Outcomes of Democracy
Assessing democracy; accountable and legitimate government
Explain what democracy can and cannot be expected to deliver as government.
What should we expect from democracy? In Class 9 we decided democracy is better than other systems because it:
- promotes equality among citizens;
- increases each person's dignity;
- improves the quality of decisions;
- gives a way to settle conflicts;
- leaves room to correct mistakes.
But here is a puzzle: most people support democracy in principle, yet many are unhappy with it in practice. So is democracy good only for moral reasons, or also for prudential (practical) ones?
Democracy is just a form of government. We often expect democracy to solve every problem, and when it doesn't, we blame democracy itself. The first step is to see that democracy can only create the conditions for good things. It is up to citizens to use those conditions. More than a hundred countries practise some kind of democracy, and they differ a lot, so their results differ too.
The most basic outcome: accountable, responsive government. People should be able to choose their rulers, control them, and take part in decisions that affect them. So we expect a government that is accountable (answers to the people) and responsive (acts on their needs). Think of it as a government that does not leave people's messages on 'seen'.
Is democracy slow? A dictator need not debate in an assembly or worry about public opinion, so decisions can be fast. Democracy runs on discussion and negotiation, so there is some delay. But a fast decision that people reject runs into trouble. A democratic decision takes longer, but because it followed procedures, it is more likely to be accepted and to work. The cost of time is perhaps worth it.
Transparency. In a democracy decisions must follow rules and procedures, so a citizen has the right and the means to check whether a decision was made properly. That is transparency, often missing in non-democracies. How do we measure it? Look for elections that are regular, free and fair, open debate in public on big policies and laws, and citizens' right to information.
The honest record.
- Better: regular, free elections, and conditions for open public debate.
- Weaker: elections that give everyone a fair chance; putting every decision to public debate; sharing information with citizens; listening to people's needs; and staying free of corruption.
Still, no evidence shows that non-democracies are any cleaner or more caring. All we can say is that democracies are much better than any non-democratic regime on these counts.
Where democracy clearly wins: legitimacy. It may be slow, not always responsive, not always clean, but a democratic government is the people's own government: one they chose, not one that seized power. That is why support for democracy is overwhelming. In South Asian surveys, 95 per cent of Indians agreed with rule by elected leaders, and 92 per cent said democracy suits India. Support is high even in countries without democracy. Democracy's ability to win support for itself is an outcome too.
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