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B.A 1st Sem Political Science Minor Unit 2 Democracy
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Unit 2 Democracy
CONCEPT IN POLITICAL THEORY – I
VERY SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
1. From which word the term “Democracy” is derived?
Ans: The term “Democracy” is derived from two Greek words ‘demos’ and ‘Kratos’.
2. What is the meaning of ‘Demos’ and ‘Cratio’?
Ans: The meaning of the word ‘Demos’ is people and the ‘cratio’ mean power.
3. What is the definition of Democracy?
Ans: Democracy means the system of government which the power with the people.
4. Who described democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Ans: Abraham Lincoln.
5. Mention any one feature of Democracy?
Ans: In democracy the sovereignty formally rests with the people although the same is exercised by their elected representatives.
6. Mention two types of democracy.
Ans: The two types of democracy are:
(a) Direct democracy and
(b) Indirect democracy.
7. Democracy as a government in which everyone has a share’ Who said this.
Ans: Seeley said this.
8. Who considers democracy as the worst type of government
Ans: Aristotle.
9. What do you mean by Direct democracy?
Ans: Direct democracy is a form of self government in which all collective decisions are taken through participation of all adult citizens of the state in the spirit of equality and open deliberations.
10. Mention any two principles that apply in direct democracy.
Ans: The principles are:
(a) People are sovereign.
(b) Decisions are to be based on majority rule.
11. Write any one merit of direct democracy.
Ans: Direct democracy minimizes evils of party system.
12. What is indirect democracy?
Ans: Representative democracy is a limited and indirect form of democracy. In indirect democracy it is limited in the sense that participation in government is infrequent and brief, being restricted to the act of voting every few years.
13. Mention any two fundamental principles of indirect democracy.
Ans: (a) Popular sovereignty & (b) Political equality.
14. What do you mean by liberal democracy?
Ans: A democratic system of government in which individual rights freedom are officially recognized and protected and the exercise of office power is limit limited by the rule of law.
15. What is the meaning of Procedural democracy.
Ans: Procedural democracy is a democracy in which the people of citizens of the state have less influence than in traditional liberal democracies,
16. What are the main principles of procedural democracy.
Ans: The main principles of procedural democracy are:
(a) Universal participation.
(b) Political equality.
(c) Majority rule.
(d) responsiveness of representatives to the electorate.
17. What do you mean by Elitist theory of democracy?
Ans: Elite theory is a theory of the state that seek to describe and explain power relationship in contemporary society.
18. What pluralist democracy stand for?
Ans: A pluralist democracy describes a political system where there more than one center of power.
19. Who holds power in the pluralist theory?
Ans: Pluralism is a theory that centers on the idea of how power is distribution. The pluralist model indicates that power is distributed among many groups. These groups may include coalition of like minded people unions, professional associations and business lobbyists.
20. What does pluralist nation mean?
Ans: A conviction that various religious ethnic, racial and political groups should be allowed to thrive in a single society. In metaphysics pluralism can also mean an alternative to dualism and monism.
21. What do you mean egalitarian society.
Ans: An egalitarian is a person who believes in the equality of all people and an egalitarian society gives everyone equal rights. This is a word the means something close to equality and has to do with fairness.
22. What are egalitarian principles?
Ans: It is a founding principle of various forms of socialism. Moral egalitarianism is the position that equally in central to justice, that all human persons are equal in fundamental worth or moral status.
23. Why is equalitarianism important?
Ans: Equalitarianism is the position that equality is central to justice. In the late 20th century is whether equality is the most or one of the most important part of justice or whether it has no or nearly no importance for the nature of justice at all.
24. What are egalitarian values?
Ans: Egalitarianism is a trend of though in political philosophy. An egalitarian favors equality of some sort people should get the same, or be treated the same, or be treated as equals in so respect.
25. What do you mean by communism?
Ans: In political sciences, communism is the philosophical, social, political and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of the communist.
26. What do you mean by participatory democracy?
Ans: Participatory democracy emphasizes the board participation of constituents in the direction and operation of political system.
27. What does participatory governance mean?
Ans: Participatory governance is a method of college management in which decision makers, whether with primary or delegated authority are committed to involving affected constituencies in decisions as much as possible.
