Chapter - 7
" Outcomes of Democracy "
❇️ Overview :-
🔹 We begin by thinking about how to access the outcomes of democracy.
🔹 After some clarity on how to think on this subject, we proceed to look at the expected and actual outcomes of democracy in various respects.
🔹 Our final verdict positive but qualified.
❇️ How do we assess democracy's outcomes ?
👉 We felt that democracy was better because it:
🔹 Promotes equality among citizens;
🔹 Enhances the dignity of the individual;
🔹 Improves the quality of decision making
🔹 Provides a method to resolve conflicts; and
🔹 Allows room to correct mistakes
❇️ BUT WE FACE A DILEMMA
🔹 Democracy is seen to be good in principle but felt to be not so good in its practice.
🔹 Our interest in and fascination for democracy often pushes us into taking a position that democracy can address all socio-economic and political problems.
🔹 If some of our expectations are not met, we start blaming the idea of democracy.
❇️ IN REALITY
🔹 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 those goals.
❇️ Accountable, responsive and legitimate 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.
🔹 Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation.
🔹 Democracy ensures that decision-making will be based on norms and procedures.
🔹 The right and the means to examine the process of decision- making known as transparency.
🔹 Democratic governments do not have a very good record when it comes to sharing information with citizens.
🔹 In substantive terms, 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 to corruption.
🔹 The record of democracies is not impressive on these two counts.
🔹 There is one respect in which democratic government is certainly better than its alternatives: the democratic government is the legitimate government.
🔹 People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them. They also believe that democracy is suitable for their country.
❇️ Economic growth and development :-
🔹 The inability of democracy to achieve higher economic development worries us. But this alone cannot be the reason to reject democracy.
🔹 The difference in the rates of economic development between less developed countries with dictatorships and democracies is negligible.
🔹 We cannot say that democracy is a guarantee of economic development.
🔹 But we can expect democracy not to lag behind dictatorships in this respect.
❇️ Reduction of inequality and poverty :-
🔹 Perhaps more than development, it is reasonable to expect democracies to reduce economic disparities.
🔹 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.
🔹 In actual life, democracies do not appear to be very successful in reducing economic inequalities.
❇️ Accommodation of social diversity :-
🔹 It will be fair expectation that democracy should produce a harmonious social life.
🔹 Ability to handle social differences, divisions, and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic regimes.
🔹 Two conditions in order to achieve the outcome:
👉 It is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion.
👉 It is also necessary that rule by the majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of religion or race or linguistic groups.
❇️ Dignity and freedom of the citizens :-
🔹 Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting dignity and freedom of the individual.
🔹 The passion for respect and freedom are the basis of democracy.
🔹 This has been achieved in various degrees in various democracies.
🔹 Most societies across the world were historically male dominated societies.
🔹 Long struggles by women have created some sensitivity today that respect to and equal treatment of women are necessary ingredients of a democratic society.
🔹 Democracy in India has strengthened the claims of the disadvantaged and discriminated castes for equal status and equal opportunity.
🔹 Expectations from democracy also function as the criteria for judging and democratic country.
🔹 As people get some benefits of democracy, they ask for more and want to make democracy even better.
🔹 Most individuals today believe that their vote makes a difference to the way the government is run and to their own self-interest.
