 1999?
Answer:
Pervez Musharraf
Question 13.
When did Zimbabwe attain independence and from whom?
Answer:
In 1980 from white minority rule
Question 14.
In which period did China face one of the worst famines that have occurred in the world?
Answer:
China’s famine of 1958-1961 was the worst recorded famine in the world history.
Question 15.
Democracy improves the quality of decision-making because
Answer:
Decisions are taken by consultation and discussion.
Question 16.
What is the most common form of democracy in modern world?
Answer:
Representative Democracy
Question 17.
Which body in the Indian political system is an example of direct democracy?
Answer:
Gram Sabha
Question 18.
What is ZANU-PF?
Answer:
Political party of Zimbabwe
Question 19.
Name the Chinese Parliament.
Answer:
The National People’s Congress
Question 20.
Give a definition of democracy.
Answer:
Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
Question 21.
What was the ‘Legal Framework Order’ passed by Pervez Musharraf in I August 2002?
Answer:
In August 2002, Musharraf issued a ‘Legal Framework Order’ that amended the Constitution of Pakistan. According to this Order, the President can dismiss the national and provincial assemblies.
Question 22.
Name the country where women do not have the right to vote till 2015.
Answer:
Saudi Arabia
Question 23.
Media is not independent in Zimbabwe. How?
Answer:
Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the ruling party’s version. There are independent newspapers, but the government harasses those journalists who went against it.
Question 24.
How can you say that China is not a democratic country?
Answer:
In China, the elections do not offer the people any serious choice. They must choose the ruling party and the candidates approved by it. That is why, we cannot say that China is a democratic country.
Question 1.
What are features of democracy?
Answer:
Features of democracy are :
Rulers elected by the people take all the major decisions;
Elections offer a choice and fair opportunity to the people to change the current rulers;
This choice and opportunity is available to all the people on an equal basis;
The exercise of this choice leads to a government limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens’ rights.
Question 2.
Explain any three major political changes that took place recently in India’s neighbourhood.
Answer:
Pakistan-General Musharaf led a military coup.
Nepal-In 2005, the new king dismissed the elected government.
Iraq-Saddam Hussein’s regime was overthrown.
Question 3.
How does democracy improve the quality of decision making?
Answer:
Democracy is based on consultation and discussion. A democratic decision always involves many persons, discussions and meetings. When a number of people put their heads together, they are able to point out possible mistakes in any decision. This takes time. But there is a big advantage in taking time over important decisions. This reduces the chances of rash or irresponsible decisions. Thus, democracy improves the quality of decision-making.
Question 4.
How does democracy enhances the dignity of citizens?
Answer:
Even if democracy does not bring about better decisions and accountable government, it is still better than other forms of government. Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens. Democracy is based on the principle of political equality, on recognising that the poorest and the least educated has the same status as the rich and the educated. People are not subjects of a ruler, they are the rulers themselves. Even when they make mistakes, they are responsible for their conduct.
Question 5.
How is democracy better than other forms of government?
Answer:
It is correct that democracy is better than other forms of government because it allows us to correct its own mistakes. There is no guarantee that mistakes cannot be made in democracy.
No form of government can guarantee that. The advantage in a democracy is that such mistakes cannot be hidden for long.
There is a space for public discussion on these mistakes. And there is a room for correction. Either the rulers have to change their decisions, or the rulers can be changed. This cannot happen in a non-democratic government.
Question 6.
Democracy cannot get us everything and is not the solution to all problems.
Than why are we interested in democracy?
Answer:
It is clearly better than any other alternative form that we know. It offers better | chances of a good decision and it is likely to respect people’s own wishes and allows different kinds of people to live together.
Even when it fails to do some of these things, it allows a way of correcting its mistakes and offers more dignity to all citizens. That is why, democracy is considered the best form of government.
Question 7.
What does ‘one person, one vote, one value’ mean? Name the countries who deny the equal right to vote.
Answer:
Democracy is based on a fundamental principle of political equality. In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value. Democracy is linked to the demand for Universal Adult Franchise. Yet, there are many instances of denial of equal right to vote.
Until 2015, in Saudi Arabia, women did not have the right to vote.
Estonia has made its citizenship rules in such a way that people belonging to Russian minority find it difficult to get the right to vote.
In Fiji, the electoral system is such that the vote of an indigenous Fiji has more value than that of an Indian-Fiji.
Question 8.
Is it correct that a democratic government cannot do whatever it likes? Explain.
Answer:
A democratic government cannot do whatever it likes because it has won an election. It has to respect some basic rules. In particular, it has to respect some guarantees to the minorities. Every major decision has to go through a series of consultations.
Every office bearer has certain rights and responsibilities assigned by the constitution and the law. Each of these is accountable not only to the people but also to other independent officials.
A democratic government rules within limits set by constitutional law and citizens’ rights.
Question 9.
Pakistan under the General Pervez Musharraf is not called a democracy. Why?
Answer:
Pakistan under the General Pervez Musharraf is not called a democracy because :
The rulers are not elected by the people in Pakistan. People may have elected their representatives to the national and provincial assemblies but those elected representatives are not really the rulers.
They cannot take the final decisions.
The power to take final excision rests with army officials and with General Musharraf, and none of them are elected by the people.
Question 10.
How popular governments can be undemocratic? Explain with an example.
Answer:
In Zimbabwe, since it attained independence in 1980, elections have been held regularly and always won by ZANU-Ph the party that led the freedom struggle. Its leader, President Robert Mugabe, is popular but also uses unfair practices in elections. His government has changed the constitution several times to increase the powers of the President and make him less accountable. Opposition party workers are harassed. Public protests and demonstrations against the government are declared illegal. There is a law that limits the right to criticise the President. Television and radio are controlled by the government and give only the ruling party’s version.
Question 11.
Till 2000, Mexico was not a democratic country. Explain.
Answer:
In Maxico, people seemed to really have a choice but in practice they had no choice. There was no way the ruling party could be defeated, even if people were against it. These are not fair elections. But until 2000 every election was won by a party called PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). ‘Opposition parties did contest elections, but never managed to win. The PRI was known to use many dirty tricks to win elections.
Question 12.
What is the significance of the rule of law and respect for rights in democratic country?
Answer:
A democratic government cannot do whatever it likes, simply because it has won an election. It must respect some basic rules. It must respect some guarantees to the minorities. Every major decision has to go through a series of consultations.
Every office bearer has certain rights and responsibilities assigned by the constitution and the law. Each of these is accountable not only to the people but also to other independent officials.
