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Here is some information about four countries. Based on this information, how would you classify each of these countries. Write ‘democratic’, ‘undemocratic’ or ‘not sure’ against each of these.

a Country A: People who do not accept the country’s official religion do not have a right to vote.

• Answer: Undemocratic. A core principle of democracy is political equality. Denying voting rights based on religion is discriminatory and undemocratic.

b Country B: The same party has been winning elections for the last twenty years.

• Answer: Not sure. This could happen in a democracy if the party is genuinely popular. However, it could also be a sign of an undemocratic system if elections are not free and fair, or if opposition is suppressed. More information is needed.

c Country C: Ruling party has lost in the last three elections.

• Answer: Democratic. This is a strong sign of a functioning democracy. It shows that elections are competitive, power can change hands peacefully, and people have a real choice.

d Country D: There is no independent election commission.

• Answer: Undemocratic. An independent body to conduct free and fair elections is essential for democracy. Without it, elections can be rigged, making the process undemocratic.

2 Here is some information about four countries. Based on this information, how would you classify each of these countries. Write ‘democratic’, ‘undemocratic’ or ‘not sure’ against each of these.

a Country P: The parliament cannot pass a law about the army without the consent of the Chief of Army.

• Answer: Undemocratic. In a democracy, elected representatives (parliament) must have final control over the military. If the army chief can veto laws, it means the army is not under civilian control, which is undemocratic.

b Country Q: The parliament cannot pass a law reducing the powers of the judiciary.

• Answer: Democratic (Likely). This is usually a feature to protect the independence of the judiciary, which is a key pillar of democracy. It acts as a check on the power of the elected government.

c Country R: The country’s leaders cannot sign any treaty with another country without taking permission from its neighbouring country.

• Answer: Undemocratic. A democratic country must be sovereign and make its own foreign policy decisions based on the will of its people. Needing a neighbor’s permission compromises national sovereignty.

d Country S: All the major economic decisions about the country are taken by officials of the central bank which the ministers cannot change.

• Answer: Undemocratic. While independent central banks exist in democracies, if all major economic decisions are made by unelected officials and cannot be influenced by elected ministers, it takes away the people’s power to shape economic policy through their votes.

3 Which of these is not a good argument in favour of democracy? Why?

a People feel free and equal in a democracy.
b Democracies resolve conflict in a better way than others.
c Democratic government is more accountable to the people.
d Democracies are more prosperous than others.

• Answer: (d) Democracies are more prosperous than others. This is not a consistently good argument. While some democracies are very prosperous (e.g., USA, Germany), some are poor (e.g., India, Bangladesh), and some non-democracies have achieved high economic growth (e.g., China in recent decades). Prosperity depends on many factors like resources, policies, and history. Arguments (a), (b), and (c) are fundamental political and moral advantages of democracy that are generally true.

4 Each of these statements contains a democratic and an undemocratic element. Write out the two separately for each statement.

• Statement: A minister said that some laws have to be passed by the parliament in order to conform to the regulations decided by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
  • Democratic Element: Laws are being passed by the parliament (elected representatives).
  • Undemocratic Element: The laws are being forced by an external international organization, which may not consider the will of the country’s own people.
• Statement: The Election Commission ordered re-polling in a constituency where large-scale rigging was reported.
  • Democratic Element: An independent Election Commission is taking action to ensure a free and fair election.
  • Undemocratic Element: Large-scale rigging occurred in the first place, which is a violation of democratic process.
• Statement: Women’s representation in the parliament has barely reached 10 per cent. This led women’s organisations to demand one-third seats for women.
  • Democratic Element: Women’s organisations are freely demanding better representation, exercising their right to protest and participate.
  • Undemocratic Element: The very low (10%) representation of women shows that the political system is not adequately reflecting the population (gender inequality), which is against the democratic ideal of equal representation.

5 Which of these is not a valid reason for arguing that there is a lesser possibility of famine in a democratic country?

• Opposition parties can draw attention to hunger and starvation.
• Free press can report suffering from famine in different parts of the country.
• Government fears its defeat in the next elections.
• People are free to believe in and practise any religion.
• Answer: People are free to believe in and practise any religion. Religious freedom is a separate democratic right. While important, it does not directly create a mechanism to prevent famine. The other three options are direct mechanisms of accountability: opposition, media, and fear of losing elections force the government to act on issues like famine.

