Outcomes of Democracy

How do we assess democracy's outcomes? Democracy is preferred over other forms of government because it promotes equality among citizens, enhances the dignity of the individual, improves the quality of decision-making, provides a method to resolve conflicts and allows room to correct mistakes. In this chapter you will learn to judge democracy by its outcomes rather than by unrealistic expectations. You will examine whether democracy produces an accountable, responsive and legitimate government, one that is chosen by people through free and fair elections, is open to public debate and follows procedures, and why the democratic government is the people's own government. You will then compare the record of democracies and dictatorships on economic growth and development, and examine why democracies have not been very successful in reducing economic inequality and poverty. Finally, you will see how democracy accommodates social diversity by respecting majority opinion while protecting minorities, and how it promotes the dignity and freedom of citizens, especially women and disadvantaged castes, while recognising that democracy is a continuous process of improvement.

Detailed Worksheet: Outcomes of Democracy Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is meant by an accountable government? (2 marks) 2. What is meant by a legitimate government? Why is democratic government called legitimate? (2 marks) 3. What is transparency in a democracy? Give one example. (2 marks) 4. Explain the statement 'Democracy is a better form of government than dictatorship' with two reasons. (2 marks) 5. What is meant by the dignity of the individual in a democracy? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. Study the data on the share of national income: South Africa, top 20%: 64.8%, bottom 20%: 2.9%; Denmark, top 20%: 34.5%, bottom 20%: 9.6%. Calculate how many times more the top 20% earn compared with the bottom 20% in each country. What does this tell us about economic inequality in democracies? (3 marks) 7. In a country of 10 crore people, the richest 20% receive 50% of the national income of Rs 100 lakh crore, and the poorest 20% receive 4%. Calculate the average income per person in each group. (3 marks) 8. In an election, 60 crore people out of 95 crore registered voters cast their votes. Calculate the voter turnout. If the turnout among the poor was 66% and among the rich 58%, what does this tell us about participation in Indian democracy? (3 marks) 9. A government responds to 1,200 Right to Information applications in a year, of which 960 are answered within 30 days. Calculate the percentage answered on time. How does the RTI Act make government more accountable? (3 marks) 10. Arrange in chronological order and give the years: Right to Information Act passed in India; India adopts universal adult franchise with its Constitution; reservation for women in panchayats and municipalities; women get the right to vote in Switzerland at the national level. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a mind map showing the expected outcomes of democracy: accountable, responsive and legitimate government; economic growth; reduction of inequality; accommodation of social diversity; dignity and freedom of citizens. (4 marks) 12. Draw a bar graph comparing the share of national income of the top 20% and bottom 20% of the population in South Africa (64.8, 2.9) and Denmark (34.5, 9.6). (3 marks) 13. Draw a flowchart showing how citizens can hold a democratic government accountable: elections, free media, RTI, courts and protests. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. 'Democracies are based on political equality, but they have not been very successful in reducing economic inequalities.' Explain this statement. Why do the poor, who are a majority of voters, not succeed in making governments address their needs fully? (5 marks) 15. 'Dictatorships have a slightly higher rate of economic growth, but democracy is still preferred.' Do you agree? Give reasons, considering factors such as population size, global situation and economic priorities. (5 marks) 16. 'Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting the dignity and freedom of the individual.' Explain with examples of women's rights and caste discrimination in India. Why do we see more complaints about democracy in democratic countries? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Answer with examples from India and other countries. Draw graphs and charts neatly with titles and labels.