Democracy

An overview of the form of democracy in India

SUBMITTED TO: Prof.Dr.Kannan

K.V.Vijai Pranav
II Year, B
BABL (Hons)
School Of Excellence in Law.
2

Contents


Page.No

1. Introduction 3
2. Origin Of Democracy 4
3. Forms of Democracy 7
4. Characteristics of Democracy 11
5. Aristotles Theory 12
6.Advantages of Democracy 13
7.Critisism on Democracy 14
8. Democracy in India 17
9. Democracy that was in practice in Ancient India 18
10. Present day Government in India 19
11. Challenges to Democracy 22
12. Democracy In India (vs)
Democracy In The United States 23
13. Observations 24
14. Conclusion 25
15. References 27


3

I ntroduction.

Democracy is a political form of government in which governing power is derived from the
people, either by direct referendum (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives
of the people (representative democracy).
According to the Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia:
Democracy is defined as Form of government in which supreme power is vested in the
people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually
involving periodic free elections.
Democracy is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and
exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving
periodic free elections. It is a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
The term comes from the Greek dmokrata "rule of the people",

which was coined from
dmos "people" and Kratos "power", in the middle of the 5th-4th century BC to denote the
political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular
uprising in 508 BC. Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of
'democracy', equality and freedom have been identified as important characteristics of
democracy since ancient times. These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal
before the law and having equal access to power. For example, in a representative
democracy, every vote has equal weight, no restrictions can apply to anyone wanting to
become a representative, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and
liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.
The "majority rule" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without
governmental or constitutional protections of individual liberties, it is possible for a minority
of individuals to be oppressed by the "tyranny of the majority". An essential process in
representative democracies is competitive elections that are fair both substantively and
procedurally. Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, and freedom
of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal
interests.
4


ORGI N OF DEMOCRACY


Ancient origins
The term democracy first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical thought. The
philosopher Plato contrasted democracy, the system of "rule by the governed", with the
alternative systems of monarchy (rule by one individual), oligarchy (rule by a small lite
class) and timocracy (ruling class of property owners).

Although Athenian democracy is
today considered by many to have been a form of direct democracy, originally it had two
distinguishing features: first the allotment (selection by lot) of ordinary citizens to
government offices and courts, and secondarily the assembly of all the citizens.
A serious claim for early democratic institutions comes from the independent "republics" of
India, sanghas and ganas, which existed as early as the 6th century BC and persisted in some
areas until the 4th century AD. The evidence is scattered and no pure historical source exists
for that period. In addition, Diodorus (a Greek historian at the time of Alexander the Great's
excursion of India), without offering any detail, mentions that independent and democratic
states existed in IndiaHowever, modern scholars note that the word democracy at the 3rd
century BC and later had been degraded and could mean any autonomous state no matter how
oligarchic it was. The lack of the concept of citizen equality across caste system boundaries
leads many scholars to believe that the true nature of ganas and sanghas would not be
comparable to that of truly democratic institutions.




5



Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, there were various systems involving elections or assemblies,
although often only involving a small amount of the population, the election of Gopala in
Bengal, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Althing in Iceland, the Lgting in the
Faroe Islands certain medieval Italian city-states such as Venice, the tuatha system in early
medieval Ireland, the Veche in Novgorod and Pskov Republics of medieval Russia,
Scandinavian Things, The States in Tirol and Switzerland and the autonomous merchant city
of Sakai in the 16th century in Japan. However, participation was often restricted to a
minority, and so may be better classified as oligarchy. Most regions in medieval Europe were
ruled by clergy or feudal lords.
Democracy was also seen to a certain extent in bands and tribes such as the Iroquois
Confederacy. However, in the Iroquois Confederacy only the males of certain clans could be
leaders and some clans were excluded. Only the oldest females from the same clans could
choose and remove the leaders. This excluded most of the population. An interesting detail is
that there should be consensus among the leaders, not majority support decided by voting,
when making decisions.
Band societies, such as the Bushmen, which usually number 20-50 people in the band often
do not have leaders and make decisions based on consensus among the majority. In
Melanesia, farming village communities have traditionally been egalitarian and lacking in a
rigid, authoritarian hierarchy. Although a "Big man" or "Big woman" could gain influence,
that influence was conditional on a continued demonstration of leadership skills, and on the
willingness of the community. Every person was expected to share in communal duties, and
entitled to participate in communal decisions. However, strong social pressure encouraged
conformity and discouraged individualism


