Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 8 Challenges to Democracy Important Questions and Answers.
Haryana Board 10th Class Social Science Important Questions Civics Chapter 8 Challenges to Democracy
Multiple Choice Questions
Challenges to Democracy Important Questions HBSE 10th Class Question 1.
How much part of the globe is still not under democratic government?
(a) About one-fourth
(b) About one-sixth
(c) About one-fifth
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) About one-fourth
Challenges to Democracy Class 10 Important Questions HBSE Question 2.
Which of the following does not cause any broad challenge to democracy?
(a) Strengthening of democracy
(b) Giving equal treatment to all the citizens
(c) Challenge of expansion
(d) Foundational challenge.
Answer:
(b) Giving equal treatment to all the citizens
Chapter 8 Challenges to Democracy HBSE 10th Class Question 3.
The foundational challenge of democracy includes:
(a) Keeping the military away from controlling government
(b) Bringing down the non-democratic regime
(c) Establishing a sovereign and functional state
(d) All of these.
Answer:
(d) All of these.
Question 4.
The Challenge of expansion in a democracy includes :
(a) Application of basic principles of democratic governance across all the regions
(b) Including women and minorities in the decision-making process
(c) Ensuring greater power and resources to local government
(d) All of these.
Answer:
(d) All of these.
Question 5.
The strengthening of democracy involves:
(a) Strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy
(b) Ensuring greater power to local government
(c) Empowering women
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(a) Strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy
Question 6.
Which of the following challenges is faced by each democracy in one form or another?
(a) Challenge of foundation
(b) Challenge of expansion
(c) Challenge of strengthening of democracy
(d) All of these.
Answer:
(c) Challenge of strengthening of democracy
Question 7.
How can democratic reforms be carried out?
(a) By political activities
(b) By political parties and movements
(c) By politically conscious citizens
(d) All of these.
Answer:
(d) All of these.
Question 8.
Which of the following statements does not reflect the right impact of ‘The Right to Information Act’?
(a) It acts as a watchdog of democracy
(b) It supplements the existing laws that banned corruption
(c) It enables the people to become law-abiding good citizens
(d) It empowers the people to find out what is happening in the government.
Answer:
(c) It enables the people to become law-abiding good citizens
Question 9.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of democracy?
(a) The executive is not answerable to the legislature.
(b) This is the rule of the law.
(c) It is a rule of the people.
(d) Every citizen takes part in the decision-making process, directly or indirectly.
Answer:
(a) The executive is not answerable to the legislature.
Fill in the blanks
1. ……………. is the dominant form of government in the contemporary world.
2. A …………. is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress.
3. ………….. is a very good example of foundational challenge to democracy where monarchy was replaced by democratic system.
4. Law has an important role to play in …………..
5. ……………. is the third challenge of democracy.
6. Democracy eliminates ………….. based on caste, religion and gender.
Answer:
1. Democracy
2. challenge
3. Nepal
4. political reform
5. Deepening of democracy
6. discrimination.
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What is the most common form of democracy in today’s world?
Answer:
Indirect or representative democracy.
Question 2.
Define the term challenge’.
OR
Explain the meaning of ‘challenge’.
Answer:
Challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress. Once we over-come a challenge, we go up to a higher level than before.
Question 3.
What types of challenges are being faced by democracy?
Answer:
- Foundational challenge
- Challenge of expansion
- Challenge of strengthening of democracy.
Question 4.
What is the challenge of expansion?
Answer:
The challenge of expansion, which is present in an established democracy, means applying the principle of democracy across all the regions, different social groups and institutions in the country.
Question 5.
Give examples of challenges of expansion to democracy.
Answer:
To give more powers to local governments and expansion of federal principles to all the units of the federation.
Question 6.
How can the institutions, that help people’s participation and control, be strengthened?
Answer:
The institutions can be strengthened by bringing down the control and influence of rich and powerful people in government decision-making.
Question 7.
Name any two challenges to the working of democracy in India.
Answer:
(i) Social and Economic Inequality
(ii) Casteism.
Question 8.
Give one example to show that political reforms can be counter-productive.
Answer:
Sometimes, political reforms can be counter-productive. For example many states have banned people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections.
Question 9.
What does the challenge of deepening of democracy involve?
Answer:
The challenge of deepening of democracy involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy.
Question 10.
What are political reforms?
OR
What do you mean by democratic reforms?
Answer:
All the suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called political reforms or democratic reforms.
Question 11.
What is the better way to carry out political reforms in a democratic country?
Answer:
Democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.
Question 12.
One round of constitutional change had taken place in Belgium, but the Dutch speakers were not satisfied, and they wanted more autonomy. What type of challenges did Belgium face in such condition?
Answer:
Belgium faced the challenge of expansion.
Question 13.
Which kind of 1 aws are considered as the best for democratic reforms?
Answer:
Laws that empower people to carry out democratic reforms are considered as the best for democratic reforms.
Question 14.
Name the law that empowers the people to find out the government’s functioning and acts as the watchdog of democracy.
