Challenges to Democracy Class 10 Social Science Notes and Questions

The statement indicates that every challenge has an opportunity hidden in it, which can be said to be camouflaged by a problem. As we overcome the problem or the challenge we are able to exploit the opportunity.

Challenge can be explained as the difficulty in     moving  towards  an  opportunity.   It  can be a foundational challenge as faced by non- democracies (as they wish to move towards democracy)  or  challenge  of  expansion  –  as faced by established democracies; as they  try to provide all the benefits to all the sections of the population.

Political reforms are initiatives that are taken to overcome the various challenges  in political and social life are called political reforms.

This involves applying  the  basic  principle of democratic governance across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.

People face the challenge of expansion of democracy.

The challenge of expansion.

Democracy  gives  political  equality  by granting   every  individual   the   right   to   vote. All citizens have equal rights to influence decision-making and have equal access to political power.

(c) Constitutional changes

Definition of democracy shall be expanded by adding following features :

(i)   The  government elected by the people must take all the decisions freely and fairly.

(ii) Elections must offer a choice and fair opportunity  to the people to change the current rulers.

(iii) The  choice  and  opportunity   should  be available to all the people equally.

(iv) The exercise of this choice must  lead to  a government limited by the basic rules of the constitution and citizen’s rights.

Each challenge in democracy is linked to the possibility of reforms. All the countries  do not have same challenges.

(i)   Carefully devised changes in law can help to discourage wrong political practices.

(ii)  Democratic  reforms  are  to  be  carried  out by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.

(iii) Political participation  by ordinary  citizen should be there and without coercion.

(iv) Democratic         movements,         citizens’s organization and media should play an important role.

(v)  Empowerment of people through laws such as RTI.

A challenge is an opportunity  for progress because :

(i)   A challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress.

(ii)  Once we overcome a challenge we go up to a higher level than before.

(iii) Some of the challenges include inequality, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, regionalism, casteism, communalism, etc.

(iv) Legal  constitutional    changes   and   the cooperation of the citizen is the need of the hour.

Guidelines for political reform :

(i)   Any legal change must carefully consider at what result it will have on politics. Sometimes the result may be counter-productive.

(ii)  The main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen the democratic practice.

(iii) Any proposal for political reforms should think not only about what is a good solution but also about who will implement it and how.

The three challenges faced by political parties in India that needs correction are :

(a)   Lack of internal democracy

(b)  Challenge of dynastic succession

(c)   Growing role of money and muscle power

Most of the established democracies face the challenge of expansion as it involves applying the principle of democratic government across all regions. This is due to the following reasons:

Expansion  of  democracy  is  the  logical  next step to the foundational challenge and ensures safeguarding of democratic principles at grassroots level.

Expansion of democracy is related to the empowerment of previously disadvantaged groups amongst the population.

It is related to the participation of people in the decision-making process so that the benefits accrue to all sections of society.

Deepening of democracy :

(i)   Deepening       of      democracy      involves  strengthening the institutions and the practices of democracy.

(ii)  In  different  societies  the  ordinary  people have different expectations from democracy and it needs to be fulfilled.

(iii) Deepening    of    democracy    needs    more of people’s participation and control on the functioning of the leaders.

(iv) The control of rich and powerful people in the making of the governmental decision has to come down.

1.  The financial accounts of every political party should be made public. These accounts should be examined by government auditors.

2.    There should be state funding of elections. Parties should be given some money by the government to meet their election expenditure.

3.    Citizens should be encouraged to give more donations to parties and to political workers not involving cash transaction. Such donations should be exempt from income tax.

4.    Most of the political parties are dependent on money given by big business houses. The worry is that the role of money in politics reduces whatever little voice the poor have in our democracy.

Lack of internal democracy is a serious issue in Indian democracy.

(i)  Tendency in political parties towards the concentration  of power in one or few leaders at the top is a problem. This also triggers family hold over the political party.

(ii)  Parties do not keep membership records. (iii)  They do not hold organizational meetings. (iv)  They  do   not   conduct   internal   elections

regularly.

(v)  Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information about the happening in the party.

(vi) Personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important than actual work done.

The reforms that have been made are :

(i)  The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLA and MP from changing parties, by bringing anti defection law. 

(ii)  The Supreme  Court  had  passed  an  order to reduce the influence of money and criminals. It is now mandatory for candidates to submit an affidavit of pending court cases and the amount of property they own.

(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file their income tax returns.

There are many challenges to democracy, like economic inequality, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, regional imbalances, casteism, communalism,   etc.  The  Parliament   has  time and again passed many laws to remove all such hindrances  and  challenges.There is not  a single field which has not been touched and reformed.

But legal challenges alone cannot overcome challenges to democracy.

As there are strict laws against dowry, but still this evil persists and there is not a single day when we do not hear about dowry deaths.

What   is  required   is  the  cooperation   of  the citizens, i.e. change in mindset of the citizens. They need to be reasonable, active, cooperative and willing to perform their duties. Legal constitutional    changes   and   the   cooperation of   the   citizens  are   the   need   of   the   hour. Thus, legal constitutional  changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy.

Foundational challenges faced by democracies are :

(i)   Making  the  transition  to  democracy  from other forms of rule and then instituting democratic government.

(ii)  This  involves  bringing  down  the  existing non democratic regime, keeping military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign and functional state.

(iii) For  example :  Democratic  Government  of Nepal.

