Std:10 Democratic Politics
Simplified study material
1. Power Sharing
1.Case study of Belgium
Ø In Belgium 59% of people
speak Dutch and 40% of people speak French.
Ø In capital Brussels 80%
of people speak French While 20% of people speak Dutch.
Ø Minority French speaking
people was relatively rich and powerful
Ø So rulling government
schemes were in favour of Dutch speaking people.
Ø It led to tensions
between Dutch and French speaking communities.
2.Accommodation/solution in Belgium.
Ø Between 1970 and 1993
four times constitution was amended.
Ø Central government
ministry was shared by French and Dutch communities equally.
Ø Central government shared
its power with the regional governments.
Ø Community government was
setup to look at the issues of language, education and culture.
Ø Separate government for
Brussels and French shared ministry with Dutch.
3.Case study of Sri Lanka / Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka.
Ø In Sri Lanka 74% of
people speak Sinhala.
Ø Tamil speaking population
was 18%.
Ø In that Sri Lankan Tamils
or Native Tamils were 13% and Indian Tamils were 5%.
Ø 1956 the Only Sinhala Act
made Sinhala as the only official Language.
Ø Only Sinhala speaking
Buddhist can become the president of the country.
Ø Reservation policies were
made in favour of Sinhala and against of Tamils.
Ø Tamil people raised their
demands which was ignored by the government.
Ø So Tamil people demanded
Separate state called Tami Eelam.
Ø The civil war took place
in Sri Lanka and ended in favour in Sinhala
Ø Thousands of innocent
Tamil people were killed in the war.
4.Why power sharing is desirable? Why do we need power sharing?
Prudential Reasons:
Ø Power sharing can reduce
the conflict between two communities.
Ø Power sharing may
increase the stability of the government.
Ø Power sharing can reduce
the violence between two communities.
Moral Reasons:
Ø Power sharing is the very
spirit of democracy.
Ø People have a right to be
consulted.
5.Forms of Power sharing / Kinds of power sharing:
Horizontal power sharing:
Ø Power sharing among the
organs of the government.
Ø Power sharing between
Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.
Ø None of the organ is
having unlimited powers.
Ø Each organ can check others.
Vertical power sharing
Ø Power sharing among the
different levels of the government
Ø Central government for
overall country.
Ø There will be regional
government or state government.
Ø The central government
shares its powers with state government.
Ø The state government
shares powers with the local government.
Ø There will be federal
setup of multi-level governance.
Ø Ex: India and Belgium
Power sharing with
different social groups
Ø Power sharing with weaker
section of the society.
Ø In India reservation has been
given to the SC/ST and women.
Ø Powers sharing with
minorities and weaker section of the people.
Ø Ex: Community government
in Belgium.
Power sharing with
Political parties, pressure groups and movements
Ø Two or more parties form
an alliance and share power.
Ø Interest groups like
farmers, traders can also share the power by influencing the government in
their favour.
Ethnic:A Social division based on culture. People have similarities in
physical looks and culture. Need not always have same religion and nationality.
Majoritarianism: A belief of the majority community dominate or rule over the
minority community. Disregarding the needs and wishes of the minority.
Civil war: A violent conflict between two groups within the nation.
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2. Federalism
1.What is federalism?
Ø In a federal system a
country have two or more level of government.
Ø There will be a
central or union government for entire country.
Ø There will be regional governments at regional
level.
2.What are the key features of
federalism?
Ø There are two or more
level of government.
Ø Each level of
government has its own jurisdiction.
Ø Jurisdictions are
specified in the constitution.
Ø Basic rights of the
constitution cannot be changed by one level of government.
Ø Court have the power
to interpret the constitution.
Ø Sources of revenue
has been shared between the different levels of the government.
3. What are two objectives of the federal government?
Ø To safeguard and
promote the unity of the country.
Ø To accommodate the
regional diversity.
4.DifferentiateCOMING TOGETHER FEDERATION AND HOLDING TOGETHER
FEDERATION
COMING TOGETHER FEDERATION:
Ø A.Independent states
coming together on their own and form big unit.
