Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Democracy is considered the best system for managing social diversity, yet it cannot eliminate conflicts permanently. This is not a contradiction but a realistic understanding of what democracy offers.

What democracy offers:

• It develops procedures to manage conflict so tensions do not become explosive or violent (e.g., Belgium's successful negotiation among ethnic groups).
• It gives voice to diverse social groups through power-sharing, reserved constituencies, and federal arrangements.
• It promotes respect for differences and evolves mechanisms to negotiate them.
• Unlike non-democratic regimes, it does not suppress or ignore internal social divisions.

Its limits:

• No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among different groups.
• Democracy fails if majority rule becomes permanent domination by one religious, racial, or linguistic community (e.g., Sri Lanka).
• It only creates conditions for harmony; citizens must act on those conditions.

Thus, democracy's value lies not in eliminating conflict but in managing it peacefully and fairly.

Source: Outcomes of Democracy, Chapter 5; Power-sharing, Chapter 1

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Examiners look for: (1) acknowledgment of the "apparent contradiction," (2) specific examples like Belgium and Sri Lanka from the text, (3) the two conditions for democracy to handle diversity (majority-minority cooperation; majority not becoming a permanent community majority), and (4) the key distinction — democracy creates conditions, it doesn't guarantee outcomes. Avoid vague generalisations; use textbook language like "explosive or violent," "mechanisms to negotiate," and "rule by majority community."