What is Democracy? Why Democracy? Practice Flashcards

This set covers key vocabulary, historical examples (Pakistan, China, Mexico, Zimbabwe), and core features of democratic versus non-democratic governments as outlined in Chapter 1.

Democracy (Origin)

Derived from the Greek word 'Demokratia', where 'demos' means people and 'kratia' means rule.

Democracy (Simple Definition)

A form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.

Abraham Lincoln's Definition

Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people.

General Pervez Musharraf

The military leader who led a coup in Pakistan in October $1999$, overthrew the elected government, and later declared himself President.

Legal Framework Order

An order issued in August $2002$ that amended the Constitution of Pakistan, allowing the President to dismiss national and provincial assemblies.

Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui

The National People’s Congress of China, which has nearly $3,000$ members and the power to appoint the President of the country.

PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

The political party in Mexico known for using 'dirty tricks' to win every election from its independence in $1930$ until the year $2000$.

Free and Fair Electoral Competition

A feature of democracy where elections offer a real choice and those currently in power have a fair chance of losing.

Universal Adult Franchise

The principle that each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have one value, based on the fundamental principle of political equality.

ZANU-PF

The party that led the freedom struggle in Zimbabwe and ruled the country under Robert Mugabe from independence in $1980$ until $2017$.

Rule of Law and Respect for Rights

A feature of democracy where the government rules within limits set by constitutional law and protects the basic rights of citizens through an independent judiciary.

Instability in Democracy

An argument against democracy stating that because leaders keep changing, it leads to a lack of continuity or stability.

China’s Famine ($1958\text{--}1961$)

The worst recorded famine in world history where nearly $3$ crore people died; it is used as an example of how democratic accountability in India prevented a similar disaster.

Accountable Government

An argument for democracy suggesting it is better than other forms of government because it is duty-bound to respond to the needs of the people.

Representative Democracy

The most common form of democracy today where the majority rules through their elected representatives because modern populations are too large for direct decision-making.

Gram Sabha

An example of direct democratic decision-making in small communities where all people can sit together and take decisions.

Dignity of Citizens

The concept that democracy is superior because it recognises political equality, treating the poorest and least educated with the same status as the rich and educated.