What is Democracy? Why Democracy? quiz

The word democracy comes from the Greek word:

General Pervez Musharraf took power in Pakistan in:

Which party ruled Mexico from 1930 to 2000?

Robert Mugabe ruled:

In China, elections to the National People's Congress are held every:

Which of these is a feature of democracy?

Until 2015, women in which country did not have the right to vote?

Democracy improves the quality of decision-making because it is based on:

Which is an argument against democracy?

Estonia made its citizenship rules in a way that people of which minority found it difficult to vote?

Why is Pakistan under Musharraf not called a democracy? (2 marks)

Why are elections in China not considered democratic? (2 marks)

How did Mugabe's government limit the rights of citizens? (2 marks)

Why is democracy more accountable than other forms of government? (2 marks)

How does democracy enhance the dignity of citizens? (2 marks)

How does democracy help deal with differences and conflicts? (2 marks)

Why is a delay in decision-making not always bad in a democracy? (2 marks)

Why is an independent judiciary important for democracy? (2 marks)

What is meant by a representative democracy? Why is it needed? (2 marks)

Give two examples of democratic behaviour in daily life. (2 marks)

A country has 5 crore adults. If 60% voted and the winning party got 45% of the votes cast, how many votes did it get? What percentage of all adults voted for it? (3 marks)

Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 and Mugabe ruled until 2017. For how many years did he rule? If elections were held every 5 years, about how many elections took place? (3 marks)

In a town meeting, 1,500 citizens are present. Direct discussion takes 2 minutes per person. How many hours would it take for everyone to speak? Why is direct democracy difficult in large populations? (3 marks)

A legislature has 240 members. A bill passes with 130 votes in favour and 70 against, and the rest abstain. Find the number of abstentions and the percentage of all members who voted in favour, correct to one decimal place. (3 marks)

In a class election, 40 students vote. Candidate A gets 18, B gets 14 and C gets 8 votes. Find the percentage of votes for each. Did A win a majority of votes cast? (3 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup in Pakistan. He overthrew a democratically elected government and declared himself the Chief Executive. Later he changed his designation to President and in 2002 held a referendum that granted him a five-year extension. (i) Why was Pakistan not a democracy under him? (ii) Who held the real power? (iii) Which feature of democracy was missing? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Since 1930, Mexico has held elections after every six years to elect its President. But until 2000, every election was won by a party called PRI. Opposition parties did contest elections, but never managed to win. (i) Why could the opposition never win? (ii) Which feature of democracy was missing? (iii) What does this show about elections? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980. Since then the country has been ruled by ZANU-PF. Its leader Robert Mugabe was popular but used unfair practices in elections. His government changed the constitution several times to increase the powers of the President. (i) Why was Zimbabwe not a full democracy? (ii) How did the government treat protests? (iii) What does this example teach us? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. 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. (i) Why does this take time? (ii) How does it improve decisions? (iii) Give one example from your own life. (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens. It is based on the principle of political equality, on recognising that the poorest and the least educated have the same status as the rich and the educated. (i) What does political equality mean? (ii) How does this give dignity? (iii) Can democracy end all inequalities? Explain. (5 marks)

Draw a chart showing the four features of democracy. Explain each with an example. (6 marks)

Draw a table of arguments for and against democracy. Explain why democracy is still preferred. (6 marks)

Draw a flowchart showing how a democratic government is formed from free elections. Explain each step. (6 marks)

Draw a chart comparing democracy with dictatorship and monarchy on choice, rights and accountability. Explain the differences. (6 marks)

Draw a diagram showing the broader meanings of democracy in government, family and society. Explain how citizens can make democracy stronger. (6 marks)