28. What is citizen participation?
Ans: Citizen participation is a process which provides private individuals an opportunity to influence public decisions and has long been a component of the democratic decision making process.
29. What is the main aim of public participation.
Ans: The main aim of public participation is to encourage the public to have meaningful input into the decision making process.
30. What is public participation in planning?
Ans: Public participation in regional planning. Public participation is as important part of government decisions affecting many aspects of our lives.
31. What do you mean by deliberative democracy?
Ans: Deliberative democracy is a form of democracy in which deliberation is central to decision making.
32. What is political deliberation?
Ans: Deliberation is a process thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting.
SHORT TYPE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
1. What is deliberative communication? Why is deliberation important in a democracy?
Ans: Mutual and carefully balanced consideration of different alternatives is in the current literature of political and social science closely coupled to democracy as communication.
Deliberative theorists tend to argue that publicity is a necessary feature of legitimate democratic processes. Because the deliberative process requires that citizens understand, formulate and exchange argument of their views norms of clear communication and rules of argumentation are important to formulate.
2. What are the distinction between direct and indirect democracy? Explain briefly.
Ans: Features of Democracy: Democracy has some features.
These can be discuss as follows:
(a) Democracy is a popular government that is formed by the elected representative of the government.
(b) Ultimate power is vested with the people.
(c) It is based on the principles of equality.
(d) Depends on public opinion.
(e) Majority rule of followed.
(f) People have right to criticised the government.
(g) Democracy is based on Party system.
(h) Political parties play an important role.
3. What are the Distinction between direct and indirect democracy – Explain.
Ans: Democracy has two forms-direct and indirect.
Ancient democracy is direct one and present democracy is an indirect one.
In direct democracy people take part in law making procedure directly, but those people do not take part directly in the indirect democracy. People take part in this process through their elected representatives.
There is less chance of revolution in indirect democracy, but possibility is more in indirect democracy.
Direct democracy is suitable for small state but indirect democracy is suitable for large/big state.
4. Discuss briefly about the Devices of Direct Democracy.
Ans: There are a numbers of devices of direct democracy.
There are:
(a) Initiative: In this system the people can also take part in the law making process. It is now used in Switzerland only.
(b) Referendum: A bill that passed by the legislature, it must be sent for popular vote. As the majority people vote in favour of the bill, it becomes a law.
(c) Recall: By voting against their representatives, people can recall their delegates for their not satisfactory services.
(d) Plebiscite: Some times government should take the opinion of the people on the important issues. But those mandate is not an obligatory on the part of the government.
5. Distinguish between Democracy and Dictatorship.
Ans: Democracy and dictatorship are two opposite form of government.
They have the following differences:
(i) Democracy is based on the principle of individual liberty but dictatorship is opposed to the individual freedom.
(ii) Democracy allows and encourages different political parties but dictatorship does not tolerate any other political parties in the form of opposition.
(iii) Dictatorial regime can be changed only through revolution but democracy can be changed by peaceful means.
(iv) In dictatorship power is highly centralised but in democracy there is scope for decentralization of power. Democracy stands for self. government.
6. Explain four methods of direct democratic devices.
Ans: Direct democracy is now existing in some small cantons of Switzerland. The following four methods of democratic devices are very much popular in Switzerland.
(i) Referendum: A government can refer important issues for public opinion. If a majority of people supports a policy or bill then it becomes law.
(ii) Initiative: The people can initiate a bill and present it to the legislature for their approval. If legislature approves the bill it becomes law.
(iii) Recall: If the voters get dissatisfied with their representatives they can recall him and elect a new representative.
(iv) Plebiscite: When government faces any problem then it gives people to present solution to the problem. The problem is solved according to the wishes of the majority of people.
7. What is democracy? Discuss three merits and three demerits of democracy.
Ans: The word ‘Democracy’ is derived from the Greek word ‘demos’ and ‘Kratos’ which means power to the people. It is known as a form of government where power to the people. It is known as a form of government where power is exercised by the people in their own interest. Abraham Lincoln forwarded the famous definition on Democracy by calling it a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Democracy is regarded as the most popular form of government in modern times. Democracy as a form of government has both merits and demerits.
