Social Science — CBSE Class 10 board question

Democracy is expected to reduce poverty and inequality, but in practice, its record is mixed.

Political Equality vs. Economic Inequality: Democracies are based on political equality — every citizen has one vote. However, alongside this, economic inequalities continue to grow. A small number of ultra-rich enjoy a disproportionate share of wealth, while those at the bottom struggle to meet basic needs like food, clothing, education and health.

Evidence from Data:

• Dictatorial regimes have a slightly better growth rate (4.42%) than democracies (3.95%), but among poor countries, the difference is negligible.
• In South Africa and Brazil, the top 20% earn over 60% of national income, while the bottom 20% get less than 3%.

Limitations: Poor constitute a majority of voters, yet elected governments often fail to address poverty adequately. Countries like Bangladesh have more than half their population living in poverty.

Thus, while democracy provides political equality, it has not been fully successful in eliminating economic inequalities.

Source: Chapter 5 — Outcomes of Democracy

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• Examiners look for: acknowledgment of democracy's promise vs. its actual performance, use of data from Tables 1 and 2, and a balanced conclusion.
• Always cite specific figures (growth rates, income share percentages) — they earn marks and show textbook knowledge.
• Avoid making it one-sided; the key theme of this chapter is the gap between expected and actual outcomes.