Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Legitimacy is considered the most definitive advantage of democratic government because a democratic government is people's own government — elected by the people themselves. People wish to be ruled by representatives they have chosen, which gives the government its moral authority to rule.

While democratic governments may be slow, less efficient, or sometimes corrupt, they are legitimate because they follow proper procedures and are accountable to citizens. Non-democratic governments lack this popular mandate.

Evidence from South Asia shows that around 94% of people agree with rule by elected leaders, reflecting overwhelming support for democracy even in countries currently without it. Democracy's ability to generate its own support is itself a significant outcome.

Source: Chapter 5 — Accountable, responsive and legitimate government

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• The key phrase examiners look for is "legitimate government = people's own government."
• Mention that despite shortcomings (slow, inefficient, sometimes corrupt), democracy retains legitimacy — this shows analytical depth.
• The South Asia data (94% support) supports the point with evidence — CBSE examiners appreciate citing textbook data.
• Do not confuse legitimacy with efficiency or economic development; those are separate outcomes discussed in the chapter.
• The final line about democracy generating its own support is directly from the textbook and is a key examiner-expected point.