6

20th century
20th century transitions to liberal democracy have come in successive "waves of democracy,"
variously resulting from wars, revolutions, decolonization, religious and economic
circumstances. World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian
empires resulted in the creation of new nation-states from Europe, most of them at least
nominally democratic.
In the 1920s democracy flourished, but the Great Depression brought disenchantment, and
most of the countries of Europe, Latin America, and Asia turned to strong-man rule or
dictatorships. Fascism and dictatorships flourished in Nazi Germany, Italy, Spain and
Portugal, as well as nondemocratic regimes in the Baltics, the Balkans, Brazil, Cuba, China,
and Japan, among others.
World War II brought a definitive reversal of this trend in western Europe. The successful
democratization of the American, British, and French sectors of occupied Germany
(disputed), Austria, Italy, and the occupied Japan served as a model for the later theory of
regime change.








7

Forms of democracy

Democracy has taken a number of forms, both in theory and practice. The following kinds are
not exclusive of one another: many specify details of aspects that are independent of one
another and can co-exist in a single system.
Representative
Representative democracy involves the selection of government officials by the people being
represented. If the head of state is also democratically elected then it is called a democratic
republic. The most common mechanisms involve election of the candidate with a majority or
a plurality of the votes.
Representatives may be elected or become diplomatic representatives by a particular district
(or constituency), or represent the entire electorate proportionally proportional systems, with
some using a combination of the two. Some representative democracies also incorporate
elements of direct democracy, such as referendums. A characteristic of representative
democracy is that while the representatives are elected by the people to act in their interest,
they retain the freedom to exercise their own judgment as how best to do so.
Parliamentary
Parliamentary democracy is a representative democracy where government is appointed by
parliamentary representatives as opposed to a 'presidential rule' wherein the President is both
head of state and the head of government and is elected by the voters. Under a parliamentary
democracy, government is exercised by delegation to an executive ministry and subject to
ongoing review, checks and balances by the legislative parliament elected by the people.
Liberal
A Liberal democracy is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected
representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually
moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of
8

individuals, and which places constraints on the leaders and on the extent to which the will of
the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities (see civil liberties).
Direct
Direct democracy is a political system where the citizens participate in the decision-making
personally, contrary to relying on intermediaries or representatives. A direct democracy gives
the voting population the power to:
1. Change constitutional laws,
2. Put forth initiatives, referenda and suggestions for laws,
3. Give binding orders to elective officials, such as revoking them before the end of their
elected term, or initiating a lawsuit for breaking a campaign promise.
Of the three measures mentioned, most operate in developed democracies today. This is part
of a gradual shift towards direct democracies. Examples of this include the extensive use of
referenda in California with more than 20 million voters, and (i.e., voting). In Switzerland,
where five million voters decide on national referenda and initiatives two to four times a
year; direct democratic instruments are also well established at the cantonal and communal
level. Vermont towns have been known for their yearly town meetings, held every March to
decide on local issues. No direct democracy is in existence outside the framework of a
different overarching form of government. Most direct democracies to date have been weak
forms, relatively small communities, usually city-states. The world is yet to see a large,
fundamental, working example of direct democracy as of yet, with most examples being
small and weak forms.
Participatory
A Parpolity or Participatory Polity is a theoretical form of democracy that is ruled by a
Nested Council structure. The guiding philosophy is that people should have decision making
power in proportion to how much they are affected by the decision. Local councils of 2550
people are completely autonomous on issues that affect only them, and these councils send
delegates to higher level councils who are again autonomous regarding issues that affect only
the population affected by that council.
9

