We have provided you with Extra and Important Questions from Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 7 Outcomes of Democracy. This Extra and Important Questions will help you to score 100% in your Board Exams. These extra questions will be helpful to revise the important topics and concepts.

Outcome of Democracy Class 10 Important Questions with Answers Civics Chapter 7

Extra Questions for Class 10 Civics Chapter 7 Very Short Answer Type

Question: What is the basic outcome of democracy?

Answer: The most basic outcome of democracy is that it produces a government that is accountable to citizens and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.

Question: Are non-democratic rulers quick and efficient in decision making? Explain.

Answer: It is true that non-democratic rulers do not have to bother about deliberations in assemblies or worry about majesties and public opinion. So, they can be very quick and efficient in decision making and implementation.

Question: “In comparison to non-democratic government, decision of government takes time.” Does democracy pay its price? Explain.

Answer: The democratic governments take more time to follow procedures before arriving at a decision. But because it has followed procedures, its decisions may be both more to the people and more effective.

Question: Explain the meaning of transparency in democracy. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: In democracy, decision making are based on norms and procedures. A citizen has the right and the means to examine the process of decision making. This is known as transparency.

Question: Are democracies corrupt? Explain your argument.

Answer: Democracies often frustrate the needs of the people and often ignore the demands of a majority of its population. The routine tales of corruption are enough to convince us that democracy is not free of this evil.

Question: Why is there an overwhelming support to democracy all over the world? Explain one reason. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: There is an overwhelming support to democracy all over the world: Because it is accountable, responsive and legitimate government.

Question: Explain the dilemma with respect to the practical aspect of democracy.

Answer: As per principle, democracy seems good but fails to impress in practice. This dilemma provokes to give a thought to the outcomes of democracy. Do we prefer democracy over moral reasons? Or there are some sensible reasons to support democracy too?

Question: Explain any one difference between a pressure group and a political party. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: One difference between a pressure group and a political party is Political parties contest elections and hold power in the government while pressure groups attempt to influence government policies.

Question: Has democracy in India straightened the claims of discriminated castes for equal status?

Answer: In India, these are instances still of caste-based inequalities and atrocities but these lack the moral and legal foundations. Democracy has helped providing equal status and equal opportunities to the discriminated castes in India.

Extra Questions for Class 10 Civics Chapter 7 Short Answer Type

Question: What is democracy?

Answer: In modern usage, democracy is a system of government, in which the citizens exercise power. It is formed by two Greek words ‘demos’ and ‘Kratia’. ‘Demos’ means people and ‘Kratia’ means the government. Democracy, thus means ‘rule by the people.’ In a democratic set up, every citizen has a right to take a part in the decision making process. According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy is ‘government of the people, government by the people and the government for the people’ Citizens choose their representatives who would form the government.

Question: What are the prudential reasons to support democracy?

Answer: Over a hundred countries of the world today claim and practise some kinds of democratic politics. They have formal constitution, they hold elections, they have parties and they guarantee rights to citizens. While these features are common to most of them, these democracies are very much different from one another in terms of their social situations, their economic achievements and their cultures.

Question: Should we blame democracy for socio-economic and political problems?

Answer: If some of our expectations are not met, we start blaming the idea of democracy. The first step towards thinking carefully about the outcomes of democracy is to recognise that democracy is just a form of government. It can only create conditions for achieving something. The citizens have to take advantage of those conditions and achieve their goals.

Question: What are our expectations from democracy?

Answer: In a democracy, we are most concerned with ensuring that people have the right to choose their rulers and people have control over the rulers. Whenever possible and necessary, citizens should be able to participate in decision-making that affects them all. Thus, the most basic outcome of democracy should be that the government is accountable to the citizens and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.

Question: “Democratic government is known as responsive government.” Assess the statement. [CBSE (Comptt) 2017]

Answer: Democracy is accountable and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens:

• The most basic outcome of democracy is that it produces a government that is accountable to the citizens, and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.
• Economic growth and development –level of economic development is slow because of delay in decision making.
• Accommodation of social diversity – majority should work with minority. Dignity and freedom of citizens-every individual wants to receive respect from fellow beings.
• Equality of women.

Question: How is ‘democratic government’ a ‘legitimate government’?[CBSE Delhi 2017]

Answer: Democratic government is a legitimate government: It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean. But a democratic government is peoples’ own government. That is why there is an overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world. People wished to be ruled by representatives elected by them. They also believe that democracy is suitable for their country. Democracy’s ability to generate its own support is itself an outcome that cannot be ignored.

Question: “Democratic governments in practice are known as accountable.” Support the statement with arguments. [CBSE (F) 2016]

Answer: Democratic governments in practice are accountable:

(i) It is right to expect democracy to produce a government that follows procedures and is accountable to the people.

(ii) It is also expected that the democratic government develops mechanisms for citizens to take part in decision making whenever they think it is fit.

