Question 1: 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) undemocratic
(b) not sure
(c) democratic
(d) undemocratic
Question 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) undemocratic
(b) democratic
(c) undemocratic
(d) undemocratic
Question 3: Which of these is not a good argument in favour of democracy? Why?
The argument ‘d’, which states that “Democracies are more prosperous than others”, is not a good argument in favour of democracy. This is because some democracies like India are still developing economically, while monarchies like the states of UAE are economically strong.
Question 4: Each of these statements contains a democratic and an undemocratic element. Write out the two separately for each statement.
(a) Democratic element − some laws have to be passed by the parliament
Undemocratic element − conform to the regulations decided by the World Trade Organisation
(b) Democratic element − the Election Commission ordered re-polling
Undemocratic element − large scale rigging was reported
(c) Democratic element − this led to women’s organisations to demand one third seats for women
Undemocratic element − women’s representation in the parliament has never reached 10 per cent
Question 5: Which of these is not a valid reason for arguing that there is a lesser possibility of famine in a democratic country?
Option ‘d’ is not a valid reason for arguing that there is a lesser possibility of famine in a democratic country. This is because practising a religion has nothing to do with preventing famine.
Question 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?
Option ‘d’, which advocates paying the government officials money, is an undemocratic method.
Question 7: Write a response to the following arguments against democracy.
A democracy is the government elected by the people, from among the people themselves. The Army is integral in protecting the country, but it is not elected by the people; hence, it cannot form a democratic government. The second statement is not true as all people are intelligent to some extent. The third statement is dangerous because bringing religion into politics can cause serious conflict.
Question 8: Are the following statements in keeping with democracy as a value? Why?
The first two statements are undemocratic as the girl is denied any opportunity to voice her opinion about her own marriage and the student is denied the right to clear his doubts by asking questions. The third statement is democratic as it calls for a rule of law which is beneficial for the employees.
Question 9: Consider the following facts about a country and decide if you would call it a democracy. Give reasons to support your decision.
The country is not a democracy. The people have the right to vote but they do not have the right to free speech and demonstrations. The country is also under economic sanctions, which means that the people cannot take their own economic decisions. The government’s censorship of the media prevents the public from voicing its opinion.
Question 10: In 2004 a report published in USA pointed to the increasing inequalities in that country. Inequalities in income reflected in the participation of people in democracy. It also shaped their abilities to influence the decisions taken by the government. The report highlighted that:
Attempt this question on your own.