Challenges to Democracy.................Part I

Q1. Describe the broad challenges to democracy.

A challenge is a difficulty that carries within it an opportunity for progress. Once we overcome a challenge we go up to a higher level than before.Different countries face different kinds of challenges such as:
Foundational challenge:

1. In Non democratic countries making the transition to democracy and then instituting democratic government.  
2. This involves bringing down the existing non-democratic regime, keeping military away from controlling government and establishing a sovereign and functional state.

Challenge of expansion: 

1. Most of the established democracies face the challenge of expansion. 
2. This involves applying the basic principle of democratic government across all the regions, different social groups and various institutions. 
3. To ensure greater power to local governments, extension of federal principle to all the units of the federation, inclusion of women and minority groups, etc.
4. This also means that less and less decisions should remain outside the arena of democratic control. Most countries including India and other democracies like the US face this challenge.

Deepening of democracy:  

1. The  challenge of deepening of democracy involves strengthening of the institutions and practices of democracy.
2. This means strengthening the institutions that help people’s participation and control.
3. This requires an attempt to bring down the control and influence of the rich and powerful people in making governmental decision.

Q2. How can democracy be reformed and deepened?

All the suggestions or proposals about overcoming various challenges to democracy are called ‘democracy reform’ or ‘political reform’.
Legal ways of reforming politics 

1. Laws play an important role in bringing change in democracy.
2. Properly legislated laws can help to discourage wrong political practices and encourage constructive ones.
3. Only devised laws cannot reform a democracy. But democratic reforms are to be carried out mainly by political activists, parties, movements and politically conscious citizens.

Reform through proper legislation 

1. In order to bring  change in democracy every  legal change must carefully legislated based on practical approach.
2. It should bring positive change in the democracy.
3. The best laws are those which empower people to carry out democratic reforms.
4. The Right to Information Act is a good example of a law that empowers the people to find out what is happening in government and act as watchdogs of democracy.
5. Such a law helps to control corruption and supplements the existing laws that banned corruption and imposed strict penalties.

Reforms through political parties 

1. The most important is that political parties  to increase and improve the quality of political participation by ordinary citizens.

Reforms through citizens, organisations and media 

1. Any proposal for political reforms should think about good solution with the measures that rely on democratic movements, citizens, organisations and the media.