Participatory or Representative Democracy in India

Participatory or Representative Democracy in India

A democracy is a type of government which is run with the input of the people, directly or indirectly. It contrasts with other types of government, such as a dictatorship or a classical monarchy, which are run by individuals or small groups of high ranking people. Many governments around the world have adopted the democracy as a form of government in varying forms, and most of these governments are representative democracies, as opposed to direct or pure democracies modeled after the Athenian government in Ancient Greece.

In a representative democracy, a group of people is established as eligible voters. In the United States, for example, citizens over 18 without felony convictions may vote. These citizens vote for representatives, such as Congress people, Senators, and local officials. When elected, a representative agrees to serve the interest of his or her constituency, regardless as to party affiliation, age, race, or gender. The representative travels to the State or National capitol to make laws and assist with the running of the government. Often, a representative must balance warring interests in his or her community, and hopes to satisfy most, but not all, of the constituents.

To help serve the needs of their constituency, representatives maintain regional offices so that their voters can communicate with them. Individual voters often contact their representatives to encourage them to vote one way or another on a bill, or to push through a piece of legislation. Some of these measures are also voted on directly by the voters, in the form of propositions on the ballot. In addition, many representative democracies also permit referendums, legislation proposed directly by the people. If citizens can get enough signatures on a referendum to indicate public interest, it will be placed on the ballot during election season.

In a direct democracy, every citizen plays an active role in the governance of the nation. In order for a direct democracy to be successful, it must be in a relatively small, localized region. This is because large numbers of eligible citizens would quickly clog the workings of the government, sparking endless debates and votes but never actually achieving anything. Citizens must also have an active interest in the success of their governments.

A nationwide direct democracy would be difficult to manage in the modern era. However, many small towns within representative democracies use a form of direct democracy at their town meetings. Allowing each citizen on the town level a vote and a role in the government is believed to lead to a more active, caring, and interconnected community. The direct democracy model also allows citizens to prioritize what is important to them as a group, rather than relying on a team of representatives to address their issues. For example, a small town which uses a direct democracy model may have better funding for schools and libraries than a neighboring town with better roads, because the citizens have decided as a group that education should be a priority for the town, even at the cost of transportation.

The limitations of technology that once required us to use a representative democracy are no longer an issue.

With the use of computers and the internet and Panchayti Raj implemented throughout the country, we can now develop a system that would allow for a direct and participatory democracy to exist in India.

The question that then arises is, would we want the mass population of our country voting on every issue that would pass in front of Parliament? Perhaps overcoming the technical challenges is not the only thing stopping us from a participatory democracy but that can be thought out.

Our politicians are educated and versed in the workings of government and can therefore could be better suited for making such decisions but they must remain under scanner of the public.

A social democracy is a national government with a democratic process, bearing several characteristics resembling a socialist society. Social democrats are typically committed to acting for the common good. In social democratic countries, governments play an active role in regulating certain political and economic conditions.

The political ideology of social democracy falls in the center-left of the political spectrum. Although social democrats believe in individual freedoms and a democratically-elected government, they also often emphasize the need for the protections of minorities and a social safety net. Social democrats generally support work and trade unions, free education, and gender equality.

The ideology of liberalism took hold as the Industrial Revolution took place in Europe and the United States. Initially, liberals supported the economic progress, believing that the growth of international markets would benefit a great number of people. The negative effects of capitalist societies and the growth of industry soon became evident, however. With a lack of protection for workers, the use of child labor and the widening gap between the rich and poor, some scholars and politicians attempted to address the consequences of laissez faire capitalism.

Thomas Hill Green (1836-1882) was a professor of moral philosophy in England. According to his definition, freedom was directly related to a person's contributions to the common good. Although he did advocate individual freedom, Green also believed that the government should actively and positively be involved in increasing the people's freedoms. Green's position was eventually used as a justification for labor laws, public education, and other aspects of the modern welfare state.

John Maynard Keynes's (1883-1846) economic philosophy had a great impact on the social democratic movement. In The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936), Keynes discussed the strengths and weaknesses of capitalism. He believed that an unregulated market ultimately has a negative impact on the greater society, with its inability to provide full employment or distribute wealth equally.

Green and Keynes, along with other theorists and philosophers, created the basic foundation for contemporary social democratic governments. Unlike socialism, which advocates the nationalization of businesses and other sectors, social democratic countries generally do not emphasize government takeovers of industry. Not all social democrats agree on capitalism, however; some social democrats and democratic socialists believe that capitalism should be eliminated.

In modern society, social democratic countries and political parties tend to focus on human rights issues. Social democratic countries typically have strict protections for minorities. They also often attempt to distribute wealth equally throughout the entire population. Social democracies typically provide government-funded health care, subsidized higher education, and aid for the elderly among other social welfare initiatives.

Many countries in Europe, such as Germany, Great Britain, and the Scandinavian countries, share some characteristics of social democracies. Most democratic countries have some laws or institutions attributed to social democracy, however. For instance, the United States, which is not labeled as a social democracy, has a welfare program — Medicare and Medicaid — as well as public primary and secondary educational institutions. India has already fair amount of institution to handle those teething problem and come over it.