![Page 1: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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.
![Page 2: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
1.2 – FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY
PEOPLE ELECTION
RULERS GOVERNMENT
COMPONENTS
![Page 3: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
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
![Page 4: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
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
![Page 5: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
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.
![Page 6: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
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.
![Page 7: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
• 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
![Page 8: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
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
![Page 9: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
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.
![Page 10: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
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 :
![Page 11: CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY ...CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? RECAP (1.1) •2 forms of government o Democratic government](https://reader036.vdocument.in/reader036/viewer/2022062510/612f67b31ecc515869436c23/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)