What is the challenge of expansion?
The challenge of expansion involves the following aspects:
● Applying thr basic principles of democratic governance across all the regions, social groups and institutions.
● To ensure greater power to local government
● Including women and the minority communities in the decision making process.
● Extending the principle of federation to all the federal units.
● Lesser decision to be made outside the democratic purview.
● This challenge is mostly faced by the establushed democracies like India and USA.
What does the challenge of deepening involve?
The challenge of deepening involves the following aspects:
● Strenthening of the insitutions and the democratic set up.
● Helping the peopel to realise their expectations through democracy.
● A major issue that arises here is that different peopel have differnt expextations from the democracy.
● So, this challenge has different meaning in different countries.
● Improving the level of participation of the people.
● Reducing the effect of the richer sections of the society and the powerful people on the decisions of the government.
● It is faced by every country in some way or the other.
Are legal reforms sufficient to overcome the challenges of democracy?
A legal reform or a political reform refers to all the suggestions and proposals about overcoming challenges to democracy.
● Yes, a legal reform is sufficient to ovecome to challenges of democracy.
● Poltiicis can be reformed by making laws.
● A carefully devised law can help to discourage wrong political practices.
● A good law is the one that helps to empower people to carry out democratic reforms.
● Any such reform must be introduced thorugh proper poltiical practices.
● These reforms must be carefully formulated and then implementented in the ebst possible manner.
● The expected results must also be thought upon carefully as some results can be counter productive.
● A good example of a legal reform is RTI-Right to information. This enables the people to have a clear view in the working of the government.
● A bad example is the reform of elliminatin those people who have more than 2 children in the Panchayat elections. This does not have a good effect considering the democratic set up of the country.
To conclude, legalreforms can have desirable positive effects in the democracy but only if they areproperly devised, implemented and checked upon.
What is the first priority in a democracy?
● Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people themselves who take all the major decisions.
● The elections must offer a fair opportunity to the people to change the rulers.
● This choice and opportunity must eb avaible to evrypne on an equal basis.
So, the first priority in a democracy is to extend the ‘Right to vote’ to the people so that they can choose their rulers.
How can the principle of democracy be applied to all sphere of life?
● Democracy is not restricted only to ruler and politics.It can be applied to all the speheres of life.
● A democratic decsion i sa decision absed on consultation and the opinion of all the poeple who are affected by the decision.So, it can be applied to any organization and not only th goevrnement.
● We can have a democratic classroom where the students can ask questions without any hesistation. It can promote a healthy 2 way discussion.
● We can also see democratic families. A decision made by one individual and imposed on the rest of the family is not right. All the family members must consult each other and reach a consensus.
Democracy means the equality of all the people. This means we must treat others with utmost respect and dignity.
How would you like to expand the definition of democracy? Explain.
Democracy is a system of government in which the entire whole population or all the eligible citizens of the country elect their rulers.
The definition of democracy can be expanded by explaining its aspects:
● Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people themselves who take all the major decisions.
● The elections must offer a fair opportunity to the people to change the rulers.
● This choice and opportunity must eb avaible to evrypne on an equal basis.
● This election of representataives must be based on the principles of Constitution.
Examination the features of democracy in its expanded form.
Democracy is a system of government in which the entire whole population or all the eligible citizens of the country elect their rulers.
In a modern democracy, it is not limited only to the above common definition, The scope of democracy has widened due to the socio-economic changes globally.
The features of democracy can be examined in the following way:
● People must have the right to contest in elections without any discrimination ont he basis of caste, creed or religion. They must be given complete politcal freedom.
● Democracy promotes free and fair elections. It is based on 2 important principles - Universal Adult Franchise and Right to Vote.
● Poeple can cast their vote to any candidate of their chocie.
● Political rights are not only limited to the political rights but is also extended to cover some social and economic rights.
● It gives a voice to both the majority and minority communities.
● It gives the freedom of choice and freedom of expression.
● Everyone is equal in the eyes of law and shouldbe treated without any partial treatment or biasness.
● Democracry is absed on consensus and not power.
● It is strengthened due to the election process based on public opinion
● It promotes development of an individual’s mind and increases his involvement in the political spheres.
As an ordinary citizen, what value would you practice in deepening democracy?
A democracy cannot fucntion without socially and morally responsbile citizens. As an ordinary citize, we can incoroporate the following values in deepening democracy.
● We must vote in the elections and choose our candidate without any biasness.
● We mst not hesistate in voicing our opinions of the governemtn.
● We must also have a certain level of tolerance to agree a difference in opinion with others.
● We must be well informed on the matters related to politics and must influence the political opinion.
● We must have a sense of repsoniblity when expressing dissatisfaction in the working of the government. This must eb doen only through directed channels.