These comprehensive RBSE Class 10 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 7 Outcomes of Democracy will give a brief overview of all the concepts.
RBSE Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 7 Outcomes of Democracy
Summary
How do We Assess Democracy’s Outcomes?
Democracy is a better form of government when compared with dictatorship or any other alternative 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.
Democracy is seen to be good in principle but it is not felt good in practice. The dilemma invites us to think hard about the outcomes of democracy.
Over a hundred countries of the world today claim and practice some kind of democratic policies. They have formal constitutions, they hold elections, they have parties and they guarantee rights of citizens.
While these features are common to most of them, these democracies are very much different from each other in terms of their social situations, economic achievement and cultures.
Our interest and fascination for democracy often pushes us into taking a position that democracy can address all socio-economic and political problems. Democracy is just a form of government.
Accountable, Responsive and Legitimate Government –
1. In a democracy, we are most concerned with ensuring that people will have the right to choose their rulers and people will have control over the rulers.
Therefore, the most basic outcome of democracy should be that it produces a government that is accountable to the citizens and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.
2. Democracy ensures that decision making will be based on norms and procedures, so a citizen who wants to know7 if a decision was taken through the correct procedures can find this out. This is known as transparency.
3. When we are trying to find out the outcomes of democracy, it is right to expect democracy to produce a government that follows procedures and is accountable to the people.
There is one respect in which democratic government is certainly better than its alternative democratic government is legitimate government.
Economic Growth and Development –
When we find such significant difference in the rates of economic growth between countries under dictatorship and democracy it is better to prefer democracy as it has several other positive outcomes.
Reduction of Inequality and Poverty –
Democracies are based on political equality. All individuals have equal weight in electing representatives. Parellel to the process of bringing individuals into the political arena on an equal footing, we find growing economic inequalities.
Accommodation of Social Diversity –
Democracies usually develop a procedure to conduct their competition. This reduces the possibility of these tensions becoming explosive or violent. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic regime.
Dignity and Freedom of the Citizens –
Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting dignity and freedom of the individual Democracies throughout the world have recognised this at least in principle. This has been achieved in various degrees in various democracies.
Long struggles by women have created some sensitivity today that respect and equal treatment for women are necessary ingredients of a democratic society . But once the principle is recognised, it becomes easier for w omen to wage a struggle against what is now unacceptable legally and morally.
The same is true of caste inequalities.
Expectations from Democracy –
- As people get some benefits of democracy; they ask for more and want to make democracy even better. They will alway come up with more expectations and many complaints.
- It shows that people have developed awareness and the ability to expect and to look critically at power holders and the high and the mighty.
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