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CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?
RECAP (1.1)
• 2 forms of government
o Democratic government
o Non – Democratic government
• Democracy – Basic Definition
a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
1.2 – FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY
PEOPLE ELECTION
RULERS GOVERNMENT
COMPONENTS
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE? All adult citizens – above 18 years of age
WHAT KIND OF ELECTION? Free and fair
WHO ARE THE RULERS?
Elected representatives
Decision makers
WHAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT?
Accountable to the people
FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY
Major Decisions by Elected Leaders
Free and Fair Electoral Competition
One Person, One Vote, One Value
Rule of Law and Respect for Rights
MAJOR DECSIONS BY ELECTED LEADERS PAKISTAN – A CASE STUDY
o 1999 – General Pervez Musharraf overthrew a
democratically elected government through a
military coup
o Declared himself the Chief Executive of the
country
o Changed his designation to President
o 2002 – held a referendum – gave him five year
extension.
o 2002 August – issued a Legal Frame Work Order:
• Amended the constitution – allowed the
president to dismiss the national and
provincial assemblies.
• Placed the civilian cabinet under the
National Security Council, dominated by the
military officers.
• Held elections to the national and state
assemblies.
• But the final power rested with the military
officers and General Musharraf.
Can we call Pakistan a democratic country? Of course not.
In a democracy, the final decision making power must rest with those elected by the people.
FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL COMPETITION CASE STUDY
• CHINA
• Elections are held regularly every 5 years to elect
the parliament- Quango Renmin Daibiao Dahui
(National Peoples Congress).
• Appoint the president of the country.
• Only the candidates approved by the Chinese
communist party are allowed to contest the
elections.
• MEXICO • 1930- Became independent
• Elections have been held regularly every 6 years to elect president.
• Has never been under military or dictatorial rule.
• Until 2000 every election was won by PRI (Institutional Republican Party)
• The PRI resorted to dirty tricks –
* Government officers had to attend party meetings
* Government school teachers used to force parents to vote for PRI.
* Media ignored the activities of the opposition political parties.
* Used to shift polling booths the last minute.
* Spent large sums for campaign.
• Hence, only PRI formed the government.
• Does not offer people
any serious choice.
• People are forced to
choose the ruling
party and candidates
approved by it.
• People seem to have a
choice but practically
no choice.
• Ruling party couldn’t
be defeated even if
people were against it.
The governments of China and Mexico are not truly democratic
A democracy must be based on free and fair elections where
those currently in power have a fair chance of losing
CHINA MEXICO
ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, ONE VALUE CASE STUDY
SAUDI ARABIA
ESTONIA
FIJI
• Women do not have
the right to vote
• Russian Minority doesn’t
enjoy equal rights in voting
• Vote of an indigenous
Fijian has more value
than an Indian Fijian
Democracy is based on the Principle of political equality – Universal Adult Franchise.
These countries are also non-democratic as they do not ensure political equality
RULE OF LAW AND RESPECT FOR RIGHTS CASE STUDY
ZIMBABWE • 1980 – Independence from white minority rule
• ZANU – PF The party that led the freedom struggle came to power.
• Robert Mugabe, a very popular leader became the head of the
government.
• Held elections regularly, but always won by ZANU-PF
• Mugabe followed unfair practices in elections.
* Increased the power of the president by changing the
constitution.
*Harassed the opposition party workers , disrupted their
meetings
* Public protests and demonstrations against the govt.
declared illegal.
* Passed laws limiting the rights to criticize the president .
* Censored the media, the 4th pillar of democracy.
* Ignored the judgments of the court.
The popularity of the ruler is not a sufficient condition for the success of democracy. The govt.
cannot do whatever it likes.
A democratic govt. rules within the limits set by constitutional laws
and citizen rights.
Broader definition of democracy
• Rulers, elected by the people take all the major
decisions.
• Elections offer a choice and fair opportunity to the
people to change the current leaders.
• The choice and opportunity is available to all the
people on an equal basis.
• The exercise of this choice leads to a govt. limited by
basic rules of constitution and citizens’ rights.
Democracy is a form of govt, in which :