Question

The word ‘democracy’ is derived from which language?
(A) Greek
(B) Latin
(C) English
(D) French

Answer 1

Hint: Democracy is a form of Government in which the rulers are elected by the people through free and fair elections. The citizens have real power as they can choose their own Government by choice.

Complete step-by-step solution:
The word democracy is derived from the Greek word ‘Demokratia’.
Democracy has some distinctive features which are:
Thus, the people have the real power in a democracy as they can elect their representatives by choosing between different alternatives.
A government that claims to be democratic should have a system of free and fair elections. There should be a choice among different alternatives. People should be able to use this choice effectively even if they wish to remove the existing rulers from power.
Each adult citizen should have one vote and each vote must have the same value. This is because democracy is based on a fundamental principle of political equality. There should not be a system of plural voting or weighted voting in place.
The Government should rule within the limit set by the Constitution and the rights of the citizens. A democratic government cannot act according to its whims. There is a system of checks and balances in a democracy that ensures the proper functioning of each institution of the government and it also ensures that all the institutions of the government remain within their Constitutional limits. The rights of citizens have to be respected and these rights are to be protected by an independent Judiciary.

Thus, option (A) is correct.

Note: Democracy is preferred over other forms of government due to the advantages it offers over other forms of government. A democratic form of government is a more accountable form of government as it listens to the needs of people, it also improves the quality of decision making with consensus in every decision made, there’s a peaceful mechanism to resolve conflicts, it enhances the dignity of citizens with political equality, and it also allows room for correction of mistakes.