Outcomes of Democracy
Why Democracy is consider Better
Government.
• It promotes equality among citizens
• Improves the quality of decision making
• Provides a method to resolve conflicts
• Enhances the dignity of the individual
• Allows room to correct mistake.
Accountable government:
• The most basic outcome of democracy should be
that it produces a government that is accountable
to the citizens and responsive to the needs and
expectations of the citizens.
• A citizen should to able to participate in decision-
making that affects all. Democracy is based on the
idea of deliberation and negotiation.
Responsive government
• The democratic government should be attentive to
the needs and demands of the people and be
largely free of corruption.
• Democracies often frustrate the needs of the
people and often ignore the demands of a majority
of its population. At the same time, there is nothing
to show that non-democracies are less corrupt or
more sensitive to the people.
legitimate government:
• A democratic government is people’s own
government. People wish to be ruled by
representatives elected by them.
• They also believethat democracy is suitable for their
country. Democracy’s ability to generate its
ownsupport is itself an outcome that cannot be
ignored.
Economic growth
• Economic growth depends on the size of the
population of a country.
• It also depends on the global situation and
cooperation from other countries. Alldeveloping
countries need help of the rich and developed
nations to grow.
• The policies of the government also affect economic
growth of country.
Democracy Dictatorship
• Slow in decisions but • Quick in decisions but not
accepted by all people. accepted by people.
• Citizens have fundamental • Citizens do not have
rights and duties. fundamental rights and
duties.
• Government is the • Government is not
responsive to the people. responsive to the people.
• People have power to ask • People do not have power
questions. to ask questions.
Reduction in Inequalities
• Democracies are based on political equality.
• All individuals have equal right in electing
representatives.
• Parallel to the process of bringing individuals into
the political arena on an equal footing, find growing
economic inequalities.
Reduction in Poverty
• A few number of rich enjoy a highly disproportionate
share of wealth and incomes.
• Not only that, their share in the total income of the
country has been increasing.
• Those at the bottom of the society have very little to
depend upon.
• Their incomes have been declining and sometimes
they find it difficult to meet their basic needs of life
such as food, clothing, house, education and health.
Accomodation of Social Diversity
• Democratic governments try to keep peace and
harmony among its citizens. This they do by
maintaining discipline and accommodating various
social divisions.
• Democracy is not simply rule by majorityopinion.
The majority always needs towork with the minority.
• For example, this has been done in Belgium and our
own country. Democratic governments resolve
differences, respect differences, and try to find
mechanisms which can negotiate differences.
Dignity and freedom of citizens
• Dignity of women:Long struggles by women have
created some sensitivity today thatrespect to and equal
treatment of women are necessary ingredients of a
democratic society.
• Caste inequalities:Democracy in India have
strengthened the claims of the disadvantagedand
discriminated castes for equal status and equal
opportunity.
• Public expression of dissatisfaction:A public expression
of dissatisfaction withdemocracy shows the success of
the democratic project : it transforms people from
thestatus of a ‘subject’ to that of a ‘citizen’. Public
expression shows that people are awareand have the
ability to look critically at the powerholders.
How have democracies fallen short of
people’s expectations?
• Democracies have failed to hold elections
which give a fair chance to everyone.
• They have failed in transparency, i.e. sharing
information with citizens.
• They are also blamed for not holding public
debate. And finally, corruption is the biggest
charge against democratic governments.
