The most basic outcome of democracy is that it is a form of government that allows people to choose their rulers. People have the right to choose their rulers and to be involved in the decision-making that affects them. But democracy is more than a form of government; it is a way of life. The chapter examines the expected and the actual outcomes of democracy, and it asks the question whether democracy produces good outcomes for the people. It compares democracy with the alternative forms of government, and it evaluates the record of the democratic governments in producing the outcomes of legitimacy, accountability, equality and economic development.
Democracy is often judged on the basis of the expectations that the people have from it. The people expect the democracy to produce a government that is accountable to them, that is responsive to their needs, and that is based on the consent of the people. The chapter examines whether the democratic governments actually produce these outcomes, and it analyses the record of the democracies in the world, including India, in terms of the economic growth, the reduction of the inequalities, the dignity of the citizens and the quality of the decision-making.
For the board examination, students must understand the expected outcomes of democracy, the meaning of the accountability and the legitimacy of the democratic government, the relationship between the democracy and the economic growth and development, and the concept of the dignity and the freedom of the citizens in a democracy. The chapter also discusses the arguments for and against the democracy, and the conditions in which the democracy can produce better outcomes.
The assessment of the democracy's outcomes is not simple, as the democracy produces both the good and the bad outcomes, and the record of the democracies is mixed. The chapter suggests that the democracy can be assessed on the basis of the accountability, the legitimacy, the responsiveness, the dignity of the citizens, and the economic growth and development. The most basic outcome of the democracy is that it is a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and it produces a government that is accountable to the people.
The democracy also produces the outcome of the legitimacy, as the democratic government is the legitimate government, because the people have chosen it and they have a stake in it. The democratic government is also more responsive to the needs and the expectations of the people, as the people can hold the government accountable at the time of the elections. The democratic government is also expected to promote the dignity and the freedom of the citizens, and to reduce the social and the economic inequalities.
However, the record of the democracies is not perfect. The democracies have not always produced the outcomes of the rapid economic growth, the reduction of the inequalities, and the elimination of the corruption. The chapter argues that the democracy should not be judged only on the basis of the economic growth, as the democracy is a form of the government that is better in many other ways, such as the accountability, the legitimacy and the dignity of the citizens.
The democracy produces a government that is accountable to the people. The democratic government is accountable because the people have the right to choose the government and to change it, and the government has to answer to the people at the time of the elections. The democratic government is also responsible to the people, as it has to carry out the wishes of the people and to address their needs. The democratic government is accountable for its decisions and its actions, and it has to face the people if it fails to deliver.
The democratic government is also responsive to the needs and the expectations of the people. In a democracy, the citizens have the right to express their opinions, to demand the services and the rights, and to protest against the unjust actions of the government. The democratic government has to respond to the demands of the people, and it has to address the issues of the common people. The responsiveness of the government to the people is a key outcome of the democracy.
The democratic government is also a legitimate government. The legitimacy of the government means that it is a government that the people accept and support, because it is based on the consent of the people. The people have chosen the government through the elections, and they have a stake in the system. The legitimate government is therefore more stable and more effective, as it has the support and the confidence of the people.
The relationship between the democracy and the economic growth and the development is complex. The democracy is not necessarily the fastest path to the economic growth, and the dictatorial regimes have sometimes achieved the rapid economic growth. However, the democracy has the advantage that it produces a more equal and a more just society, and it promotes the human development, such as the literacy, the health and the standard of living of the people.
The economic development in the democracies has been variable, and the democratic countries have had both the high and the low rates of the economic growth. The chapter argues that the democracy does not guarantee the rapid economic growth, but it ensures that the growth, when it happens, benefits a larger number of people. The democracies have generally performed better in the human development indicators, such as the literacy, the health and the life expectancy, as compared to the dictatorial regimes.
The economic growth alone is not the measure of the development, and the democracy is important for the overall development of the society. The democracy ensures the freedom of the individual, the dignity of the citizens, and the equality of the people, which are important for the development. The chapter stresses that the democracy and the development are not in conflict, and that the democratic development is the sustainable path of the development.
One of the expected outcomes of the democracy is the reduction of the inequality and the poverty, as the democracy is based on the equality of all the people. However, the record of the democracies in reducing the inequality and the poverty has been mixed. The democracies have not been able to eliminate the inequality and the poverty, and in many democratic countries, the inequality has actually increased in the recent decades.
