Outcomes of Democracy PDF

Outcomes of Democracy h ed pu T s re R i bl E Overview be C Chapter 7 As we begin to wind up our tour of democracy, it is time to move beyond our dis...

Outcomes of Democracy h ed pu T s re R i bl E Overview be C Chapter 7 As we begin to wind up our tour of democracy, it is time to move beyond our discussion of specific themes and ask a general set of o N questions: What does democracy do? Or, what outcomes can we reasonably expect of democracy? Also, does democracy fulfil these expectations in real life? We begin by thinking about how to assess © 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: quality of government, economic well-being, inequality, social differences and conflict and finally freedom and dignity. Our final verdict – positive but qualified – leads us to think about the challenges to democracy in the next and final chapter. tt Outcomes of Democracy no 89  How do we assess democracy’s outcomes? Do you remember how students in in principle, but felt to be not so good in Madam Lyngdoh’s class argued about its practice. This dilemma invites us to democracy? This was in Chapter 2 of think hard about the outcomes of Class IX textbook. It emerged from that democracy. Do we prefer democracy conversation that democracy is a better only for moral reasons? Or are there form of government when compared some prudential reasons to support ed with dictatorship or any other alternative. democracy too? Did we reach We felt that democracy was better Over a hundred countries of the these because it: world today claim and practice some conclusions in  Promotes equality among citizens; h kind of democratic politics: they have Madam Lyngdoh’s  Enhances the dignity of the formal constitutions, they hold elections, pu T class? I loved individual; is they have parties and they guarantee rights that class  Improves the quality of decision- of citizens. While these features are because students were re R making; common to most of them, these bl  Provides a method to resolve democracies are very much different not being conflicts; and from each other in terms of their social E dictated any  Allows room to correct mistakes. situations, their economic achievements conclusions. Are these expectations realised under and their cultures. Clearly, what may be be C democracies? When we talk to people achieved or not achieved under each of around us, most of them support these democracies will be very different. democracy against other alternatives, But is there something that we can expect o N such as rule by a monarch or military or from every democracy, just because it is religious leaders. But not so many of democracy? them would be satisfied with the Our interest in and fascination for © democracy in practice. So we face a democracy often pushes us into taking a dilemma: democracy is seen to be good 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. Or, we start doubting if we are living in a democracy. The first step towards thinking carefully about the outcomes © RK Laxman - Brushing up the years tt of democracy is to recognise that democracy is just a form of government. It can only create conditions for achieving Democratic Politics something. The citizens have to take no advantage of those conditions and achieve those goals. Let us examine some of the things we can reasonably expect from democracy and examine the record Is democracy all about coping with multiple pressures and of democracy. accommodating diverse demands? 90 Accountable, responsive and legitimate government There are some things that democracy Governmental Secrecy must provide. In a democracy, we are most concerned with ensuring that people will have the right to choose their rulers and people will have control over © Mike Keefe - Cagle Cartoons Inc. the rulers. Whenever possible and ed necessary, citizens should be able to participate in decision making, that affects them all. Therefore, the most basic outcome of democracy should be that h it produces a government that is pu T accountable to the citizens, and is responsive to the needs and expectations re R of the citizens. bl Before we go into this question, we face another common question: Is the Now look at the other side – Can you think of what E and how the democratic government efficient? Is it democracy ensures that decision making government knows effective? Some people think that will be based on norms and procedures. about you and your be C family (for example democracy produces less effective So, a citizen who wants to know if a ration cards and government. It is, of course, true that decision was taken through the correct voter identity cards)? non-democratic rulers do not have to procedures can find this out. She has the What are the sources o N of information for you bother about deliberation in assemblies or right and the means to examine the about the worry about majorities and public opinion. process of decision making. This is government? So, they can be very quick and efficient in known as transparency. This factor is often missing from a non-democratic © decision making and implementation. Democracy is based on the idea of government. Therefore, when we are deliberation and negotiation. So, some delay trying to find out the outcomes of is bound to take place. Does that make democracy, it is right to expect democratic government inefficient? democracy to produce a government Let us think in terms of costs. that follows procedures and is Imagine a government that may take accountable to the people. We can also decisions very fast. But it may take expect that the democratic government decisions that are not accepted by the develops mechanisms for citizens to hold tt Outcomes of Democracy people and may therefore face problems. the government accountable and In contrast, the democratic government mechanisms for citizens to take part in will take more time to follow decision making whenever they think fit. no procedures before arriving at a decision. If you wanted to measure But because it has followed procedures, democracies on the basis of this its decisions may be both more expected