Q1. [3] deep thorough-understanding
Over a hundred countries today hold elections and have formal constitutions, yet their democratic outcomes differ greatly. Despite this variation, is it still meaningful to set common benchmarks for what ALL democracies must deliver? Explain with reasons.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:19 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Yes, it is meaningful to set common benchmarks for all democracies because, regardless of local variations, every democracy must deliver certain minimum outcomes:
- Accountable and responsive government — Citizens must be able to choose their rulers and hold them accountable through regular, free, and fair elections and the right to information.
- Accommodation of social diversity — Democracy must negotiate social differences through procedures, ensuring majority rule does not suppress minorities.
- Legitimate government — Democratic government is people's own government, generating its own support — an outcome non-democracies cannot match.
These benchmarks provide a standard to measure and improve democracies, even if actual performance varies.
Source: Outcomes of Democracy, Chapter 5
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Explanation
- The examiner expects you to say yes with 2–3 solid reasons drawn from the chapter.
- Key terms to use: accountable, responsive, legitimate, transparency, social diversity.
- Avoid listing everything the chapter says — pick the strongest 3 points and state them crisply.
- The question asks for reasons, so each point must explain why a benchmark is necessary, not just name it.