Outcomes of Democracy — Questions & Answers

Sample questions from Outcomes of Democracy

1. Q1. Which statement about democracy and economic inequality is most accurate?

   • A.Democracy has fully removed economic inequality
   • B.Political equality in democracy has not automatically ended economic inequality✓
   • C.Democracy always increases poverty
   • D.Economic inequality does not exist in democracies
   Solution

   Democracy gives everyone equal political rights, but this political equality has not automatically brought economic equality; large inequalities of income and wealth persist in many democracies, which is a real limitation.

2. Q2. Accommodation of social diversity by democracy does NOT mean that:

   • A.Conflicts are handled peacefully
   • B.Differences are balanced and respected
   • C.One group dominates all others permanently✓
   • D.Power is shared among groups
   Solution

   Accommodation of diversity means handling conflicts peacefully, respecting differences and sharing power; it does not mean the permanent domination of one group over others, which would deny accommodation.

3. Q3. Why does a democratic government command widespread legitimacy and popular loyalty even when it is slow, less efficient, and not always clean?

   • A.Because it enforces mandatory military parades in every primary school.
   • B.Because international lenders provide unconditional loans only to slow governments.
   • C.Because citizens are legally prohibited from criticizing government ministers in private.
   • D.Because it is the people's own government, formed by representatives chosen by the citizens themselves.✓
   Solution

   D is correct because the NCERT text records: 'Democratic government is legitimate government. It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean. But a democratic government is people’s own government. That is why there is an overwhelming support for the idea of democracy all over the world.' Mistake A describes a fascist or militarist practice. Mistake C describes an authoritarian dictatorship. Mistake B is an absurd economic fabrication.

4. Q4. A key reason democracy is better than other forms of government is that it:

   • A.Never makes mistakes
   • B.Allows mistakes to be recognised and corrected✓
   • C.Avoids all public debate
   • D.Keeps decisions hidden
   Solution

   Democracy is better because it allows room for its mistakes to be recognised, publicly debated and corrected, through elections, a free press and public discussion, which other systems generally do not permit.

5. Q5. What empirical observation does the textbook make regarding the distribution of national wealth in real-world democracies?

   • A.Wealth is redistributed with absolute equality every five years.
   • B.A small number of ultra-rich individuals enjoy a highly disproportionate share of wealth and income, while those at the bottom often struggle to meet basic needs like food, clothing, housing, and education.✓
   • C.Lower-income citizens earn higher annual salaries than top corporate executives.
   • D.All billionaires voluntarily donate 100 per cent of their assets to the public treasury.
   Solution

   B is correct because the textbook explicitly observes: '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. Those at 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.' Mistakes A, D, and C are economically untrue.

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