The merits of democracy are:
(i) Democracy upholds the doctrine of Natural Rights and widens the scope of equal rights and opportunities. Democracy recognizes the principle that all men are born free and equal.
(ii) Democracy makes people patriotic. People identify their individual interests with the whole state. It promotes healthy nationalism because people have a share in the administration.
(iii) In democracy government is run by the majority. But the opinion of minorities are not also ignored. They are given adequate representation.
Demerits:
(i) Democracy places more emphasis on quantity than on quality. The opinion of two inexperienced men is more acceptable than opinion of an experienced man. Thus, it becomes the rule of the average, not rule of the best.
(ii) Democracy is criticised for fostering corruption. The political parties try to capture power by any means and while doing so they indulge in various corrupt practices and neglect the interests of the people.
(iii) Power in democracy is decentralised. Therefore, it becomes difficult to take quick decisions in times of emergency. Decisions are often delayed because of observance of formalities. Again, there are many pressure groups in democracy which make it difficult to take right measure at the right time.
8. Why are the political parties necessary for a democracy?
Ans: Political parties are necessary for a democracy. Without political party democracy cannot function. The following are the reasons for which political parties are almost indispensable in democracy.
(i) Political parties unite and aggregate like minded people from different background and religion etc. to form a wide coalition of people and give unity in diversity.
(ii) Political parties provide an important link between the government and the people. In this way they keep the government in clos touch with the people.
9. What are the distinctions between the concepts of ‘Liber Democracy’ and ‘Communist Democracy’?
Ans: Differences between liberal Democracy and Communism Democracy are as follows:
(i) Communist democracy is the product of revolution, but liberal democracy is the product of evolution.
(ii) The mode of production in the communist democracy lays emphasis on the state ownership of production On the other hand, the mode of production in the liberal democracy is the private ownership of property.
(iii) The role of bureaucracy is restricted in communist democracy But there is no such restriction of bureaucracy in liberal democracy
(iv) Communist democracy has not recognized private property. Bu liberal democracy has recognized private property.
(v) Communist democracy lays emphasis on classless society. But in liberal democrats there may be different classes in a society.
(vi) The working class is given due importance on working class in the communist democracy. People can take part in administration through voting power.
10. What is democracy?
Ans: A democracy is simple system of government where the citizen directly exercise their power, and have the right to elect government representatives who collectively create a government body for the entire nation (like, a parliament). Another way to say the same thing is that it a type of government that’s ruled by citizens, or in other words, people who are members of a society. In a democratic government, people have certain basic rights that the government can’t take away from them, and these rights are internationally recognized and guaranteed.
Types of democracy: The main types/forms of democracy are:
(a) Direct democracy.
(b) Representative democracy.
(c) Presidential democracy.
(d) Parliamentary democracy.
(e) Authoritarian democracy.
(f) Participatory democracy.
(g) Islamic democracy.
(h) Social democracy.
Every country interprets the meaning of democracy in their own particular way. With a wide range of different geopolitical atmospheres, we see a large spectrum of democratic governments in existence around the globe.
11. The Role of the Citizen in a Democracy.
Ans: The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. Citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers and to express their own opinions and interests.
Voting in elections is another important civic duty of all citizens. But to vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then make his or her own decision on whom to support. Participation can also involve campaigning for a political party or candidate, standing as a candidate for political office, debating public issues, attending community meetings and membership civic meetings.
A vital form of participation comes through active membership in independent, non-governmental organizations, what we call “civil society.” These organizations represent a variety of interests and beliefs like: Farmers, workers, doctors, teachers, business owners, religious believers, women, students, human rights activists.
It is important that women participate fully both in politics and in civil society.
This requires efforts by civil society organizations to educate women about their democratic rights and responsibilities, improve their political skill represent their common interests, and involve them in political life.
In a democracy, participation in civic groups should be voluntary. No one should be forced to join an organization against their will.
Political parties are vital organizations in a democracy, and democracy is stronger when citizens become active members of political parties.
