if you need summary of challenges to democracy, refer to below
that's all you need to study from this chapter
A challenge is not just any problem. We usually call only those difficulties a ‘challenge’ which are significant and which can be overcome. A challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress. Once we overcome a challenge we go up to a higher level than before.
Different countries face different kinds of challenges. At least one fourth of the globe is still not under democratic government.
Foundational Challenge
countries face the foundational challenge of making the transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government.
This involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, keeping military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign and functional state.
For example, Nepal was under Monarchy till recent times. Now Nepal has changed to a democratic system.Nepal is a very good example of foundational challenge of democracy.
Challenge of Expansion
This involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions.
Ensuring greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation, inclusion of women and minority groups, etc., falls under this challenge.
This also means that less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control. Most countries including India and other democracies like the US face this challenge.
Deepening of Democracy
This involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy. that is, strengthening those institutions that help people 's control and participation
this requires an attempt to bring down influence of rich and powerful people in making governmental decisions
political reform
also called democracy reform or democratic reform
all those suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democray is called political reform
guidelines to be kept in mind while devising ways ans means for political reform
- making changes in laws
thinking of new laws to ban undesirable things should be resisted.
carefully devised changes in laws can help to discourage wrong political practises and encourage good ones
democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and ppolitically conscious citizens
- any legal change must carefully look at what result it will have on politics
sometimes the result may be counter productive
the best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms
eg: RTI act helps people to find out what is happening in the government
this helps to control corruption and supplements existing laws that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties
- democratic reforms are to be brought through political practise
therefore main focus of political reforms should be on ways to strengthen democratic practise
political participation by ordinary citizens should be encouraged
- any proposal for political reform must think of what is a good solution, who will implement it and how
so politicians , rulers and citizens should work hand in hand
features of democracy
- major desicions are taken by rulers elected by people
- elections offer a fair chance to change existing rulers
- right to vote is available to all people
- govt. is limited by basic rules of constitution
- decisions are taken only after debates and discussions on that topic
difference between democratic and non democratic govt,
refer to above points
how communalism pose a serious threat to indian democracy
- it is a situation in which a particular community promotes its own interest
- it leads to intolerance, far and suspicion towards members of other communities
- it creates disunity among individuals
- it leads to formation of pressure groups that protect and promote interests of specific community
- political parties are also formed on basis of religion and leads to separatism
- it also leads to communal violence, riots and massacre