A council court of randomly chosen citizens serves as a check on the tyranny of the majority,
and rules on which body gets to vote on which issue. Delegates can vote differently than their
sending council might wish, but are mandated to communicate the wishes of their sending
council. Delegates are recallable at any time. Referenda are possible at any time via votes of
the majority of lower level councils, however, not everything is a referendum as this is most
likely a waste of time. A parpolity is meant to work in tandem with a participatory economy
Socialist
"Democracy cannot consist solely of elections that are nearly always fictitious and managed
by rich landowners and professional politicians."
Che Guevara, Marxist revolutionary
Socialist thought has several different views on democracy. Social democracy, democratic
socialism, and the dictatorship of the proletariat (usually exercised through Soviet
democracy) are some examples. Many democratic socialists and social democrats believe in a
form of participatory democracy and workplace democracy combined with a representative
democracy.
Within Marxist orthodoxy there is a hostility to what is commonly called "liberal
democracy", which they simply refer to as parliamentary democracy because of its often
centralized nature. Because of their desire to eliminate the political elitism they see in
capitalism, Marxists, Leninists and Trotskyites believe in direct democracy implemented
though a system of communes (which are sometimes called soviets). This system ultimately
manifests itself as council democracy and begins with workplace democracy. (See
Democracy in Marxism)
Iroquois
Iroquois society had a form of participatory democracy and representative
democracy.Iroquois government and law was discussed by Benjamin Franklin

and Thomas
Jefferson. Though some others disagree,
[68]
some scholars regard it to have influenced the
formation of American representative democracy.
[67]


10

Sortition
Sometimes called "democracy without elections", sortition is the process of choosing
decision makers via a random process. The intention is that those chosen will be
representative of the opinions and interests of the people at large, and be more fair and
impartial than an elected official. The technique was in widespread use in Athenian
Democracy and is still used in modern jury selection.
Consensus
Consensus democracy requires varying degrees of consensus rather than just a mere
democratic majority. It typically attempts to protect minority rights from domination by
majority rule.
Supranational
Qualified majority voting (QMV) is designed by the Treaty of Rome to be the principal
method of reaching decisions in the European Council of Ministers. This system allocates
votes to member states in part according to their population, but heavily weighted in favour
of the smaller states. This might be seen as a form of representative democracy, but
representatives to the Council might be appointed rather than directly elected.
Some might consider the "individuals" being democratically represented to be states rather
than people, as with many other international organizations. European Parliament members
are democratically directly elected on the basis of universal suffrage, may be seen as an
example of a supranational democratic institution.
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan democracy, also known as Global democracy or World Federalism is a
political system in which democracy is implemented on a global scale, either directly or
through representatives. The supporters of cosmopolitan democracy argue that it is
fundamentally different from any form of national or regional democracy, because in a
Cosmopolitan Democracy, decisions are made by people influenced by them, while in
Regional and National Federal Democracies, decisions often influence people outside the
constituency, which by-definition cannot vote.
11

Characteristics of Democracy

Democracy is more than just a set of specific government institutions; it rests upon a well-
understood group of values, attitudes, and practices all of which may take different forms
and expressions among cultures and societies around the world. Democracies rest upon
fundamental principles, not uniform practices.

Core Democratic Characteristics
Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult
citizens, directly, or through their freely elected representatives.
Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights. Democracies
guard against all-powerful central governments and decentralize government to regional and
local levels, understanding that all levels of government must be as accessible and responsive
to the people as possible.
Democracies understand that one of their prime functions is to protect such basic human
rights as freedom of speech and religion; the right to equal protection under law; and the
opportunity to organize and participate fully in the political, economic, and cultural life of
society.
Democracies conduct regular free and fair elections open to citizens of voting age.
Citizens in a democracy have not only rights, but also the responsibility to participate in the
political system that, in turn, protects their rights and freedoms.
Democratic societies are committed to the values of tolerance, cooperation, and
compromise. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Intolerance is itself a form of violence and
an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit."