However, no one should support a political party because he is pressured or threatened by others. In a democracy, citizens are free to choose which party to support.
Democracy depends on citizen participation in all these ways. Bu participation must be peaceful, respectful of the law, and tolerant of the different views of other groups and individuals.
LONG TYPE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
1. Discuss four conditions for the success of Democracy.
Ans: Democracy, the modern popular government is followed most of the states at present days world.
The term democracy is derived from two Greek words- ‘Demos’ and ‘Kratos’. ‘Demos’ means people and ‘Kratos’ means power or government Therefore, democracy means a government of the people. This kind of government ultimate power is vested in the hands of the people, those can directly or indirectly exercise their power.
According to Herodotus, ‘Democracy denotes that form of government in which the ruling power of the state is largely vested in the members of the community as a whole.’
Dicey defines, ‘Democracy is a form of government in which the governing body is a comparatively large fraction of the entire nation.’
Ex-President of USA, Abraham Lincoln defines democracy ‘As the government of the people, by the people and for the people.’
Pre-conditions for successful working of democracy: There are some pre-conditions for successful working of democracy. There can be discussed working of democracy.
There can be discussed as follows:
(a) For successful working of democracy, It must have a written constitution.
(b) It must have a fearless and neutral natured judiciary.
(c) The electorate should be educated and consciousness in the proper handing of the situation by the government.
(d) Another condition for success of democracy is the freedom of press through which people can express its views for or against the government.
(e) To follow democratic system people of the state should have eagerness and faith on it.
(f) The sureness of democracy also depends on good leadership in principle.
(g) Well organized political parties with an effective opposition is also the conditions of the democracy.
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Democracy.
Ans: There are many forms of democracies, and one of them is direct 1. democracy. In this form of government, the people can directly determine of the laws and policies of their land through a show of hands, instead of e leaving this task to elected officials. Direct democracy has been around since ancient times. It was notably practiced in Ancient Athens, during which people actively participated on voting for legislative and executive bills. It can also be observed in the Swiss cantons of Glarus and Appenzell f Innerrhoden as well as in certain municipalities in New England in the U.S., which hold town meetings to encourage people to participate in local affairs.
With these in mind, it’s easy to conclude that direct democracy must have e positive qualities since it has been used by several societies. However, many people think that it can bring about several disadvantages and may not be the best form of government. To learn more about this, let’s take a closer look into the pros and cons of direct democracy.
Advantages of Direct Democracy:
(a) It makes sure that people’s voices are heard: In representative democracies, the people are only directly involved in choosing the leaders that would represent them in government; they don’t have a say when it comes to creating the rules and regulations that would govern thera. This isn’t the case in a direct democracy, which gives each and every person a chance to voice out his opinion and make sure he’s heard.
(b) It encourages people to participate in the government: Since they know that their vote would count, people become more eager to educate themselves about how the government works and participate in governing their country. They also become prouder of their nation and develop feelings of patriotism as well as self-confidence and self-worth.
(c) It reduces the chances of corruption: Direct democracy removes power from politicians and puts it in the people’s hands, making elected officials less influential and preventing them from using their authority to get what they want.
Disadvantages of Direct Democracy:
(a) It takes a huge amount of time and effort: Counting people’s votes requires days or even weeks, which means it’s difficult and time-consuming to pass a simple bill or making policy changes. It also requires lots of funds and hard work, since voting stations would have to be set up when the people need to decide on something.
(b) It prevents great ideas from being implemented: Many excellent political ideas have come from a single person or two. Unfortunately, in a direct democracy, these concepts won’t get to see the light of day since they’d be overpowered by what the majority says.
(c) It prevents minorities from speaking out: In a representative democracy, minority groups have the chance to elect someone who’ll stand up for them in the government, ensure their plight is heard, and create laws that protect their rights. This won’t likely happen in a direct democracy, which prioritizes the decisions made by the majority.
3. Is Democracy an Ideal Form of Government? Give an argument.
Ans: ‘Democracy’ is perceived as an ideal form of government and political system. There are several nations that have adopted democratic form of government. It indicates supreme power that is vested in the hands of the citizens. It is people who elect the leaders that will represent them. Democracy can de termed as orientation and political system by the people or for the people. The most famous form of government entails several advantages but is also tied to some drawbacks. Let us debate on the topic, Is Democracy an ideal form of government?