The democratic governments have implemented the policies to reduce the poverty and the inequality, such as the welfare schemes, the reservation policies and the land reforms, and these policies have helped in the reduction of the poverty in many countries. However, the poverty and the inequality remain serious problems in the democracies, especially in the developing countries. The chapter argues that the democracy cannot solve all the problems of the society, and that the reduction of the inequality and the poverty requires the sustained effort and the political will.
The democracy, however, provides the opportunity for the disadvantaged groups to organise and to demand their rights, and it gives them the political power to pressurise the government to address their problems. The democracy is, therefore, important for the reduction of the inequality, even if it cannot eliminate it completely, and it is the best available form of the government for the promotion of the equality and the social justice.
The most important outcome of the democracy is the dignity and the freedom of the citizens. The democracy treats the citizens as the equals, and it guarantees them the basic rights and the freedoms, such as the freedom of the speech and the expression, the freedom of the association, and the right to participate in the decision-making. The democracy is based on the principle of the dignity of the individual, and it protects the citizens from the arbitrary and the dictatorial rule.
The democracy has also been important for the empowerment of the disadvantaged groups, such as the women, the lower castes and the minorities. The democratic movements have helped the women to gain the right to vote, the lower castes to gain the political representation, and the minorities to gain the protection of their rights. The democracy has thus promoted the dignity and the freedom of the citizens, and it has been a force for the social change and the equality.
However, the dignity and the freedom of the citizens in the democracies are not always realised, and the citizens in the democracies face the discrimination and the injustice in their daily lives. The chapter argues that the democracy is a continuous struggle for the dignity and the freedom, and that the citizens have to be vigilant and to demand their rights. The democracy, in its ideal form, is the rule of the people, and the dignity and the freedom of the citizens are its most precious outcomes.
The chapter concludes by assessing whether the democracy is a better form of the government. The arguments against the democracy are that it is slow, indecisive and inefficient, that it leads to the political instability and the corruption, and that it does not guarantee the rapid economic growth. The arguments in favour of the democracy are that it is the only form of the government that is accountable to the people, that it respects the dignity and the freedom of the citizens, that it is more responsive to the needs of the people, and that it provides the opportunities for the people to participate in the decision-making.
The chapter argues that the democracy is a better form of the government because it is the only form that is based on the consent of the people, and that it promotes the dignity, the freedom and the equality of the citizens. The democracy may be slow and inefficient at times, but it is the most stable and the most legitimate form of the government. The chapter stresses that the democracy produces better outcomes when the institutions of the democracy, such as the judiciary, the media and the civil society, are strong and the citizens are active and vigilant.
The quality of the democracy can be improved by the strengthening of the democratic institutions, the participation of the citizens, and the accountability of the government. The democracy is a work in progress, and it has to be constantly improved and strengthened. The chapter concludes that the democracy is the best available form of the government, and that it is the responsibility of the citizens to make the democracy work for the benefit of all.
| Expected Outcome | Meaning | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Accountable government | Government answers to the people at elections | Democracy ensures accountability |
| Responsive government | Responds to needs and expectations of people | Democracy is more responsive |
| Legitimate government | Based on consent and acceptance of people | Democracy ensures legitimacy |
| Economic growth and development | Growth and human development | Mixed record, but better human development |
| Reduction of inequality and poverty | Equality and welfare | Mixed, needs sustained effort |
| Dignity and freedom of citizens | Equality, rights, empowerment | Important outcome, work in progress |
| Arguments Against Democracy | Arguments For Democracy |
|---|---|
| Slow, indecisive, inefficient | Accountable to the people |
| Political instability and corruption | Respects dignity and freedom of citizens |
| Does not guarantee rapid economic growth | Responsive to needs of the people |
| Leaders keep changing | Provides opportunities for participation |
Democracy is a form of government that allows people to choose their rulers and to hold them accountable, and it is the best available form of government, despite its imperfections. The expected outcomes of democracy include an accountable, responsive and legitimate government, economic development, the reduction of inequality and poverty, and the dignity and freedom of the citizens. The record of the democracies in producing these outcomes is mixed: they may be slow and indecisive, and they do not guarantee rapid economic growth or the elimination of inequality, but they are the only form of government that respects the dignity and the freedom of the citizens, and that is based on the consent of the people. The chapter concludes that the democracy produces better outcomes when its institutions are strong and its citizens are active and vigilant, and that the quality of the democracy depends on the continuous efforts of the people to improve and strengthen it.