Ø All federal units
have same kind of power
Ø B.Ex:USA and
Australia
HOLDING TOGETHER FEDERATION:
Ø .A large country
divided into smaller divisions.
Ø All federal units do
not have same kind of power.
Ø B.Ex: India and
Belgium.
5.What makes India a federal country?
Ø The constitution of
India declared that India is an Indian Union.
Ø Earlier we started
with two tier government now we have three tier administration.
Ø Union list: subjects
of national importance. Ex: Banking and Currency etc.,
Ø State list: subjects
of local importance. Ex: Police, agriculture and irrigation etc.,
Ø Concurrent list:
These are common subjects where both level of government can make laws.
Ex:Education, forest and marriage.
6.Linguistic states
Ø Lanuage based states
were formed to ensure that people who spoke the same language lived in the same
state. Exception to Nagaland, Uttarkhand and Jharkhand.
Ø Some national leaders
had a fear that linguistic states can separate the nation but now it made our
country more united.
7.Language policy
Ø Our constitution did
not gave the status of National Language to any one language.
Ø Hindi was identified
as the official language of central government.
Ø Hindi is the mother
tongue of 40% of the Indians.
Ø In 1965 the use of English for official purpose was
stop, but non Hindi states demanded English to continue.
Ø particularly in Tamil
Nadu the Anti Hindi Movement took violent form.
Ø So the Central
Government agreed to continue the use of English for official purpose.
Ø In this issue
national leaders shown great flexibility which avoided the conflict like
Srilanka.
8.Centre – State relationship
Ø When same party
ruling in the Central and State government than the state get more favours.
Ø When State and Centre
governments were ruled by different party, the Central Government undermine the
State government.
Ø In those days central
government misuse the powers and dismiss the state government.
Ø After 1990 we could
able to sew a rise of regional parties.
Ø The era of COALITION GOVERNMENTS
has strengthened the federal set up.
9.What is decentralization?
Ø When power is taken
away from the Central and State governments and given to the Local government
is called decentralization.
10 Why decentralization of power is needed?
Ø Large number of
problems are local in nature.
Ø Most of the problems
can be solved at local level, need not taken to the higher level.
Ø Local people have the
better understanding of the issue and they can come out with best solution.
Ø It give the sense to
the people that they are in decision making process.
11.What was the major step took in decentralization in
1992
Ø Local government
elections became mandatory.
Ø Seats are reserved
SC/ST.
Ø One third seats are
reserved for Women
Ø State Election
commission was set up in all states to look after the election process.
Ø The State government
need to share its power and money to the local government.
Jurisdiction: The area over which someone has legal authority.
Coalition government: A government formed by at least two political parties.
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3.Democracy and Diversity
1.Story of Mexico
Olympics:
Ø
Mexico Olympics held
at 1968.
Ø
African -
Americans Tommie smith and John carlos
won gold and bronse medal in 200 meters race for USA
Ø
While receiving medal
both were wearing black socks and no shoes to represent the black poverty.
Ø
The raised clenched
fists, they represent black power.
Ø
Peter Norman who got
silver medal also wear Human rights batch to support Tommie Smith and John
Carlos.
Ø
The International
Olympics Association held Tommie smith and John Carlos held guilty and taken
back their medals.
Ø
Peter Norman was not
selected for Australian team for next Olympics.
Ø
San Jose University
erected statue for Tommie smith and John Carlos.
Ø
Tommie Smith and John
Carlos were gone to Australia toparticipate in the funeral of Peter Norman
whosupported him as an athlete.
2.Origin of Social
Differences
There are two sources of social differences
a.On the basis of
Birth: Race, Caste, Color, Nationality,
Ability and disability of the body are the certain social differences the child
gets with the birth.
b.On the basis of
Choices:Education, Occupation, Ageists or
Devotee, Games, Hobby are the certain social differences a person can choose in
his life.
3.Overlapping and
Cross-Cutting social differences.
Overlapping Social
differences:
Ø
One social difference
becomes more important than the other and people start to feeling that they
belongs to different communities
Ø
Class and social
division will overlap on each other
Ø
Ex:In Northern Ireland
Roman Catholics were poor and discriminated while protestants were rich and
influential.