Yes:
(a) Real power remains with people as they have the right to elect their representatives. The economic, social and political interests of individuals are best met under the democratic system.
(b) Democracy is based on the concept of equality. It classifies all the citizens of a nation or a state as equal and no discrimination is made on the basis of caste, sex, religion or property.
(c) Democracy is recognized for its firmness, stability and efficiency. The representatives are elected by people and therefore relatively a stable government is formed.
(d) Democracy can be called as the very first institution for becoming good citizens. Individuals learn about their rights and duties starting from birth.
(e) It is democracy that can pave the way for revolutionary changes without use of violence. People feel as an integral part of system.
(f) Democracy is less arbitrary than other forms of government. restrains several instances like powerful small minority exploits disenfranchised, large majority.
(g) Power decentralization is strength of democracy.
No:
(a) It won’t be wrong to connect democracy with the misuse of public funds and time. It takes time in law formulation and lots of money is spent during election.
(b) Not all people in a democratic nation are aware of social and political circumstances in their nation. Some of the people are no even aware with political issues and therefore can elect wrong leaders.
(c) It lays more emphasis on quantity instead of quality when it come to terms of services. Also, any wrong selection can lead to incompetent government.
(d) The form of government is manipulated by its selection process a it may become victim of voter fraud. Also, decisions may suffer due to voter retaliation or intimidation.
(e) In unadulterated form of democracy, it is almost impossible to control the majority from using the small minority.
(f) An inadequately formed government will cause a specific problem every there they come together for formulating polices for enactment.
(g) Autocracy form of government provides better economic growth compared to democratic political system. There are no reasons for dissent in an autocratic government and therefore no one can obstruct large infrastructure projects.
(h) There are many nations where democracy is only about money The United States is the apparent example where millions of dollars are spent on elections and glitzy advertising campaigns. Autocracy doesn’t spend money on such events.
(i) Democracy is the main cause behind corruption which ultimately leads to poverty.
(j) Democracy leads to illiberal outcomes particularly in nations where there is deep ethnic division. For instance, Yugoslavia. Slobodan Milosevic left a legacy of over 200,000 people dead in Bosnia and ethnically wiped out over 800,000 Albanians from their houses in Kosovo.
(k) Power Decentralization benefit of democracy is largely restricted through information control.
3. What do you mean by Liberal Democracy? Mention its structure.
Ans: Liberal democracy is a form of government. It is a representative democracy in which the ability of the elected representatives to exercise decision-making power is subject to the rule of law, and usually moderated by a constitution that emphasizes the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, and which places constraints on the lenders and on the extent to which the will of the majority can be exercised against the rights of minorities.
The rights and freedoms protected by the constitutions of liberal democracies are varied, but they usually include most of the following: rights to due process, privacy, property and equality before the law, and freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. In liberal democracies the se rights (also known as “liberal rights”) may sometimes be constitutionally guaranteed, or are otherwise created by statutory law or case law, which may in turn empower various civil institutions to administer or enforce these rights.
Liberal democracies also tend to be characterized by tolerance and pluralism; widely differing social and political views, even those viewed as extreme or fringe, are permitted to co-exist and compete for political power on a democratic basis. Liberal democracies periodically hold elections where groups with differing political views have the opportunity to achieve political power. In practice, these elections are nearly always won by groups who support liberal democracy, thus the system perpetuates itself.
The term “liberal” in “liberal democracy” does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of liberalism. It is merely a reference to the fact that the initial framework for modern liberal democracy was created during the Age of Enlightenment by philosophers advocating liberty. They emphasized the right of the individual to have immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority. At present, there are numerous different political ideologies that support liberal democracy. Examples include conservatism, Christian Democracy, social democracy and some forms of socialism.
A liberal democracy may take the form of a constitutional republic or a constitutional monarchy.