12


Aristotles Theory of Democracy

Aristotle contrasted rule by the many (democracy/polity), with rule by the few
(oligarchy/aristocracy), and with rule by a single person (tyranny or today
autocracy/monarchy). He also thought that there was a good and a bad variant of each system
(he considered democracy to be the degenerate counterpart to polity).
For Aristotle the underlying principle of democracy is freedom, since only in a democracy
the citizens can have a share in freedom. In essence, he argues that this is what every
democracy should make its aim. There are two main aspects of freedom: being ruled and
ruling in turn, since everyone is equal according to number, not merit, and to be able to live
as one pleases.
Now a fundamental principle of the democratic form of constitution is libertythat is what is
usually asserted, implying that only under this constitution do men participate in liberty, for
they assert this as the aim of every democracy. But one factor of liberty is to govern and be
governed in turn; for the popular principle of justice is to have equality according to number,
not worth, and if this is the principle of justice prevailing, the multitude must of necessity be
sovereign and the decision of the majority must be final and must constitute justice, for they
say that each of the citizens ought to have an equal share; so that it results that in democracies
the poor are more powerful than the rich, because there are more of them and whatever is
decided by the majority is sovereign. This then is one mark of liberty which all democrats set
down as a principle of the constitution. And one is for a man to live as he likes; for they say
that this is the function of liberty, inasmuch as to live not as one likes is the life of a man that
is a slave. This is the second principle of democracy, and from it has come the claim not to be
governed, preferably not by anybody, or failing that, to govern and be governed in turns; and
this is the way in which the second principle contributes to equalitarian liberty.


13

Advantages of Democracy

The most important attribute of democracy is that everyone is treated equally before the law,
irrespective of caste, creed or sex. Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, worship,
occupation and to move through out the country. The dignity of man is recognized and
respected, people are given ample opportunities to become strong and self reliant. For this
and many other reasons democracy is more advantageous than other forms of government
and best reflects the will of the people in the governance of the country.
Peaceful Modifications in the Government
Democracy can offer modifications in government without hostility. In a democracy,
authority can be reassigned from one party to another by the mode of elections. The power of
the general public of a country decides its ruling power.
Averting Monopoly
Furthermore, any government is confined to an election tenure after which it has to contend
against other parties to recover power. This method averts monopoly of the reigning party.
The reigning authorities have to ensure it functions effectively for its people as cannot
continue being the authority subsequent to carrying out its term unless re-elected by the
people.
Feeling of Gratitude
This inculcates a feeling of responsibility towards the citizens. The reigning party owes their
accomplishment in the elections to the people of the country. This leads to a feeling of
thankfulness towards the citizens. It can act as their inspiration to function for the people for
it is the general masses that have absolute authority over selecting their government.
Social Responsibility of the Citizens
An additional vital advantage of democracy is that the citizens achieve a sense of contribution
in the procedure of selecting their government. They get the chance to speak out their views
14

by method of electoral voting. This gives ascend to a feeling of belongingness in the brains of
the masses towards their society and its well being.



Criticism of democracy

Economists have strongly criticized the efficiency of democracy. They base this on their
premise of the irrational voter. Their argument is that voters are highly uninformed about
many political issues, especially relating to economics, and have a strong bias about the few
issues on which they are fairly knowledgeable.

1. Mob rule
Plato's The Republic presents a critical view of democracy through the narration of Socrates:
"Democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and
dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequaled alike."
1
In his work, Plato lists 5 forms
of government from best to worst. Assuming that the Republic was intended to be a serious
critique of the political thought in Athens, Plato argues that only Kallipolis, an aristocracy led
by the unwilling philosopher-kings (the wisest men) is a just form of government.

2.Moral decay
Traditional Asian cultures, in particular that of Confucian and Islamic thought, believe that
democracy results in the people's distrust and disrespect of governments or religious sanctity.
The distrust and disrespect pervades to all parts of society whenever and wherever there is
seniority and juniority, for example between a parent and a child, a teacher and a student.

1
Plato, the Republic of Plato (London: J.M Dent & Sons LTD.; New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc.), 558-C.
15



3. Political instability
More recently, democracy is criticised for not offering enough political stability. As
governments are frequently elected on and off there tends to be frequent changes in the
policies of democratic countries both domestically and internationally. Even if a political
party maintains power, vociferous, headline grabbing protests and harsh criticism from the
mass media are often enough to force sudden, unexpected political change. Frequent policy
changes with regard to business and immigration are likely to deter investment and so hinder
economic growth. For this reason, many people have put forward the idea that democracy is
undesirable for a developing country in which economic growth and the reduction of poverty
are top priority.

4.Short-termism
Democracy is also criticised for frequent elections due to the instability of coalition
governments. Coalitions are frequently formed after the elections in many countries (for
example India) and the basis of alliance is predominantly to enable a viable majority, not an
ideological concurrence.
This opportunist alliance not only has the handicap of having to cater to too many
ideologically opposing factions, but it is usually short lived since any perceived or actual
imbalance in the treatment of coalition partners, or changes to leadership in the coalition
partners themselves, can very easily result in the coalition partner withdrawing its support
from the government.