(iii) The democratic government is accountable to the people. If it ignores the will of the people, they will not elect their ruler in the next general election.

(iv) The procedures and decision making process should be transparent for democratic government to be accountable to the people.

Question: “The economic growth rate in dictatorship is better than that in democratic rule.” Why is it so?

Answer:

• The economic growth rate in all dictatorial regimes was 4.42 per cent as compared to all democratic regimes’ 3.95 per cent during the period 1995–2000.
• In dictatorial regimes, the rules and regulations are rigid and compulsory. The citizens who disobey are severely punished.
• In democratic regimes, as the leaders and bureaucrats think about their profits only, the government is not much keen to remove poverty and develop the country economically.

Question: Why is there a sound support for the idea of democracy all over the world?

Answer:

• It is so because a democratic government is people-run government duly elected by them.
• It is a legitimate government since it follows all the laws provided in the constitution.
• People wish to be ruled by the representatives elected by them. The voters enjoy to form political parties and elect the government of their choice.

Question: Explain briefly the outcome of democracy.

Answer: (i) The first step towards evaluating outcome of democracy is to recognise that democracy is just a form of government. It means democracy provides an opportunity and it is the citizens who can take advantage of it.

(ii) The most basic outcome of democracy is that it is accountable to citizens and responsive to their needs and expectations.

(iii) Another outcome of democracy is that it is a legitimate government. It means all decisions are taken as per the constitution only.

Extra Questions for Class 10 Civics Chapter 7 Long Answer Type

Question: Do democracies lead to peaceful and harmonious relations among citizens?

Answer: Democracies usually develop a procedure to conduct their competition. This reduces the possibility of these tensions becoming explosive or violent. No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among different groups. But we can certainly learn to respect these differences and we can also evolve mechanisms to negotiate the differences. Democracy is best suited to produce this outcome. Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social differences. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is, thus, a definite plus point of democratic regimes.

Question: Is economic growth in democracies accompanied by increased inequalities among the people?

Answer: 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, we find growing economic inequalities. A small number of ultra-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. Sometimes, they find it difficult to meet their basic needs of life such as food, clothing, housing, education and health.

Question: How far are democracies able to handle differences between various ethnic groups?

Answer: Democracies are able to accommodate various social divisions. These usually develop a procedure to reduce the possibility of tension between ethnic groups as they become explosive or violent sometimes. Democracy is best suited to reduce this outcome. Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress social differences. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is, thus, a definite plus point of democratic regimes.

Question: “What the most distinctive about democracy is that its examination never gets over.” Comment.

Answer: As democracy passes one test, it produces another test. As people get some benefits of democracy, they ask for more and want to make democracy even better. That is why, when we ask people about the way democracy functions, they always come up with more expectations and many complaints.

The fact that people are complaining is itself a testimony to the success of democracy. It shows that people have developed awareness and the ability to expect and to look at power holders critically and the high and the mighty. A public expression of dissatisfaction with democracy shows the success of the democratic project; it transforms people from the status of a subject into that of a citizen.

Question: Evidence shows that in practice, many democracies did not fulfil the expectation of producing economic development in the country. Validate the statement with the help of relevant example. [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]

Answer: If we consider all democracies and all dictatorships for the fifty years between 1950 and 2000, dictatorships have slightly higher rate of economic growth. Economic development depends on several factors: country’s population size, global situation, cooperation from other countries, economic priorities adopted by the country, etc.

However, the difference in the rates of economic development between less developed countries with dictatorships and democracies is negligible. Overall, it cannot be said that democracy is a guarantee of economic development. But we can expect democracy not to lag behind dictatorships in this respect.

When such a significant difference in the rates of economic growth between countries under dictatorship and democracy, it is better to prefer democracy as it has several other positive outcomes.

Question: How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government? Discuss by giving five reasons. [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]

Answer: (i) In a democracy, people have the right to elect their rulers and participate in decision making that affects them all. Government thus, is accountable to the citizens and responsive to their needs and expectations.

(ii) Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation, though it results in delays. It ensures that decision making is based on norms and procedures and allows transparency. Develops mechanisms for citizens to hold the government accountable.

(iii) Set up following practices and institutions: regular, free and fair elections; open public debate on major policies and legislations; and citizens’ right to information about the government and its functioning.

(iv) It may be reasonable to expect from democracy a government that is attentive to the needs and demands of the people and is largely free of corruption. Though the record of democracies is not impressive on these two counts.

(v) Democratic government is a legitimate government. It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean, but is people’s own government. People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them.

Question: ‘‘No party system is ideal for all countries and in all situations.’’ Analyse the statement. [CBSE (AI) 2017, CBSE (F) 2016]

Answer: Party system is not something any country can choose:

• It evolves over a long time, depending on the nature of society.
• It depends on social and regional divisions.
• It depends on history of politics and its system of elections.
• These cannot be changed very quickly.
• Each country develops a party system that is conditioned by its special circumstances.