Structure: Liberal democracies today usually have universal suffrage, granting all adult citizens the right to vote regardless of race, gender or property ownership. However, especially historically, some countries regarded as liberal democracies had more limited franchise. There may also be qualifications like a registration procedure to be allowed to vote. The decisions taken through elections are taken not by all of the citizens, but rather by those who choose to participate by voting.
The elections should be free and fair. The political process should be competitive. Political pluralism is usually defined as the presence of multiple and distinct political parties.
The liberal democratic constitution defines the democratic character of the state. The purpose of a constitution is often seen as a limit on the authority of the government. The American political tradition emphasise the separation of powers, an independent judiciary, and a system of checks and balances between branches of government. Many European democracies are more likely to emphasize the importance of the state being a Rechtsstaat that follows the principle of rule of law.
Governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. Many democracies use federalism – (also known as vertical separation of powers) – in order to prevent abuse and increase public input by dividing governing powers between municipal, provincial and national governments.
4. What are the elements of Liberal democracy? Discuss.
Ans: Liberalism has been branded by many as meta ideology which means that it encompasses many principles, values and elements within its fold. Whereas other ideologies do not possess this capacity. The following are the main elements/principles/values of liberalism-Individualism, freedom, reason, toleration, consent, constitutionalism, equality and justice.
(a) Individualism: Individualism is the central idea or theme of liberalism. It believes that the interests or welfare of the individual should be given primacy over all other values and principles. Individual is the basic concept of political theory and arrangements shall be made to safeguard his interest. Liberalism says that since a political system consists of individuals it should be the chief objective of this system to see that their interests are fully protected and the individuals are quite capable of doing their own job. The role of the state is to some extent like a night watchman.
This conclusion is based on certain presumptions such as they are reasonable and do not harm others. They are capable of pursuing their own interests and outside interference will not produce any benefit. To reach the goals (the development of individual’s personality, protection of interests, allowance of freedom etc.) it is essential that the society is to be restructured suitable for people.
It has been suggested by liberal thinkers that establishment of market economy, curtailment of state authority to the minimum level, non-governmental organisations must have maximum freedom to operate et. The liberalism believes that all these are indispensable for the development of the latent qualities of the individuals. That is why it is frequently said that the primacy of the individuals is the core of liberalism or liberal political philosophy.
(b) Freedom: Another important core value, principle or element of liberalism is freedom. To the liberals it is the value of supreme importance because without it the individual will simply be a unit without any dignity. Moreover, liberty or freedom is the best vehicle for developing the best qualities. But the liberals do not advocate for absolute or unrestricted freedom because freedom/liberty will do more harm.
They are in favour of chained or restricted liberty. J. S. Mill (1806-1873) was the pioneer of individual liberty but he favoured the association of law with freedom because he believed that restriction is for the general welfare of the community. The famous British historian Isaiah Berlin (1909. 1997) developed a famous concept of liberty which states that liberty/freedom has two concepts-negative and positive.
The negative liberty implies that man should be allowed to enjoy an atmosphere free from all sorts of restrictions. This was the contention of classical thinkers. But modern liberals do not think of liberty where there shall be no restrictions. It is positive liberty because real liberty is one which implies laws and restrictions.
(c) Liberalism: Liberalism harbours upon reason. To put it in other words, liberalism and reason are inseparable from each other.
This relationship can be viewed from angles more than one:
(i) Mention has been made earlier that liberalism partially the product of Enlightenment which strongly emphasises that man is rational being and guided by reason and rationality. The advent of Enlightenment emancipated man from age like old superstition, ignorance and bondage. Enlightenment also established the age of reason.
(ii) Since individuals are rational and reasonable they are quite capable of taking any decision and to judge what is good and what is bad for them. In that case there is no necessity of imposing any decision by any outside power/authority.
(iii) The liberals believe that real progress of society could be achieved only through the individual initiative and outside interference will dampen the spirit of initiative.
(iv) The primary of reason ultimately led Adam Smith (1723-1790) to enunciate a doctrine of laissez-faire. A large number of philosophers and thinkers enriched the various aspects of enlightenment through their philosophy and ideas. Enlightenment in all possible ways gave priority to reason and rationality. “Rationalism is the belief that the world has a rational structure and that this can be disclosed through the exercise of human reason and critical enquiry”.
