Prelims High-Yield Explanations & Traps

• in Poland? Why are
• some features of a democracy
• in the
• This is only an
• to experience democracy and its absence
• that the Council cannot take a decision if any permanent member says no to that decision
• renaissance)
• ‘I forbid’

Essential Definitions & Formulas

DEMOCRATIC POLITICS OVERVIEW This book

about democracy.

These stories are meant to give a sense of what it

to experience democracy and its absence.

The focus in this chapter

on democracy within a country.

Poland

famous for its poster art.

Democracy

a form of government that allows people to choose their rulers.

This

what the three maps shown here do.

Historical data for these maps

taken from Polity IV Project dataset of Universtiy of Maryland.

This

called ‘universal adult franchise’ or ‘universal suffrage’.

This

only an illustrative list from different parts of the world.

Do you think it

good to elect someone President for life? Or is it better to hold regular elections after every few years? RR RR R ee ee e cc cc c enen enen en t phaset phase t phaset phase t phase The next big push towards democracy came after 1980, as democracy was revived in several countries of Latin America.

One such country

Myanmar, previously known as Burma.

The quest for democracy in Burma

the struggle of the people to live whole, meaningful lives as free and equal members of the world community.

What

the cartoonist saying here? ©Stephane P eray , Thailand, Cagle Cartoons Inc.

This

how the conversation took place: Farida: We have learnt that democracy has been expanding to more and more regions and countries all over the world.

But what

the difference between the two? If more and more countries become democratic, isn’t it obvious that the world also becomes more democratic? After all the Iraq war was all about taking democracy to that country.

Their difference

over the relationship among different countries.

It

quite possible, Rajesh, that the rulers of a country who are democratically elected by their people may want to dominate over other countries.

That

exactly what happened in the case of the war on Iraq.

Who

the president of the world? If there is no government, how can it be democratic or non-democratic? International OrganisationsInternational Organisations International OrganisationsInternational Organisations International Organisations Let us respond to the question that came up in this conversation: Does an increase in the number of democratic countries all over the world automatically lead to democratic relations among countries? Before we do that, let us think about the point raised by Surinder.

There

a government of India, a government of the United States of America, and so on.

Related PYQs (4)