OUTCOMES OF DEMOCRACY

OUTCOMES OF DEMOCRACY

introduction

          Chapter deals with 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.

assessment of democracy’s outcomes

          Democracy is better because it :

(i)     Promotes equality among citizens;

(ii)   Enhances the dignity of the individual;

(iii)  Improves the quality of decision making;

(iv)  Provides a method to resolve conflicts; and

(v)    Allows room to correct mistakes.

          But not all people would be satisfied with the democracy in practice. So we face a dilemma : democracy is seen to be good in principle, but felt to be not so good in its practice. 

          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.

Prudential reasons to support Democracy

accountable and responsIVE  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.

          Is democratic government effective and efficient?

®      Some people think that democracy produces less effective government. It is, of course, true that non-democratic rulers do not have to bother about deliberation in assemblies or worry about majorities and public opinion. So, they can be very quick and efficient in decision making and implementation. Democracy is based on the idea of deliberation and negotiation. So, some delay is bound to take place.

®      The democratic government will take more time to follow procedures before arriving at a decision. But because it has followed procedures, its decisions may be both more acceptable to the people and more effective. So, the cost of time that democracy pays is perhaps worth it.

®      A citizen who wants to know if a decision was taken through the correct procedures can find this out. She has the right and the means to examine the process of decision making. This is known as transparency. This factor is often missing from a non-democratic government.( RTI Act 2005)

®      The democratic government develops mechanisms for citizens to hold the government accountable and mechanisms for citizens to take part in decision making whenever they think fit.

          Some disadvantages of democracy

®      Democracies have had greater success in setting up regular and free elections and in setting up conditions for open public debate. But most democracies fall short of elections that provide a fair chance to everyone and in subjecting every decision to public debate.

®      Democratic governments do not have a very good record when it comes to sharing information with citizens. All one can say in favour of democratic regimes is that they are much better than any non-democratic regime in these respects.

®      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 to this evil.

Democracy and legitimate government

®      There is one respect in which democratic government is certainly better than its alternative : democratic government is legitimate government.

®      That is why there is an overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world.

®      The support exists in countries with democratic regimes as well as countries without democratic regimes. People wish to be ruled by representatives elected by them.

®      Democracy’s ability to generate its own support is itself an outcome that cannot be ignored.

 economic outcomes of democracy

®      All democracies and all dictatorships for the fifty years between 1950 and 2000, dictatorships have slightly higher rate of economic growth.

®      But when compare their record only in poor countries, their is virtually no difference

          Reduction of inequality and poverty

®      Democracies are based on political equality. i.e. one vote one value. But we find growth in 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. 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, house, education and health.

         

®      In 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.

         

®      The poor constitute a large proportion of our voters and no party will like to lose their votes.Democracy is the rule of majority and the poor are in majority.

®      The situation is much worse in some other countries. In Bangladesh, more than half of its population lives in poverty. People in several poor countries are now dependent on the rich countries even for food supplies.

accommodation of social diversity

®      Democracies leads to peaceful life among citizens.

®      Democracies accommodate various social divisions. Ex. Belgium has successfully negotiated difference among ethnic populations.

®      Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic regimes. But the example of Sri Lanka reminds us that a democracy must fulfil two conditions in order to achieve this outcome, namely harmony and accomodation of minority with majority.

®      It is necessary to understand that democracy is not simply rule by majority opinion. The majority always needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view.       

®      It is also necessary that rule by majority does not become rule by majority community in terms of religion or race or linguistic group, etc. Rule by majority means that in case of every decision or in case of every election, different persons and groups may and can form a majority. Democracy remains democracy only as long as every citizen has a chance of being in majority at some point of time. 

dignity and freedom of the citizens

®      Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting dignity and freedom of the individual.

®      Democracies throughout the world have recognised this, at least in principle. This has been achieved in various degrees in various democracies.

®      Societies around world have been built for long on the basis of subordination and domination. For example, dignity of women.

®      Most societies across the world were historically Patriarchal societies. Feminist Movements 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 opportunity. There are instances still to caste-based inequalities and atrocities, but these lack the moral and legal foundations. People have democratic rights.

®      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 will always come up with more expectations, and many complaints.

®     A public expression of dissatisfaction with democracy shows the success of the democratic. Most individuals           today believe that their vote makes a difference to the way the government is run and to their own self-interest.

®      In Nepal 75%, India 67%, Bangladesh 66%, Sri Lanka 65%, Pakistan 50%         
           Voters says that their vote makes a difference.