outcome, you would look for acceptable to the people and more the following practices and institutions: effective. So, the cost of time that regular, free and fair elections; open democracy pays is perhaps worth it. public debate on major policies and 91  legislations; and citizens’ right to population. The routine tales of So, the best information about the government and corruption are enough to convince us that outcome of democracy is its functioning. The actual performance democracy is not free of this evil. At the that it is a of democracies shows a mixed record same time, there is nothing to show that democracy! That on this. Democracies have had greater non-democracies are less corrupt or is what we have success in setting up regular and free more sensitive to the people. discovered after elections and in setting up conditions for There is one respect in which all this mental open public debate. But most democratic government is certainly ed gymnastics? democracies fall short of elections that better than its alternatives: democratic provide a fair chance to everyone and in government is legitimate government. subjecting every decision to public debate. It may be slow, less efficient, not always Democratic governments do not have a very responsive or clean. But a h very good record when it comes to democratic government is people’s own pu T sharing information with citizens. All one government. That is why there is an is can say in favour of democratic regimes overwhelming support for the idea of re R is that they are much better than any non-democratic regime in these respects. democracy all over the world. As the accompanying evidence from South bl In substantive terms it may be Asia shows, the support exists in E reasonable to expect from democracy a countries with democratic regimes as government that is attentive to the needs well as countries without democratic be C and demands of the people and is largely regimes. People wish to be ruled by free of corruption. The record of representatives elected by them. They democracies is not impressive on these also believe that democracy is suitable o N two counts. Democracies often frustrate for their country. Democracy’s ability the needs of the people and often ignore to generate its own support is itself an the demands of a majority of its outcome that cannot be ignored. © Democracy is preferred Very few doubt the suitability of democracy over dictatorship for their own country South Asia everywhere except How suitable is democracy for your country? 28 Pakistan Very suitable Suitable South Asia 88 Those who agree with one of Bangladesh 93 10 the statements 62 Sri Lanka 92 62 India 92 Pakistan 84 Nepal 79 tt 0 50 100 Overwhelming support for democracy Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Those who agree with the rule of leaders elected by the people Democratic Politics Democracy is Strongly agree Agree no preferable 69 70 62 37 71 South Asia 94 Sometimes dictatorship Sri Lanka 98 Bangladesh 96 is better 6 9 10 14 11 India 95 Doesn’t Nepal 94 matter to me 25 21 28 49 18 Pakistan 81 0 50 100 Source: SDSA Team, State of Democracy in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007 92  Economic growth and development If democracies are expected to produce cooperation from other countries, good governments, then is it not fair to economic priorities adopted by the expect that they would also produce country, etc. However, the difference in development? Evidence shows that in the rates of economic development practice many democracies did not fulfil between less developed countries with this expectation. dictatorships and democracies is ed If you consider all democracies and negligible. Overall, we cannot say that all dictatorships for the fifty years between democracy is a guarantee of economic 1950 and 2000, dictatorships have slightly development. But we can expect higher rate of economic growth. The democracy not to lag behind h inability of democracy to achieve higher dictatorships in this respect. pu T economic development worries us. But When we find such significant is Cartoon on this page this alone cannot be reason to reject difference in the rates of economic and next three pages tell re R democracy. As you have already studied growth between countries under us about the disparities between the rich and bl in economics, economic development dictatorship and democracy, it is better poor. Should the gains of economic growth be depends on several factors: country’s to prefer democracy as it has several E evenly distributed? How population size, global situation, other positive outcomes. can the poor get a voice for a better share in a be C nation? What can the poor countries do to The Rich Get Buff receive a greater share in the world’s wealth? o N © tt Outcomes of Democracy © RJ Matson - Cagle Cartoons Inc. no 93  Economic outcomes ofdemocracy Arguments about democracy tend to Poor Kids be very passionate. This is how it should be, for democracy appeals to some of our deep values. These debates cannot be resolved in a © Jimmy Margulies - Cagle Cartoons Inc. ed simple manner. But some debates about democracy can and should be resolved by referring to some facts and figures. The debate about the h economic outcomes of democracy is pu T one such debate. Over the years is many students of democracy have gathered careful evidence to see re R what the relationship of democracy bl with economic growth and economic inequalities is. The tables and the E cartoon here present some of the evidences:  Table 1 shows that on an average dictatorial regimes have had a slightly better record be C of economic growth. But when we compare their record only in poor countries, there is virtually no difference.  