Answer:
The Right to Information Act
Question 15.
What is a good democracy?
Answer:
A good democracy is what we think it is and what we wish to make it.
Question 16.
Explain the meaning of ‘democracy.
Answer:
Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people. They take all the major decisions.
Short Answer Type Questions-I
Question 1.
Give the meaning of the challenge of expansion in democracy.
Answer:
The Challenge of expansion involves applying the basic principles of democratic governance across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions ensuring greater power to local governments and extension of the federal principle to all the units of the federation.
Question 2.
Mention the foundational challenge that democracies are facing today.
Answer:
There are many countries which are facing foundational challenge, i.e. they have non- democratic regime.
The foundational challenge involves:
- Bringing down the existing non-democratic regimes.
- Keeping military away from controlling government.
- Establishing a sovereign and functional state.
Question 3.
Discuss the challenges of expansion faced by democracies all over the world.
Answer:
Most of the established democracies face the challenge of expansion, which involves the following :
- Applying basic principles of democracy across all regions, different social groups, and various institutions.
- Providing more power to state and local governments.
- Inclusion of women and minority groups in the process of decision-making.
- Minimising decisions, which should remain outside the sphere of democratic control.
Question 4.
Explain the challenges of strengthening democracy.
Answer:
This challenge is faced by every democracy in one or the other form. This includes:
- Strengthening political parties and other institutions that promote democracy.
- To bring down the control and influence of the rich and powerful in the government.
- To provide more power to local governments.
Short Answer Type Questions – II
Question 1.
What are the different challenges faced by the Indian democracy? Explain any
Answer:
Different kinds of challenges faced by the Indian democracy are as tinder:
- Poverty
- Illiteracy
- Regionalism
- Unemployment
- Conimunalism,
- Linguism
- Political Violence and Insurgency
- Casteism
- Gender
- Discrimination.
Poverty:
Poverty in India is a great challenge? to the successful working of democracy. A poor person can neither 1w a good citizen, flor can he actively participate in political activities. People who are poor do not feel interested in the political process of the country. A poor man can never dream of contesting an election. Inspite of the best efforts made by the government, about. 38% nf the people are still living below the line. Thus, poverty ¡s vitiating and polluting the electoral and democratic process in the country.
Question 2.
“Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people”. What. will you want to add in this definition?
Answer:
According to the definition we shall want to add the following qualifications :
- The rulers elected by the citizens of a country must take all the major decisions.
- Elections must, offer a choice and fair opportunity to the citizens of the country to change the present. rulers.
- This choice and opportunity should be available to all the people on an equal basis.
- The exercise of this choice must lead to the formation of a government, limited by basic rules of the Constitution and citizen’s rights.
Question 3.
Legal constitutional changes by themselves cannot overcome challenges to democracy.” Explain.
Answer:
Legal constitutional changes by themselves can not over come challenges to democracy. Democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements
(i) Any legal change must carefully look at its result. Laws that seek a ban Ofl sonwthing are rather counter-productive.
(ii) The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms. For example; the right to information Act 2005, which acts as a watchdog of democracy by controlling corruption.
(iii) Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political practice. Therefore, the main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen democratic practice. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of people’s participation.
(iv) Any proposal for political reform should think not only about what is a good solution, but also about who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens organisations and the media are more likely to succeed.
Question 4.
Explain with examples why some laws that seek to ban something are not very successful in politics.
Answer:
Law has an important role to play in political reform. Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Sometimes, the result may be counter productive. For example; many states have banned people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections.
- This has resulted in denial of democratic opportunity to many poor and women.
- Laws that give political actors incentives to do good things have more chances of working. The best laws are those, which empower people to carry out democratic reforms.
- The right to information Act is a good example of law that empowers the people to find out what is happening in government.
- Such a law helps to control corruption and supplements the existing laws that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties.
Question 5.
How are some countries in the world facing the foundational challenge of democracy? Explain with examples.
Answer:
The foundational challenge relates to making the transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government.
- It involves establishing a sovereign and functional state.
- It involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, and keeping military away from controlling the government.
- Establishing civilian control on all government institutions by holding proper elections.
- It involves the recognition of people’s choices and the opportunity to change rulers, recognise people’s will.
Question 6.
“A challenge is an opportunity for progress”. Support the statement with your arguments.
Answer:
Different countries face different kinds of challenges all over the world.
- A challenge is not just any problem. We generally, call only those difficulties a challenge, which are significant and which can be overcome.
- A challenge is difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress.
- Once we overcome a challenge, we go up to higher level than before. Each challenge is linked to the possibility of reforms.
- Legal-constitutional changes by themselves, cannot overcome challenges to democracy like economic inequality, unemployment, illiteracy, caste, gender discriminations.
- Democratic reforms can be carried out by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens in order to realise the opportunity in a challenge in order to overcome it and go up to a higher level.
Question 7.
Explain the role of citizens in a democracy.
Answer:
Citizen’s rights are not limited to right to vote, stand in elections and form political organisation.