Ø
In USA Blacks were
poor, homeless and discriminated while Whites were rich.
Ø
In India Dalits were
poor and landless while upper caste were rich and landlord.
Ø
Overlapping social
division is very dangerous to any country.
Cross-Cutting social
differences:
Ø
Social differences
cross cut each other and it is difficult to pit one group of people against the
other.
Ø
Ex:Netherland consist of
Roman Catholics and Protestant.
Ø
There rich and poor in
both sections of the religion.
Ø
So they don’t have
conflicts like Northern Ireland.
4.Politics of Social
division or Ranges of Outcomes of social division in politics.
Ø
Social division can be
represented in politics.
Ø
But domination of one
social division over other can lead to violence between two communities and
also disintegration of the country.
Ø
Ex:Northern Ireland
Roman Catholics were 44% and they were poor and discriminated.
Ø
The Nationalist party
representing the Roman Catholics demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with
Republic of Ireland where Roman Catholics are majority.
Ø
The Unionist party
representing the 53% of protestant want the country remain with U.K.
Ø
Hundreds of civilians
were killed in the violence.
Ø
Finally 1998 the U.K
government and the Nationalist reached a peace treaty. And stop the violence.
5.Factors deciding the
outcomes of representing social division in politics.
1.How people perceive
themselves?:
Ø
If people see their
identities in singular and exclusive it is difficult to accommodate.
Ø
In Northern Ireland
people saw themselves as Roman Catholics and protestant.
Ø
Where as in Belgium
the people saw themselves as Belgians first and then French and Dutch. So they
could able to solve the problem. Which not took place in Northern Ireland.
2.How leaders raise
their demands?:
Ø
When the leaders of
the social division raise their demands within the constitution it will be easy
to accommodate.
Ø
In Sri Lanka the Tamil
community demand was above the constitution so it remainsun resolved.
3.How government react
to the demands of different social groups?:
Ø
In Belgium rulers are
willing to share the powers and accommodate the French. But it not took place
in Sri Lanka the rulers are not ready to share their powers with the minority
Tamil people.
Ø
If the rulers try to
suppress the demand of the minority in the name of national unity we have to
understand that they are sowing the seeds of disintegration.
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4.Gender,Religion and Movement
1.Gender and Politics
1.1Sexual division of
labour:
Ø
The main responsibility
of women is house work like cooking, washing and taking care of children.
Ø
All the work outside
the house is responsibility of men. Men is expected involve in economic
activity and earn money of the family.
Ø
Indian family system
is Patriarchal in nature.
1.2Women and education:
Ø
According to 2011
census female literacy rate is only 54%. Nearly half of Indian women are
illiterate.
Ø
Even though girls do
well in school education still their enrollment in higher education is very
less. Parents are ready to spend more on boys than the girls.
1.3Women and work:
Ø
Now we could able to
see women in many jobs. But from Sports to Cinema women are paid less than the
men.
Ø
The Equal Remuneration
Act1976 says that men and women should be paid equally.
Ø
Declining Child sex
ratio: In many parts of India parents prefer to have sons and try to abort the
girl. So child sex ratio has declined to 914 girls per 1000 boys.
1.4Women and politics:
Ø
In India 2009 alone
the women representation has crossed 10% in loksabha. Still most of the state
assemblies women representation is less than 5%.
Ø
Women representation
in politics in India is around 8.3% .
Ø
world average of women
in politics is 19.7% and Nordic countries women representation is 42%.
Ø
A bill stating one
third seat in loksabha and vidhansabha is bending in parliament for more than
the decade.
2.Religion
2.1Views on religion:
Views of Gandhi: Religion can never be separated from the politics.
He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn
from religion.
Women’s Movement: family laws of all religions discriminate against women.
Human rights Movement:Human rights groups argued that most of the victims of
communal riots are religious minorities.
Communalism:
Ø
The religion is seen
as the basis of the nation.
Ø
State power is used to
establish the interest of majority religion.
