Chapter 5 Outcomes of Democracy Class 10th Notes Civics
Chapter 5 Outcomes of Democracy Class 10th Notes Civics Social Science
Legitimate, Responsive, and Accountable Government
Democracy ensures that citizens take part in making decisions regarding things that impact them.
It establishes a government which is accountable and strives to satisfy the people.
Even though it is slower as it involves talking and consensus, the result tends to be better.
Democratic decision-making has an institutional framework of rules which guarantee it is open—something that does not occur under dictatorships.
A perfect democracy should possess:
■ Free and fair elections.
■ Publicly debated policies.
■ Right to information.
■ Even if not optimum (e.g., corruption), citizens prefer to be ruled by democratically chosen governments.
Economic Growth and Development
Study of 1950 to 2000 discovered dictatorships experienced a bit more economic growth than democracies.
This is not an implication that democracy is a negative; economic growth is also vulnerable to:
■ Size of population.
■ Foreign aid.
■ Fiscal economic policies of the government.
Economic Outcomes of Democracy
Democracies are also likely to experience uneven wealth distribution.
In South Africa and Brazil, 20% of individuals own 60% of the resources.
Democracies have not succeeded in alleviating poverty and inequality.
For example, in Bangladesh, more than 50% of individuals are poor despite being a democratic nation.
Poverty and Inequality Reduction
Democracies must not only take care of economic growth, but also poverty reduction between the poor and the rich.
But most democratic governments cannot do so.
Accommodation of Social Diversity
Democracy accommodates diversity in the following ways:
Respecting cultural, religious, linguistic, etc., differences.
Fostering reciprocal cooperation between majority and minority communities.
Avoiding domination of the majority:
One religion/community will not be dominated by rule of one.
One community must not be barred from governance for good due to birth.
Political Effects of Democracy
Democracy is political:
■ The government is chosen and held accountable by citizens.
■ Decisions are taken taking into account various opinions.
A good democracy should:
■ Be responsive to citizens.
■ Be accountable for what it does.
■ Give citizens a chance to affect the government.
Outcomes of Democracy
Democracy is participatory and inclusive compared to dictatorship.
In a dictatorship (e.g., in North Korea), decisions are made by one leader, often without referring to citizens.
In democracy:
■ Leaders are chosen by people.
■ It's created to fulfill the needs of the people.
Thus, democracy is more representative and equitable.
Elements of Democratic Outcomes
These are what democracy is held up against:
Political Dimension:
Free and fair elections.
Open government.
Citizen participation and accountability.
Economic Dimension:
■ Mixed record on growth.
■ Does not always guarantee equal distribution of wealth.
Social Dimension:
■ Promotes equality.
■ Attempts to be tolerant of diversity.
■ Attempts to settle social conflicts peacefully.