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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL


                                                  SESSION 2020-21

                                                        CLASS-X


                            POLITICAL SCIENCE-Ch-7-Outcomes of Democracy


                                                     Lesson Notes


                                                     SUB-TOPIC-1


               Introduction  1. We begin by thinking about how to access the outcomes of
                                democracy.
                                2. After some clarity on how to think on this subject, we proceed to look
                                at the expected and actual outcomes of democracy in various respects.
                                Democracy is a better form of government than dictatorship in the
                                following respects:

                                     Promotes equality among citizens.

                                     Enhances the dignity of the individual.
                                     Improves the quality of decision making.
                                     Provides a method to resolve conflicts.
                                     Allows room to correct mistakes.

                                We face a dilemma: democracy is seen to be good in principle but felt to
                                be not so good in its practice.
                                3. This dilemma invites us to think hard about the outcomes of the
                                democracy.
                                4. Our interest in and fascination for democracy often push us into taking
                                a position that democracy can address all socio-economic and political
                                problem.

                                Three common features of democratic politics among various democratic
                                countries of the world are:

                                  i.   they have formal constitutions,
                                 ii.   they hold elections, they have parties
                                 iii.    they guarantee rights of citizens.
                                But these democracies are very much different from each other in terms
                                of their
                                  i.   social situations,
                                  ii.   their economic achievements and their cultures.
                                    5.. The first step towards thinking carefully about the outcomes of
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