Ø
The majority religion
dominate the minority religion through the political power.
How communalism can
take various forms in politics?
Ø
Majority religion
beliefs are established in superior with minority religion.
Ø
A communal mind search
for political dominance.
Ø
Due to dominance of
majority minority community started to desire for separate unit.
Ø
Political mobolisation
on religious lines. Scared symbols and religious leaders emotional speech
create the fear in the minds of the religious minority.
Ø
Sometimes communalism
takes its ugliest form of violence.
Secular state:
Ø
There is no official
language for Indian state.
Ø
People have the
freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion.
Ø
The constitution
prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.
Ø
Government intervene
into religion only when anything go unconstitutional. Ex: Indian constitution has bannedUntouchability.
Caste
What are the factors
has reduced the effect of caste?
Ø
Social reformers like
JothibaPhule, Gandhiji, B.R.Amebedkar and Periyar worked a lot against the
caste inequalities.
Ø
Large scale
urbanaisation has also reduced to effects of caste. Mostly in urban we do not know who is
traveling along with us and who is eating next to our table.
Ø
Weakening of the
positions of land lard has also breakdown the caste hierarchy.
How castes still
persist in India?
Ø
Even now people mostly
marry within the caste group.
Ø
Still in certain
places we could able to find untouchability in India.
Ø
The centuries of
advantages and disadvantages continues still today.
Ø
The caste which were
denied to get education in past, now they lagging behind.
How caste is
represented in politics? Or How caste can take various forms in politics?
Ø
Political parties
while choosing the candidates for the elections they keep the caste composition
of the constituency.
Ø
Political parties
mostly give the seat to candidate who belongs to the majority caste of a
particular constituency.
Ø
Political parties and
candidates make appeals to the people in the name of caste.
Caste alone will not
decide the election success how? Or Caste cannot influence much how?
Ø
No parliamentary
constituency in our country has a clear majority of one single caste.
Ø
A candidate need the
support of other caste group to win the election.
Ø
We cannot expect all
voters of one caste group will vote to the same candidate.
Ø
When all the parties
give seat to the majority caste group, a candidate cannot take the caste
advantage.
Ø
Many times we see the
sitting MP or MLA who win the election due to the caste, looses the next
election.
Ø
People also see the
performance of the candidate.
Ø
When people have
strong attachment with one party they will not the caste or any other
differences.
How politics influence
the caste?
Ø
Each caste group tries
to become bigger by incorporating with in the neighbouring or sub caste.
Ø
Various caste groups
are entering into negotiation to make coalition with other caste groups.
Ø
New kinds of caste
groups have come up in the political area like backward caste groups and
forward caste groups.
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6.Political Parties
1.What is a political party?
Ø A group of people who came together to contest elections.
Ø They agree on some policies and programmes
Ø Ex: All India National Congress
2.Functions of the political party?
Ø Contesting elections and choosing candidates for the elections.
Ø Framing the policies and programmes from the vast multitude of
opinions on various issues.
Ø Making laws and amending the law for a country after a good debate
with not only opposition party but also with their own party members.
Ø Running the government and train the leaders to run the government.
Ø If unable to win the majority in the assemble, need to play a role
of opposition - voicing different view and be a good critic of the government.
Ø Creating good public opinion.
Ø Connecting the people with government‘s well fare programmes.
3.Why do we need political parties?
Ø Without political parties, in an election all the candidates will be
an independent candidates.
Ø No one can form a government in the assemble because independents
find difficult to show majority in the assemble.
Ø Even though they form government it won’t be stable.
Ø No one will be able to make promises for the entire country.
4.How many parties we need for a good democracy?
Ø One Party System: Any democratic system we need more than one, at least two parties.
China has one party system and lack of democratic values.
Ø Two Party System:U.S.A, U.K both has two party system. Both parties have a serious
chances of winning the majority.
Ø Multi party system:India has multi party system. When country like India has multi
cultural and ethnic and linguistic people, by the time emergence of more number
of political are unavoidable. Local
difference will be expressed in the politics.
Ø Democracy is possible with any number but at least two.