6 There are 40 villages in a district where the government has made no provision for drinking water. These villagers met and considered many methods of forcing the government to respond to their need. Which of these is not a democratic method?

• Filing a case in the courts claiming that water is part of right to life.
• Boycotting the next elections to give a message to all parties.
• Organising public meetings against government’s policies.
• Paying money to government officials to get water.
• Answer: Paying money to government officials to get water. This is bribery and corruption. It is an illegal and undemocratic method that undermines the rule of law and equal treatment. The other three are peaceful, legal methods of protest and seeking redressal in a democracy.

7 Write a response to the following arguments against democracy:

• Argument: Army is the most disciplined and corruption-free organisation in the country. Therefore army should rule the country.
  • Response: An army rule is fundamentally undemocratic because the army is not elected by the people. It may be disciplined, but it is not accountable to citizens. Democracy is about people choosing their own rulers, even if the process is sometimes messy. Army rule often leads to the suppression of freedom and human rights.
• Argument: Rule of the majority means the rule of ignorant people. What we need is the rule of the wise, even if they are in small numbers.
  • Response: Democracy is not just “rule of the majority”; it is also about protecting minority rights and making decisions through consultation and debate. Who decides who is “wise”? A system that gives power only to a self-proclaimed “wise” few is called a dictatorship or oligarchy. Democracy believes in the collective wisdom of the people and provides a way to correct mistakes through elections.
• Argument: If we want religious leaders to guide us in spiritual matters, why not invite them to guide us in politics as well. The country should be ruled by religious leaders.
  • Response: Politics and spiritual guidance are separate. A country has citizens of many faiths and beliefs. Rule by religious leaders of one religion would be unfair to others and lead to a theocracy, not a democracy. Democracy ensures that all citizens, regardless of religion, have equal rights and a say in government.

8 Are the following statements in keeping with democracy as a value? Why?

• Statement: Father to daughter: I don’t want to hear your opinion about your marriage. In our family children marry where the parents tell them to.
  • Answer: No. This goes against the democratic value of individual freedom and the right to have an opinion. Democracy respects the dignity and choice of the individual.
• Statement: Teacher to student: Don’t disturb my concentration by asking me questions in the classroom.
  • Answer: No. This goes against the democratic value of dialogue and debate. A democratic classroom encourages questions and discussion.
• Statement: Employee to the officer: Our working hours must be reduced according to the law.
  • Answer: Yes. This is in keeping with democracy. The employee is appealing to the rule of law, which applies equally to all (the officer and the employee). Democracy is based on respecting just laws.

9 Consider the following facts about a country and decide if you would call it a democracy. Give reasons to support your decision.

• All the citizens of the country have right to vote. Elections are held regularly.
• The country took loan from international agencies. One of the conditions for giving loan was that the government would reduce its expenses on education and health.
• People speak more than seven languages but education is available only in one language, the language spoken by 52 percent people of that country.
• Several organisations have given a call for peaceful demonstrations and nation wide strikes in the country to oppose these policies. Government has arrested these leaders.
• The government owns the radio and television in the country. All the newspapers have to get permission from the government to publish any news about government’s policies and protests.

Answer: No, this country cannot be called a full democracy. Here are the reasons:

1. Undemocratic Reasons:Violation of Political Freedom: Arresting leaders for organizing peaceful protests violates the democratic right to dissent and freedom of assembly.
2. Lack of Media Freedom: Government control of TV/radio and pre-censorship of newspapers strangles free speech and the public’s right to unbiased information. This is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.
3. Violation of Equality & Minority Rights: Offering education only in the majority language ignores the rights and culture of linguistic minorities (48% of people).

1. Democratic Feature:The only democratic feature is universal adult suffrage and regular elections.
   1. Ambiguous Point:
      1. The loan condition from an international agency reduces the government’s ability to make independent decisions for the welfare of its people, which compromises the democratic ideal of self-rule. However, this is an external economic pressure.

Conclusion: Since the undemocratic features (suppression of protest, controlled media, minority injustice) are severe and contradict basic freedoms, the mere presence of elections is not enough to label it a democracy. Elections must be accompanied by essential political freedoms.