(d) Toleration: Toleration is another value/element of liberalism. In any society there is found different opinions, religious sects or communities of belief and faith. All of them must live side by side peacefully and for this is required toleration. Also various ideologies and opinions make a society diverse. It is the basic feature of any society. Liberalism believes that all these diversities must exist side by side.
One community/section has no right to impose its decision or belief of another. Only in authoritarian community imposition of ideas and belief happens. On the other hand, liberalism attempts to accommodate all the beliefs, faiths, ideologies and opinions. Lord Ramakrishna very frequently said many are the opinions and many are the ways.
The noted French philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) once said “I detest what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. This opinion of Voltaire clearly shows that he forcefully advocated for the practice of toleration. Massacre of St. Bartholomew (1572) is the manifestation of the most hated type of in toleration.
Not only this massacre, numerous other events took place in various parts of European society and they were definitely black spots of society. What liberalism wants to impress upon us is that toleration ought to be practised by all sections of body politic and if it is not done the progress will be adversely affected which will be a loss for whole humanity.
(e) Consent: Consent is another value/element of liberalism. The idea of consent though very old, its modern appearance took place in the hands of the contractualists, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Both of them assertively argued that the members of the state of nature assembled together to take a decision about the setting up of a bo’, politic and behind this decision there was the consent of all. Locke dealt elaborately with consent and this was one of the pillars of his liberalism.
The freedom fighters of America raised their arms against the British rulers and said that they had no consent behind British rule in America We hold the view that consent is a very important element of any democratic government and this has been variously explained by many in numerous forms. It is generally held that representative form of government is the most popular embodiment of consent. J.S. Mill was a great defender of government based on consent.
The liberal thinkers even go a step ahead and declare that every law and policy must be based on the consent of those for whom these are made. In this way consent has become an integral part of democracy and liberal political philosophers are of the opinion that all forms of pluralist societies (also liberal societies) must start from below. That is, consent of all or majority must constitute the basic structure of society.
(f) Constitutionalism: Constitutionalism is an important principle/value/element of liberalism. It has two meanings-narrow and broad. In its narrow meaning constitutionalism means certain limitations upon the government specified by constitution. The narrow meaning further states that whenever a government intends to discharge any function or adopt a policy it must follow the restrictions.
In broader sense it implies values, principles and ideas which act as guide to the government. Whenever the government proceeds to some work it must implement these values, principles, ideas etc. The objective is to give proper credence to the aspirations of the people and to translate them into reality.
Constitutionalism is a basic principle of liberalism. It, in simple language, states that government’s business never specifies that it has the unlimited freedom to do anything without considering the advantages or disadvantages of the common people. It must follow certain basic rules and procedures laid down in the basic or ordinary laws.
Needless to say that this idea was first formulated by Locke and in the later periods it was adhered to by many. This is called constitutionalism or liberation. We can further state that constitutional principles must be observed by both the rulers and the ruled and none has the authority to act arbitrarily. The arbitrariness and constitutionalism are the issues situated at two opposite poles, Constitutionalism is another name of limited government or the theory of limited state.
(g) Equality: Liberalism is based on another principle and it is equality Though we treat it as a political principle/value it is also a religious and moral principle because the religious minded people generally say that every person is born equal as Rousseau said man is born free. So it is unreligious to deprive him of his equal status with others.
The religious people also believe that it is never the intention of God to create inequalities among men and if an artificial distinction is created among men that will go against the will of God and in that sense it is immoral. We can further observe that as a political ideology liberalism has also built up a nexus with religion.
But liberalism is also an ideology of practical world. In any society all the individuals cannot claim same levels of merit, intelligence and capacity of hard work and in that case there must arise clear differences in remuneration. This must be admitted. Idleness and hard work cannot be equally remunerated and if done so that will make way for the appearance of gross injustice. None will be ready to demonstrate his ability.
This type of social inequality does not infringe upon the concept of equality Equality as a principle in political science asserts that none will be allowed to enjoy special privileges ignoring the common minimum privileges to which everyone has legitimate claims.