(i) These countries face the foundational challenge of making transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government.

(ii)  They  also  face  the  challenge  of  bringing down  the  existing non-democratic  regime  and keeping the military away from  controlling  the government.

(ii)  Such countries have to make great efforts to establish a sovereign and functional democracy.

Some  of  the   reforms   to   strengthen   the working of political parties are as follows  :

(i)   Anti-defection law, under  which a member would be disqualified if he/she goes against the directions of the party.

(ii)  Reduction in the influence of money. Cash for votes have been banned by the election commission and anybody involved in the process is likely to be punished.

(iii) It is important  for a condidate to file an affidavit giving details of his property and court cases pending against him/her.

(iv) The election commission has made it necessary for political parties to hold their organizational elections and file income tax returns.

(v)  There should be a law to ensure internal democracy in political parties. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.

All   suggestions   or   proposals   about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called democratic reform or political reform.

Broad guidelines for devising political reforms in

India are :

(i)   Legal ways of reforming politics

(ii)  The Right to Information Act

(iii) Reforms through political practice

(iv) Implementation of reforms

(i)  Any legal changes must carefully look at the results it will have on politics. Sometimes, the results can be counter-productive. For example, many states have banned people who have more than two children from contesting panchayat elections.

(ii)  This has resulted in the denial of democratic opportunity to many poor men and women, which was not intended. Generally, laws that seek to ban something are not very successful in politics. 

(iii) The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms. For example, Right to Information Act

Challenges faced by modern democracies are : (i)   Deepening  of  democracy  :   This  involves applying   the   basic   principle   of   democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.

(ii) Every democracy face the challenge of expansion.

This involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy. It requires an attempt to bring down control and influence of the rich and powerful people in making governmental decision.

Example : In USA, African-American people have won equal rights, but are still poor, less educated and marginalised.

It is very difficult to reform politics through only legal ways.

(i)   Devising new laws can help to discourage the practice of wrong political and social  practices and encourage new ones.

(ii)  But these changes alone can’t help to reform politics that is a challenge to democracy.

For example just by changing the rules in cricket can’t improve the quality of the game.

(iii) Similarly, in politics, the reforms have to be carried out by political parties, activists, pressure groups, movements and citizens.

We have to strive to make political system more participative and representative in its approach. There have been certain provisions and laws that has an effect in improving transparency in public life. An important example is the provision of RTI (Right to Information Act 2005). It is hoped that the functioning of the political parties will soon come under this Act.

Casteism is rooted in the belief that caste is the sole basis of social community. Caste can take various forms in Indian politics.

(i)   When parties choose candidates in elections, they keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate  in  a  constituency.  They select  their candidates accordingly  so as to get necessary support to win elections.

(ii)  When   governments   are  formed,  political party takes care that representatives of particular castes and tribes should get a place in the ministry.

(iii) During the campaigning, political parties and candidates make appeals to people to give their votes on the basis of caste. Some political parties are known to favor particular castes and are seen as their representatives.

(iv) The candidates  focus on  pockets of voters of favored caste; with promises of favoring them when they come in power.

Some measures taken by the government to reform political parties have been :

(i)   Anti-defection law, which states that if any sitting MLA or MP changes the party, he/she will lose his seat in the legislature/parliament.

(ii)  It is mandatory  now for every candidate to furnish all details related to the financial assets, criminal cases pending against them.

(iii) Election Commission has made it mandatory for parties to hold regular organizational elections and  file income tax for the income of the party.

(iv) Recent judgement by Supreme Court that disqualifies  convicted   MP’s   and   MLA’s   who have been sentenced to more than two years of imprisonment by the lower court and whose appeal against their conviction is pending, is considered to be the landmark decision by the apex court to clean the system.

(v)  An important  development that is expected is, to bring the functioning of the political parties under the ambit of Right to Information Act.

‘The  Right  to  Information   Act’  was implemented in 2005.

(i)   It empowers the people to find out what is happening in government departments.

(ii)  It acts as the watchdogs of democracy.

(iii) It helps to control corruption and supplements the existing laws that banned corruption  and imposed strict penalties.

(iv) It gives political leaders incentives to do good work.

Major challenges are :

The challenges faced by Indian democracy are of deepening and of expansion in nature viz.

(a) Poverty   illiteracy,  unemployment   are prevalent ever after 72 years of independence and democratic rule.

(b)  Caste and gender discrimination is rampant in our society.

(c) There are frequent reports of political corruption.

(d)  Political battles are fought with the use of muscle and money power.

(e)  The weaker sections still have to be given reservation even after 72 years of democracy.

The guidelines   to be kept in mind while adopting political reforms include :

(i)   Involving political parties, political activist and people in bringing about reforms rather than impose reforms through laws.

(ii)  Legal measures should be positive, more like incentives that will encourage action

(iii) Improving the quality of political practices by increasing people’s participation.

(iv) Laws being  considered  may  meet  with resistance in the legislatures and by political parties.

Dynastic succession is a major challenge  for the political parties in India. This happens because  :

(i)   Most political parties do not  practice open and transparent procedures for their functioning, there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in such parties.

(ii)  Those who happen to be the leaders are in position of favoring people close to them and their family members.

(iii) In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.

(iv)   This is  unfair  to  other  members  of  that party. This is also bad for democracy, since people who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy positions of power. This tendency is present in some measure all over the world, including in some of the older democracies, but quite prevalent in Indian regional parties.