5. classification of political parties (or) How political parties
gets its recognition from the election commission?
Regional Party / State Party
Ø The political party exist in one state or part of the country.
Ø The party gives importance to the issues of the particular state.
Ø A party has to get 6% votes and 2 seats in the assembly election of
the state to get the recognition from the election commission as the regional
party.
Ø The party which got recognition they can contest in common symbol in
all over the state.Ex:DMK
National parties
Ø The political parties exist entire nation.
Ø The parties has national goals
Ø A party needs to get 6% votes in a loksabha elections (or) assembly
election of any four states and to secure 4 seats in loksabha to get recognition status from the
election commission as a National party.
Ø Ex:All India National Congress
6. What are the challenges faced by the political parties?
Ø Lack of internal democracy: one or few leaders at the top control the entire party.
Parties do not maintains fairness in the membership
Party Leader choosing candidates for the elections.
Ø Dynastic Succession: Family members of the party leader get the most important post in
the party.
Members who are relatives of the family of the leader they get the
seats easily.
Ø Money and Muscle Power: Rich, and members with
criminal background getting the tickets easily.
They come up in the party and ordinary member remains ordinary.
Ø Choices: Political parties finds very difficult to differentiate their
parties from other parties.
Policies of
different parties are very similar.
7.How can political parties be reformed?
Present laws:
Ø Anti Defection Law: According to this
act any MLA,MP moving from one party to another he/she will lose their post.
Ø Affidavit: According to the order issued by the Supreme Court of India, a
candidate contesting in an election has to file the affidavit giving the
details of property, criminal cases and the personal information to the
election commission.
Ø Supreme court order: Supreme court has passed
an order that political parties should hold their organizational elections and
file income tax returns to the election commission.
Suggestions:
Ø A officier can be appointed in political parties to regulate the
internal affairs.
Ø 1/3 seats to be given to the women’s and women should be present the
important positions of the party.
Ø To control the flow of money government can fund the election
expanses of the political parties.
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7.Outcomes of Democracy
1.Why democracy is better than other forms of government?
Ø Promotes equality among the citizens
Ø Enhances the dignity of
the individual
Ø Improves the quality of decision making
Ø Provides a method to restore conflicts
Ø Allows room to correct mistakes
2.When people blame democracy?
Ø If some of our expectations are not met, we start blaming the
idea of democracy.
Ø Democracy is just form of government. It can only create
conditions for achieving something, the citizens have to take advantage of
those conditions and achieve the goal.
3.Efficiency (or) Decision making
Ø Non democratic rulers do have to bother about the consultation,
people opinion and also majority in assembly where as in democratic system each
decision will be taken only after the consultation and judicial reviews.
Ø Non democratic
governments takes quick decision but democratic countries taking good decision.
So people in the democratic system accept the decision majorly.
4.Transparency (or) Accountable
Ø Democratic governments are accountable to the people but we
cannot expect this from non democratic systems.
Ø Democratic system believes that people have the right to know
what is happening inside the government or in other words people have the
rights to know how decision taking process takes place in the government. Ex:
Right to information Act
5.Elections
Ø In non democratic countries holding regular election nearly
impossible even though elections conducted the fairness will not be there.
Ø Ex: Military rule of Myanmer denied the victory of Aung Sun Su
Ki in the elections.
Ø Whereas if you take
country like India we do not have any problem in conducting the regular
election but political parties and people try to violate the code of conduct in
the elections.
6.Debate
Ø Public expression of dissatisfaction is not possible in the
nondemocratic countries. Debates never encourages in that system, authoritative
rulers try to implement their decisions, where as in democratic system the
public issues will be debated in the media and all social platforms, may be all
issues are not properly debated in India but the debate is exist in democratic
system.
7.Economic growth and Development
Ø Democracy is not a economic policy. Democracy is not guaranty
for economic growth. Democratic system stands behind the non democratic system.
But democratic governments are not very much behind the non democratic
governments.
Ø Little bit of difference exist, it can be acceptable because the
people in democratic systems enjoy more privileges then others.