(h) Justice: Though justice is a principle of both socialism and liberalism, the latter gives it more importance and politically declares that the very basis of liberalism is justice. The liberal justice has several forms or meanings. We note few of them. It is the declared policy of liberalism that each individual will have his due share and since all men are born equal none can deprive other of the share.
All the persons have same status in society and there shall be an atmosphere so that people can enjoy the status. “Liberals, fiercely disapprove of any social privileges or advantages that are enjoyed by some but denied to others on the basis of factors such as gender, race, colour, creed, religion or social background. Rights should not be reserved for any particular class of persons. The most important forms of equality are legal equality and political equality”. Liberal conception of justice further draws our attention to the point that the door of opportunity shall be open to all.
Everyone will get the chance to have a share of opportunity. Liberalism also speaks of social equality. All these interpretations lead to the liberal conception of justice. It also says that talented and non-talented persons are not to be grouped together. In this political ideology there is a special place of talents which means that merit should be recognised and should be given its due share. It is called meritocracy.
5. Liberal democracy in more depth. Explain.
Ans: It must be acknowledged that democracy is by no means accepted in an uncritical manner amongst liberals. Originally, liberals have viewed democracy as a form of mob rule that could threaten our liberty. This is referred to as the paradox of democracy in which the views of the majority are considered more important than the concerns of the minority. Naturally, this could result in a form of tyranny that undermines the rights of minority groups.
To counter the dangers of majoritarianism, liberals support a system of checks and balances. During the formation of the United States, liberal figures like James Madison argued in favour of a separation of powers in order to avoid the problems that had beset the ‘old’ world.
The American system of governance is based upon a system of checks and balances and echoes the view expressed by Montesquieu that “power should be a check to power.” In contrast, the UK system is essentially a fusion of powers which awards an excessive level of power to the executive branch of government. Democracy may also enable the populism of the uneducated to override the more enlightened views of the educated elite. During the seventeenth century, John Locke argued that the right to vote should be limited to those with property so that they might defend themselves against a government acting on behalf of the masses.
Locke’s argument was later incorporated into the slogan of the American War of Independence (“No taxation without representation.”). In later years, John Stuart Mill favoured a system of plural voting that would effectively disenfranchise the illiterate whilst providing more votes to the educated. Modern-day liberals also believe that the rights of minority groups must be protected via legislative measures and the constitution.
Having said this, supporters of liberal democracy claim that it holds significant benefits for humanity. Perhaps the most persuasive argument is that democracies tend not to fight each other as they are fearful of the electoral consequences. Whereas a dictatorial regime can largely ignore the wishes of their people, the ruling party in & democracy could face a potential electoral backlash. Furthermore, the spread of democracy enables the individual to play their full part in the political process. In addition, liberals such as John Stuart Mill argue that democratic participation promotes the development of the individual and is therefore the best system available for ensuring maximum happiness for the greatest number. Democracy could also be said to promote stability within society in that all groups have the opportunity to express their beliefs.
6. What do you mean by Procedural democracy.?
Ans: Procedural democracy is a democracy in which the people or citizens of the state have less influence than in traditional liberal democracies. This type of democracy is characterized by voters choosing to elect representatives in free elections.
Procedural democracy assumes that the electoral process is at the core of the authority placed in elected officials and ensures that all procedures of elections are duly complied with (or at least appear so). It could be described as a republic (i.e., people voting for representatives) wherein only the basic structures and institutions are in place. Commonly, the previously elected representatives use electoral procedures to maintain themselves in power against the common wish of the people (to some varying extent), thus thwarting the establishment of a full-fledged democracy.
Procedural democracy is quite different from substantive democracy, which is manifested by equal participation of all groups in society in the political process.
Certain southern African countries such as Namibia, Angola, and Mozambique, where procedural elections are conducted through international assistance, are possible examples of procedural democracies.
For procedural democrats, the aim of democracy is to embody certain procedural virtue. Procedural democrats are divided among themselves over what those virtues might be, as well as over which procedures best embody them. But all procedural democrats agree on the one central point: for procedural democrats, there is no “independent truth of the matter” which outcomes ought track; instead, the goodness or rightness of an outcome is wholly constituted by the fact of its having emerged in some procedurally correct manner.
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