Table 2 shows that within democracies there can be very high degree of inequalities. In o N democratic countries like South Africa and Brazil, the top 20 per cent people take away more than 60 per cent of the national income, leaving less than 3 per cent for the bottom 20 per cent population. Countries like Denmark and Hungary are much better in this respect. ©  You can see in the cartoon, there is often inequality of opportunities available to the poorer sections. What would be your verdict on democracy if you had to base it purely on economic performance of democratic regimes in terms of growth and equal distribution? Table 2 Inequality of income in selected countries Table 1 Name of the % share of national Rates of economic growth for different countries, tt Countries income 1950-2000 Top 20 % Bottom 20 % Democratic Politics Type of regimes and countries Growth Rate South Africa 64.8 2.9 no All democratic regimes 3.95 Brazil 63.0 2.6 All dictatorial regimes 4.42 Russia 53.7 4.4 Poor countries under dictatorship 4.34 USA 50.0 4.0 Poor countries under democracy 4.28 United Kingdom 45.0 6.0 Source: A Przeworski, M E Alvarez, J A Cheibub and F Limongi, Democracy and Denmark 34.5 9.6 Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950-1990. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000. Hungary 34.4 10.0 94  Reduction of inequality and poverty Perhaps more than development, it is Democracies are based on political reasonable to expect democracies to equality. All individuals have equal weight reduce economic disparities. Even when in electing representatives. Parallel to the a country achieves economic growth, will process of bringing individuals into the wealth be distributed in such a way that political arena on an equal footing, we all citizens of the country will have a find growing economic inequalities. A ed share and lead a better life? Is economic small number of ultra-rich enjoy a highly growth in democracies accompanied by disproportionate share of wealth and Democracy is a increased inequalities among the people? incomes. Not only that, their share in the rule of the Or do democracies lead to a just total income of the country has been majority. The h distribution of goods and opportunities? increasing. Those at the bottom of the poor are in pu T society have very little to depend upon. majority. So is Voice of the Poor democracy must Their incomes have been declining. be a rule of the re R Sometimes they find it difficult to meet poor. How can bl their basic needs of life, such as food, this not be the clothing, house, education and health. E case? In actual life, democracies do not appear to be very successful in reducing be C economic inequalities. In Class IX Economics textbook, you have already studied about poverty in India. The o N poor constitute a large proportion of our voters and no party will like to lose their votes. Yet © democratically elected governments do not appear to be as keen to address the question of poverty as you would expect them to. The © Ares - Best of Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc. situation is much worse in some other countries. In Bangladesh, more than tt Outcomes of Democracy half of its population lives in poverty. People in several poor countries are no now dependent on the rich countries even for food supplies. 95  World’s Wealth Owned by a Few © Manny Francisco - The Phillippines, Cagle Cartoons Inc. h ed pu T is re R bl E be C Accommodation of social diversity o N Do democracies lead to peaceful and social differences. Ability to handle social harmonious life among citizens? It will differences, divisions and conflicts is thus be a fair expectation that democracy a definite plus point of democratic © should produce a harmonious social life. regimes. But the example of Sri Lanka All you are saying We have seen in the earlier chapters how reminds us that a democracy must fulfil is that democracies accommodate various social two conditions in order to achieve this democracy divisions. We saw in the first chapter how outcome: ensures that people do not Belgium has successfully negotiated  It is necessary to understand that break each differences among ethnic populations. democracy is not simply rule by majority other’s head. Democracies usually develop a procedure opinion. The majority always needs to This is not to conduct their competition. This reduces work with the minority so that the possibility of these tensions becoming tt harmony. Should governments function to represent the we be happy explosive or violent. general view. Majority and minority about it? No society can fully and permanently opinions are not permanent. Democratic Politics no resolve conflicts among different groups.  It is also necessary that rule by But we can certainly learn to respect these majority does not become rule by differences and we can also evolve majority community in terms of religion mechanisms to negotiate the differences. or race or linguistic group, etc. Rule by Democracy is best suited to produce this majority means that in case of every outcome. Non-democratic regimes often decision or in case of every election, turn a blind eye to or suppress internal different persons and groups may and 96 can form a majority. Democracy remains from being in majority on the basis of democracy only as long as every citizen birth, then the democratic rule ceases has a chance of being in majority at some to be accommodative for that person point of time. If someone is barred or group. ed Enemies h pu T is © Ares - Best of Latin America, Cagle Cartoons Inc. re R bl Greeting E be C o N The two images depict two different kinds of effects democratic politics can have on social divisions. Take one example for each image and write a paragraph each on the outcome of democratic politics in both situations. © Dignity and freedom of the citizens Democracy stands much superior to any principle. This has been achieved in other for m of government in various degrees in various democracies. tt Outcomes of Democracy promoting dignity and freedom of the For societies which have been built for individual. Every individual wants to long on the basis of subordination and receive respect from fellow beings. domination, it is not a simple matter to no Often conflicts arise among individuals recognize that all individuals are equal. because some feel that they are not Take the case of dignity of women. treated with due respect. The passion for Most societies across the world were respect and freedom