- They have some social and economic rights also that a democracy should offer for its citizens.
- They have taken up power sharing as the spirit of democracy and discussed how power sharing between governments and social groups is necessary in a democracy.
- Democracy cannot be the brute rule of majority and a respect for minority voice is necessary for democracy.
- Elimination of discrimination based on caste, religion and gender is important in a democracy.
- In doing so, we have not gone against the democratic principles.
Question 8.
Analyze three major challenges before the countries which do not have democratic forms government.
Answer:
Some countries in the world are trying to become a democratic country. These countries face the foundational challenge of making the transition to democracy and then, instituting democratic government.
- This involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime.
- It is also necessary to keep military away from controlling government.
- Such countries have to make great efforts to establish a sovereign and functional state.
Question 9.
Explain ‘the challenge of expansion of democracy’ by stating three points.
Answer:
Mo8t of the established democracies face the challenge of expansion.
- Challenge of expansion involves applying the basic principles of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.
- Ensuring greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation.
- This means, less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control.
- Most countries including India and USA face this challenge.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What are the major challenges to democracy in India?
OR
Discuss three major challenges before Indian democracy.
Answer:
The major challenges to democracy in India are as given ahead:
(i) Casteism: Casteism is one of the major problems of Indian democracy. At the time of elections, almost all political parties take into consideration, the caste of the candidate and the voters residing in that constituency. The voters also take into consideration the caste of the candidate.
(ii) Social and Economic Inequalities: There are big social and economic inequalities among the people in India. There is discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion and sex, etc.
(iii) Poverty: Poverty is one of the major problems of Indian democracy. Poor people do not people cannot contest an election. They arc even compelled to sell their votes to dishonest candidates.
(iv) Communalism: Communalism is another serious problem of Indian democracy. The political leaders keep on fuelling the fire of communalism for their political gains.
(v) Political Defection: Political defection is a very serious probLem of Indian deniocracy. Legislators defect from one party to any other party,just for their personal gains.
Question 2.
Suggest guidelines along which political reforms can be initiated in India.
Or
Explain some broad guidelines to be kept in mind while devising ways and means for political reforms in India.
Answer:
Democracy has established strong roots in India over the last few decades. The situation calls for some systematic political reforms. Before an agenda for political reforms is set, the following guidelines may be laid down:
(i) Law is to be on the side of democracy. But, no law can be all-pervading Law can only help the politicaL activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens to bring about and implement the necessary reforms. .
(ii) We should not adopt a negative approach while formulating reforms, i.e. our emphasis should not be on telling the citizens not to do a few things or preventing them from certain activities, etc. rather, we should adopt a positive attitude. We should create a system of incentives and rewards for the citizens to perform certain actions and desist from others.
(iii) In any scheme of political reforms, the most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.
(iv) In anticipation of democratic movements, citizens’ organisations and the media would go a long way in implementing only such reform programmes, that may be formulated.
(v) As legal constitutional changes, by themselves, cannot overcome challenges to democracy, brought out mainly by political activities, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.
(vi) Any legal change must carefully look at what results it wiLl have on politics. Sometimes, the result may he counter-productive. For instance, many states have debarred people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections. This has resulted in the denial of democratic opportunity to many of the poor and women, which was not intended. The best laws are those, which empower people to carry out democratic reforms. For example, the Right to Information Act. It acts as a watchdog of democracy by
controlling corruption.
(vii) Any proposal for political reforms should consider not only what is a good solution but also who will implement it and how. Measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens’ organizations and the media are more likely to succeed.
Question 3.
Mention the three ways through which democracy can be improved in practical form.
Answer:
Following are the ways through which democracy can be improved in practical form
(i) B Legal, Constitutional changes: This change mostly brings about positive changes but sometimes, their result may be counter-productive. So, extra care should be taken while implementing these changes. The best laws are those which empower people to out democratic reforms. The laws that give political actors incentives to do good things have more chances of working. The Right to Information Act is a good example that brought political reform.
(ii) Through decentralization of power: Democratic set-up is successful when even the people at the lowest starta have a role in the system.
(iii) Through political parties: Democratic reforms are to be brought about principally through political parties. The most important concern should be to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary men.
(iv) The Panchayati Rai has strengthened our democracy a lot. When people play an active role in their self-administration, their faith in democracy increases.
Question 4.
Describe any five efforts made to reform political parties in India.
Answer:
Law has an important role to play in political reform. Carefully devised changes in law can help ta discourage wrong political practices and encourage goods ones. The constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties.
(i) Democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties. movements and politically conscious citizens.
(ii) Any legal change must carefully look at what results it will have on politics. Sometimes the results may be counter productive. For example; many states have binned people who have more than two children from contesting Panchayat elections. This has resulted in denial of democratic opportunity to many poor and women.
(iii) Democratic reforms are to be brought by political practices. It would increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.
(iv) It is mandatory for every candidate who contests election to file an affidavit giving details of his/her property and criminal cases pending against them.
(v) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns.