Challenges to Democracy Class 10 Notes Civics Chapter 8

Challenges to Democracy Class 10 Notes Civics Chapter 8 will discuss the various challenges to democracy and the political reforms needed to tackle these challenges. It will allow the readers to re-evaluate their knowledge of democracy, gain insights from the different challenges, and refine the definition of democracy based on these learnings.

Challenges to Democracy in India

Thinking About the Challenges of Democracy

A democratic country faces several challenges. A democratically elected government must learn to navigate these challenges to ensure the growth and prosperity of the people and the nation. Before diving into the world of challenges to democracy, we must first understand one of the most basic questions- What is a challenge? Or how do you define a challenge? A challenge can be defined as a difficulty or a problem that can be seen as an opportunity for improvement leading to success and progress.

Different nations face different challenges based on their history and current state of affairs. These challenges can be classified into three sections based on the countries’ existing democratic status:

1. Around one-fourth of the total number of countries do not have a democratic government. These countries still face the issue of forming a majority-ruling government. So, we can say that these countries have the foundational challenge of making the proper transition to democracy. 
2. Established democracies face the challenge of expansion of democracy. Even though the ruling government is formed based on democracy, it is essential that the fundamental principles of the central government are passed on across the state or regional levels, across diversified social groups as well as various institutions. India is one of the best examples representing this case. It is important to ensure that most of the decisions are taken based on democratic principles.
3. Deepening democracy is another major challenge faced by democracies. It is essential to strengthen the institutions and practices of democracy in order to make the common people realize their expectations of democracy. The improvement and strengthening of people’s participation and control can be done by reducing the influence of the rich and powerful people in making influential governmental decisions.

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Different Contexts, Different Challenges

As mentioned earlier, different countries face different challenges to democracy based on their contexts. Let us take the three challenges that were discussed previously and place them in different countries based on their cases and contexts to understand better.

Case and context	Type of challenge	Description of challenge
Pakistan: General Musharraf holds a referendum, allegations of fraud in the voter’s list.	Foundational Challenge	To eradicate the issue of fraud and malpractices conducted during referendum and elections
Saudi Arabia: Women were not allowed to take part in public activities, no freedom of religion for the minority.	Expansion of democracy	Establishment of equal laws irrespective of gender; complete freedom to practice one’s own religion
Belgium: One round of constitutional change took place, but the Dutch speakers were not satisfied; they want more autonomy.	Deepening of democracy	Equal political rights to all people irrespective of language.
Bolivia: Morales, a supporter of the water struggle, becomes the Prime Minister, MNC’s threaten to leave the country.	Deepening of democracy	Establishment of democratic principles which will be acceptable and beneficial to all sections of society.
Nepal: Constituent Assembly about to be elected; unrest in Terai areas; Maoists have not surrendered arms.	Foundational challenge	To establish democracy and ensure the prevention of violence from such fringe sources as it can hamper the establishment and strengthening of democracy.
Northern Ireland: The civil war has ended but Catholics and Protestants have yet to develop trust.	Expansion of democracy	To provide equal economic, religious, and political rights and freedom to both communities.

Let us take the example of India and see some similar contexts like the ones mentioned above. 

Type of challenge	Description of challenge
Foundational challenge	The problem of insurgencies and Naxalites in north-east India, Orissa, Chhattisgarh.
Expansion of democracy	Granting more powers to local authorities like gram panchayats and municipal bodies.
Deepening of democracy	Increase in women’s representation in central and state legislatures.

Different Types of Challenges

Apart from the three types of challenges mentioned above, challenges to democracy can also be classified into broader categories based on some spheres or domains of democratic politics. Let us look at some of the common types of such domains and the challenges associated with them:

Type of spheres or domains of democratic politics	Description of challenge
Constitutional Design	Framing the Constitution to give rights and freedom to people
Democratic rights	To ensure that everyone is provided with basic rights. In the case of India, it is important to ensure that there is no discrimination against lower castes.
Working of Institutions	Creating a strong and effective administration and a good judiciary system. Example: In India, ensuring control of custodial deaths
Elections	To conduct free and fair elections. In India, making sure that elections are not rigged.
Federalism and decentralization	Creating a strong and effective administration and a good judiciary system at local and district levels. In the case of India, ensuring that local governments are provided with adequate power and resources.
Accommodation of Diversity	To resolve all sorts of issues related to ethnic, linguistic, and social diversity. India is a highly diversified country and faces a lot of challenges related to ethnic, linguistic, or social diversity.
Political Organization	To democratize the political parties. In India, corruption in political parties is a major challenge.

Thinking About Political Reforms

All kinds of suggestions, notions, or proposals that address ways to overcome the different challenges to democracy are termed democratic reforms or political reforms. There are certain guidelines that should be kept in mind while devising or suggesting political reforms in India:

1. Law is a key component when it comes to political reforms. Some carefully designed changes in the law can bring about huge changes in the country as these changes can discourage malpractices and promote the good ones. However, it must be noted that simply making legal-constitutional changes will not seldom overcome the challenges to democracy. These democratic reforms will have to be carried out by the concerned parties – political parties, movements, activists, and politically conscious citizens in order to achieve the desired results.
2. Laws that empower the general public to carry out political reforms are considered the best ones. One of the best examples is The Right to Information Act. This law allows the people to know anything they want about the government, thus enabling them to act as watchdogs of democracy.
3. Political reforms should always look to find ways to strengthen democratic practice as their primary objective.
4. While addressing a particular challenge, any suggestion for democratic reforms should not only concentrate on finding the solution to the challenge, but it should also have clarity about who will implement it and how it will be implemented.

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Redefining Democracy

The definition of democracy can be refined based on the learnings from the challenges of democracy. A government where the rulers are elected by the people is called a democratic government.

1. The rulers who are elected by the people should have the authority to make all the major decisions.
2. Free and fair elections should be conducted with the voters having a fair opportunity to change the ruling government.
3. Equal choice and opportunity should be available to all people.
4. The outcome of this choice must create a government that is limited by the rules of the Constitution and citizens’ rights.

Let us look at some of the points that we learned through this chapter on democratic government and politics:

We have learned about democratic rights which are not just limited to the right to vote, stand in elections, or form political parties. We have also understood the importance of social and economic rights that democracies provide to their citizens.

1. Sharing of power is the spirit of democracy, and it is essential in a democracy.
2. Democracy does not support the brute rule of a majority; it respects and listens to the voice of the minority.
3. Elimination of discrimination based on gender, language, religion, and gender is necessary for a democracy.
4. This chapter has also taught us about the outcomes of democracy.

Read More: Redefining Democracy

Read Further

1. Thinking about Challenges
2. Thinking About Political Reforms
3. Redefining Democracy

FAQs on Challenges to Democracy Class 10 Notes Civics Chapter 8

Q 1. What do you mean by the term ‘democracy’?

Answer-

Democracy is a type of government where the rulers are elected by the people.

Q 2. What are the three challenges to democracy?

Answer-

 The three challenges to democracy are: 

1. Foundational challenge: It refers to the challenge of making the proper transition to democracy and establishing a democratic govt.
2. Expansion of democracy: It involves the application of the principles of the central government across all regions, social groups, and institutions.
3. Deepening of democracy: It refers to the strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy.

Q 3. Give examples of the three challenges to democracy faced by India.

Answer-

Type of challenge	Description of challenge
Foundational challenge	The problem of insurgencies and Naxalites in north-east India, Orissa, Chhattisgarh.
Expansion of democracy	Granting more powers to local authorities like gram panchayats and municipal bodies.
Deepening of democracy	Increase in women’s representation in central and state legislatures.