5. Slow governmental response
16

Democratic institutions work on consensus to decide an issue, which usually takes longer
than a unilateral decision.


6. Vote buying
This is a simple form of appealing to the short term interests of the voters. This tactic has
been known to be heavily used in north and north-east region of Thailand. The same tactic is
widespread in the southern part of Italy, where also the local mafias take active part into the
process.
Another form is commonly called pork barrel where local areas or political sectors are given
special benefits but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.

7. Volatility/unsustainability
The new establishment of democratic institutions in countries,Where the associated practices
have as yet been uncommon or deemed culturally unacceptable, can result in institutions that
are not sustainable in the long term. One circumstance supporting this outcome may be when
it is part of the common perception among the populace that the institutions were established
as a direct result of foreign pressure






17

Democracy in India

Government
India is federation with a parliamentary form of government, governed under the Constitution
of India. It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, "in which majority rule
is tempered by minority rights protected by law." Federalism in India defines the power
distribution between the centre and the states. The government is regulated by a checks and
balances defined by Indian Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme legal
document.
The preamble of the constitution defines India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic
republic. India is the most populous democracy in the world. It has operated under a multi-
party system for most of its history.
Democracy is a system of living on the basis of certain social values. The peculiar
values of democracy are:

Freedom
Equality
Fraternity
Fundamental rights
Social justice
Independence of judiciary

And circumstances that put these values into practice
All get opportunities
Share responsibilities
Opinions are expressed freely
Respect the opinion of others
Accept the opinion of the majority
Ensure peoples participation
Every one waits for his/her turn
18


Democracy that was in practice in Ancient India:

Direct Democracy

The direct participation of all people at all areas functioning of the government is necessary
for democracy to be effective as a system of government. If the people directly involve
themselves in the governance such a system is called Direct Democracy.

This system prevailed in ancient India, Greece and Rome.

The adult citizens used to assemble together and decide public matters. Referendum,
by which the people directly express their opinion on governmental policy or
decision.
Recall, by which the people call back a representative before the completion of his
term when he/ she goes against the interests of the public.
Initiative, through which people can take preliminary steps to suggest a legislation
which they think necessary.
Plebiscite, through which people express their opinion on specific political issues

Institution of Gramasabha which came into existence consequent on the 73rd amendment
of the constitution of India in 1993 is an example of a device of direct democracy. But direct
democracy in the whole country in its true sense is impracticable in the present day condition.
Why?
1. Population explosion
2. Vastness of territory
3. Different linguistic groups
4. Cultural diversity





19



Present day Government in I ndia
The Representative Government

India follows Representative Democracy.
What are the features of it?
Rule by the representatives of the people
Existence of a definite representative mechanism
Periodic elections
Political parties compete for political authority
Existence of interest and pressure groups
Practice of Universal Adult Franchise

Election is an inevitable process of Representative Democracy. Right of the people to elect
their representative is the fundamental feature of this system.

Voting Right
The Voting rights introduced in all democratic countries are not of the same nature. In Britain
women were granted right of franchise only in 1918. Today the principle of adult franchise is
adopted in all modern democratic countries. Our constitution ensures Universal Adult
Franchise to all citizens. Election to the Lok Sabha, the state legislatures and to the three tier
grama panchayath were held on the basis of Universal Adult Franchise. In India every adult
citizen inrespective of caste, religion or sex enjoys equal right to vote. The age of voting right
was changed from 21 years to 18 years as per the 61st amendment of the constitution in 1988.
But do all at the age of 18 enjoy their right to vote?.
Those who have been found guilty of election offences and punished and those who
are mentally unsound are denied voting rights. The political parties educate the voters on
the basis of clear ideas and programmes There are other factors also that influence the voters.


20

Political Parties
Party system is inevitable for the existence of democratic system. Political parties are the
social factors that enlighten, represent and protect the people in a representative
democracy.
The distinguishing features of the political parties
Organisational structure and stability
Definite objectives
Activities on the basis of ideas and principles
General stand points on public issues
Ultimate objective of attaining governmental Power .
It is the existing political culture that determines the party system of a country.
According to the number of
political parties that exist in a nation the party system can be divided into single party system,
bi party system or multi party system.
Based on the areas of activity, objectives and interests the political parties can be divided
into National party, State party and Local party.