Ø All democratic regimes achieved the growth of 3.95 %
Ø All nondemocratic regimes achieved the growth of 4.45%
8.Reduction of inequality and poverty:
Ø Democratic countries are not much successful in reduction of
inequality and poverty.
|
Ø Countries
|
Ø Top 20 %
|
Ø Bottom 20%
|
|
Ø South Africa
|
Ø 68%
|
Ø 2.9%
|
|
Ø USA
|
Ø 50%
|
Ø 4%
|
|
Ø UK
|
Ø 45%
|
Ø 6%
|
Ø
9.Accomodation of social diversity
Ø The democratic systems are best suited to produce this outcome.
Non democratic systems try to suppress the minorities.
Ø The democratic systems not only accommodate the social
differences but appreciate the social differences.
Ø Democratic systems has the ability to handle the social
differences in a better manner than the non democratic governments.
Ø But there two condition to achieve the accommodation in
democratic systems (a).The majority need
to work with minority. The government should work in a general view and
majority and minority views should not be permanent.
Ø (b) The majority rule
means not a rule of majority community or religion or linguistic group rule, majority rule means
rule majority opinion each and every decision or election there should
be possibility for all the group to attain power. Democracy remains democracy only as long as
every citizen has the chance of being in majority at some point of time.
10.Dignity and freedom of the citizens
Ø Democracies stands much superior to any other form of government
in promoting the dignity and freedom of the citizens. In democracies every
individual has the rights to get respected by the fellow citizens.
Ø There the guaranty through the constitution for the weaker
section of the society. The violations will be considered as the crime.
Ø Dignity of women, protect of minority religions and SC/ST people
in India are now protected through the constitution.
Ø There is legal base for
them to protect their rights if they think that their rights are denied.
Ø We made many laws to protect the dignity of every citizen. Ex:
Eve Teasing Act, Domestic violence Act, SC/ST act etc.,
11.Examination never gets over in democracies
Ø Yes examination never gets over in democracies. The government
or a society cannot be satisfied with democratic approach one issue. Each and
every issue and each and every step the government need to prove that they are democratic in
policies. If the government passes in
one issue democratically other issues are waiting the queue to be resolved
democratically. Democracy should become habit in the system.
12. The fact that people are complaining is itself a testimony
to the success of democracy (or) A public expression of dissatisfaction with
democracy shows the success of the democratic project.
Ø One of the fundamental aims of democracy is allowing the
struggle against the injustice and giving the opportunity to the people to
raise their voice against the mighty in the society.
Ø When people are in ignorance even though rights are there in
democratic system they don’t live as democratic people but when democracy
creates the belief that they can bring their desired change, we could able to
see people fight for their justice.
Ø So we can conclude where ever we see the struggle of people
against the decision of the government we can understand that democracy
progressing towards the betterment.
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8.Challanges to
democracy
1.What are the
challenges in front of democracy?
Ø
Foundational
challenge: The countries which are having the non democratic regimes
facing this challenge. This involves keeping down the existing military away
from controlling government and establishing a sovereign state.
Ø
Challenge of
expansion: This involves spreading the
democratic principles to each and every region of the country and
different social groups.
Giving more powers to the regional governments.
Empowerment of women
and weaker section of the society.
Country like India and
U.S facing this challenge.
Ø
Challenge of deepening
of democracy:
This involves the
strengthening of the institutions of democracy.
Making an attempt to bring down the
control and influence of rich and powerful people in making government
decisions.
2.What are the aspects we need to keep in mind while
thinking towards the political reforms?
Ø Law alone cannot bring the desired change in the political.
All the issues in politics cannot be solved through the laws.
Ø No doubt that law is needed, carefully designed law can
help to discourage the wrong politics but believing that only making law itself
bring all the best in the politics is very foolish.
Ø Some time laws are counterproductive. They can give the
undesired results. Ex: the law that banned the persons who has more than two
children contesting the punchayet election denied the rights of many people
Ø The good laws are those which empower the people. Ex: RTI
Ø More and more participation of ordinary people can improve
the quality of politics.
Ø Political reforms should think not only about what is a
good decision but also about who will implement it and how.
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