are the basis of historically male dominated societies. democracy. Democracies throughout the Long struggles by women have created world have recognised this, at least in some sensitivity today that respect to and 97  equal treatment of women are necessary distinctive about democracy is that its I am anxious ingredients of a democratic society. That examination never gets over. As about my board does not mean that women are actually democracy passes one test, it produces exams. But always treated with respect. But once the another test. As people get some benefits democracy has principle is recognised, it becomes easier of democracy, they ask for more and so many exams. for women to wage a struggle against want to make democracy even better. And millions of what is now unacceptable legally and That is why, when we ask people about examiners! morally. In a non-democratic set up, this the way democracy functions, they will ed unacceptability would not have legal basis always come up with more expectations, because the principle of individual and many complaints. The fact that freedom and dignity would not have the people are complaining is itself a legal and moral force there. The same is testimony to the success of democracy: h true of caste inequalities. Democracy in it shows that people have developed pu T India has strengthened the claims of the awareness and the ability to expect and is disadvantaged and discriminated castes to look critically at power holders and re R for equal status and equal opportunity. There are instances still of caste-based the high and the mighty. A public expression of dissatisfaction with bl inequalities and atrocities, but these lack democracy shows the success of the E the moral and legal foundations. Perhaps democratic project: it transforms people it is the recognition that makes ordinary from the status of a subject into that of citizens value their democratic rights. be C a citizen. Most individuals today believe Expectations from democracy also that their vote makes a difference to the function as the criteria for judging any way the government is run and to their o N democratic country. What is most own self-interest. © Rosa Parks Still Inspires Belief in the efficacy of vote is placed above the calculus of utility Those who say that their vote makes a difference... © Pat Bagley - Cagle Cartoons Inc. South Asia 65 tt Bangladesh 66 India 67 Democratic Politics Nepal 75 no Pakistan 50 Sri Lanka 65 0 80 Source: SDSA Team, State of Democracy in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. The above cartoon and graph illustrate a point made in this section (Dignity and freedom of the citizens). Underline the sentences from this section which connect to the cartoon or graph. 98 1. How does democracy produce an accountable, responsive and legitimate government? 2. What are the conditions under which democracies accommodate social diversities? 3. Give arguments to support or oppose the following assertions: Exercises ed  Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.  Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.  Government in poor countries should spend less on poverty h reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and pu T infrastructure. is  In democracy all citizens have one vote, which means that there is absence of any domination and conflict. re R 4. Identify the challenges to democracy in the following descriptions. bl Also suggest policy/institutional mechanism to deepen democracy E in the given situations:  Following a High Court directive a temple in Orissa that had separate entry doors for dalits and non-dalits allowed entry be C for all from the same door.  A large number of farmers are committing suicide in different states of India. o N  Following allegation of killing of three civilians in Gandwara in a fake encounter by Jammu and Kashmir police, an enquiry has been ordered. © 5. In the context of democracies, which of the following ideas is correct – democracies have successfully eliminated: A. conflicts among people B. economic inequalities among people C. differences of opinion about how marginalised sections are to be treated D. the idea of political inequality 6. In the context of assessing democracy which among the following is odd one out. Democracies need to ensure: tt Outcomes of Democracy A. free and fair elections B. dignity of the individual C. majority rule D. equal treatment before law no 7. Studies on political and social inequalities in democracy show that A. democracy and development go together. B. inequalities exist in democracies. C. inequalities do not exist under dictatorship. D. dictatorship is better than democracy. 99  8. Read the passage below: Nannu is a daily wage earner. He lives in Welcome Mazdoor Colony, a slum habitation in East Delhi. He lost his ration card and applied for a duplicate one in January 2004. He made several rounds to the local Food & Civil Supplies office for the next three months. But the clerks and officials would not even look at him, leave alone do his job or bother to tell him the status of his application. Ultimately, he filed an application under the Right to Information Act asking for the d daily progress made on his application, names of the officials, who were supposed to act on his application and he what action would be taken against these officials for their inaction. Within a week of filing application under the Right to Information Act, he was visited by an inspector from the Exercises pu T Food Department, who informed him that the card had been is made and he could collect it from the office. When Nannu went to collect his card next day, he was given a very warm re R treatment by the Food & Supply Officer (FSO), who is the bl head of a Circle. The FSO offered him tea and requested him to withdraw his application under the Right to Information, E since his work had already been done. What does Nannu’s example show? What impact did Nannu’s be C action have on officials? Ask your parents their experiences when they approach government officials to attend to their problems. N tt © o Democratic Politics no 100