There are several factors that influence the party system, and working of the political system
of a nation.
They are:
Co-existence of political parties
Caste, class and racial elements
Ideologies and principles of the parties
The number of political parties
Party alliance or coalitions

The Election Commission
Election commission is the agency to conduct
independent and dispassionate election in India. The Election Commission came in to being
as per the stipulation in the Indian Constitution. It is the Election commission that conducts
election to the parliament of India, and to the state legislatures and also to the posts of the
President and Vice President of the Indian union.
21

Structure of the Election Commission
The Election Commission shall consist of a Chief Election Commissioner and as many
election commissioners as decided by the President of India from time time.

The chief election commissioner shall act as the chairman of the commission. The President
appoints the members of the election commission as per the rules enacted by the parliament.
The President can appoint local election commissioners also to assist the Election
Commission in the discharge of its duty. There shall be a state election commission in every
state.


Ruling and opposition parties

That party or alliance of parties who get majority seats in election shall come into power.
That party or alliance of parties who fail to attain majority of seats in the election are destined
to perform the role of opposition. They have a number of rights and responsibilities as that of
the ruling party.
Duties and responsibilities of the opposition are;

To oppose the despotic tendencies of the ruling party.
To criticise the drawbacks in administration and expose them before the public.
To oppose the misdeeds of the rulers and generate public opinion against them.
To evolve substitute policies and strategies in the real of governance.
To impart political enlightenment to the public.



Decentralisation of power
Generally power is exercised in two ways centralised and decentralised.
Democratic societies give preference to decentralised way of exercising power.
It is giving strength and priority to the local administrative system, that
democratic societies try to materialise this. The Panchayati Raj system in India is
implemented with this objective in view.
22


Challenges to Democracy

Indias democratic system has been working successfully for the last half a century. But this
democratisation has also been facing several challenges.
Divisive tendencies
Extremism / Terrorism
Unemployment
Political instability
Parochialism
Growing illiteracy
Corruption and nepotism


There should be certain essential conditions for the successful working of the democratic
system. They are:
Equality of opportunity
Literacy
Tolerance and fraternity
People with a civic sense
Social justice
Free and fair election system
Purposeful and principled leadership
Strong and responsible opposition
Independent and impartial judicial system




23

DEMOCRACY I N INDI A (vs) DEMOCRACY I N THE UNI TED STATES

1. The US has a 2-party system, and most people identify with one or the other. There are
independents of course but at the time of voting, these have to choose one or the other.. There
is some fracturing of votes to green party or libertarian party candidates but those are mostly
marginal. In India, we have a large degree of fracturing and therefore the dynamics are
different.
2. The US is a lot more homogeneous than India. Though there are regional differences in the
US, people are really not linguistically divided or divided along caste lines. There are
regional special interests but they are restricted to state legislator elections of assemblymen
and state senators. During federal level elections presidential and senators the people
choose candidates based on national interest policies.
In India, all interests are regional interests. The people vote for MPs and not for governors or
chief ministers or for prime ministers. People vote for either the parties (and hence the
importance of getting a ticket from a locally successful party) or for some local MP.
3. The US has a greater degree of participation in the democratic process. Based on the fact that
a larger percentage of Indians vote in the general elections than the percentage of Americans
vote in their elections, one can be misled into believing that Indians are somehow more into
the democratic process. The truth may be different.
Indians vote and then forget about it. But Americans get more into the process both the width and
depth of the process. The US voters participate more actively in all levels of the institutional structure
of governance: the ward, the city, the county, the state, and the union.
4. in the US, the executive and the legislative branches of the government is clearly demarcated
and distinct. In India, there is no distinction. This has the effect in the US of weakening the
power of the executive and keeping it in check. As a consequence, the power balance between
the government and the people is more in favor of the people (than is the case in India.)
The bottom line is that Indian democracy is about the citizens choosing who they will obey, while
American democracy is about the people choosing who they will employ to carry out the wishes of
the people. In the former case, it is servants choosing their masters, and in the latter case, masters
choosing their servants.
24


Observations made from the course of the project:

1. Democracy is not only a form of government but also a way of life
2. The representative democratic system is in existence in almost all countries including
India.
3. Election is a decisive process in a democratic system
4. There are certain conditions for granting right to vote
5. Party system play an important role in the subsistence of democracy
6. Election Commission bear the responsibility of conducting the elections in India
7. In a democratic set up the opposition has duties and responsibilities just as a ruling
party
8. Indian democracy is facing a number of challenges.
9. In order to raise heads people follow wrong paths like terrorism to control the masses.
10. There is aggression all over even for the minutest of issues.
11. Nomination is based on caste, creed, community and selfish gains.
12. There is a lack of prudent, selfless and politically educated leaders.
13. Manifestoes are many but implementation of those manifestos are rare.
14. Monopolisation of politics is paving way.









25

Conclusion:

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there
are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.- Aristotle
Indian is the largest democracy in the world. Parties act as the bridge between social thought
and political decision in democracy. The Indian politics system is a multiparty system.
However, gradually politics has become a game corruption and selfishness. Most political
parties are only interested in coming to power. The Indian ideology today is replaced by caste
and religion.
We enjoy every right in theory, but not in practice. Real democracy will come into being only
when the masses are awakened and take part in the economic and political life of the country.
There is inequality in every sphere- social, economic and political. Illiteracy is the main cause
of inequality. The illiterate masses get easily lured by money during such an event. The
people who make the laws themselves break them.
Even after more than sixty years of Independence, one forth of the population today goes to
bed with an empty stomach, live below the poverty line without access to safe and clean
drinking water, sanitation or proper health facilities. Governments have come and gone,
crores of rupees have been spent, yet many people are still struggling for existence.
Casteism today is more pronounced that it even was. Violence has been taken a serious turn
in country, Bandhs, strikes and terrorist activities have become a common affair. Here, the
rich exploit the poor who have no voice or share in the democratic structure. For a successful
democracy, all these need to be checked.
However besides these India, as a democratic country, has progressed in many aspects. It has
archived self-sufficiency in food grains as a result of the green revolution. People vote for
change whenever a government fails to come up to the expectations of the people. India has
been a successful democratic country only because the people are law-abiding, self-
disciplined and have the sense of social and moral responsibilities.

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For a democracy to be fully successful, the electorate should be literate and politically
conscious. They should be fully aware of their rights and privileges. The illiterate masses of
India should be given education so that they can sensibly vote for the right leaders.
There should be quality in every sphere of life. The politicians should also respect the true
sprit of democracy. They should refrain from corruption caste and communal politics. The
citizens should elect leaders with good moral values and integrity. They should not be
influenced by anyone in this respect.
In conclusion it can be said that, we the people of India follow the rule of the mob it is in the
hands of this mob, lies the growth of the nation. Therefore we as the mobs of this soil and the
rulers of tomorrow should strive to hard to ensure the efficient working of the system of
democracy and governance by cleansing the political system, by bringing in rulers with
dignity, integrity, ability and unselfish devotion , rulers who are individually nominated and
not those that are chosen by family succession. The effort lies in our hands ,we being the
coming generation and the effective leaders of tomorrow. In toto I conclude by saying that
we must be the change we wish to see. Let us all join together and sharpen the system of
democracy in our country, polishing it of all the rust and making it shine bright and bring the
nation into the phase of positive reincarnation.









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References

Books Referred:

1. Political science ............. A.C.Kapur
2. India after Gandhi The History of the World's Largest Democracy.
Guha, Ramchandra (2007). 1st edition.
3. A History of India. New Delhi and London: Penguin Books. Romila
Thapar, (1990).


Articles:
1. Atanu Dey on Indias Development.
2. Democracy is people who rule the government directly.BBC History of
democracy
3. Country profile: India". BBC. 9 January 2007.
4. Dutt, Sagarika (1998). "Identities and the Indian state: An overview".
Third World Quarterly
5. "Our Parliament A brief description of the Indian Parliament".
6. Democracy over other Govt. Eawar Jalal Barzanji Canada
Aug.22.2005
7. Aatish Palekars democracy in India

Websites Referred:
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm
.
2. www.parliamentofindia.gov.in
3. www.thinkexist.com
4. http://www.rajputbrotherhood.com/knowledge-hub/essay/an-essay-on-
democracy-in-india.html