Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Transparency is the most important feature of democracy because:

1. Accountable government: In a democracy, the government is accountable to the people. Citizens have the right to know about government decisions and actions, reducing the chances of corruption.

1. Checks and balances: Power is distributed among legislature, executive, and judiciary. Each organ checks the others, ensuring no one exercises unlimited power secretly.

1. Informed participation: When government functioning is open and transparent, citizens can make informed choices, voice opinions, and shape public policies effectively.

1. Correcting mistakes: Transparency allows citizens to identify errors in governance and demand corrections, which is a key advantage of democracy over other forms of government.

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

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• The question asks you to support a given statement, so structure your answer as 3–4 distinct points, each explaining how transparency connects to democratic functioning.
• Examiners look for: accountability, informed citizenry, checks and balances, and the ability to correct mistakes — all drawn from the textbook.
• Avoid vague statements; link each point clearly back to "transparency."
• Since no direct passage defines transparency, draw logically from related concepts (accountability, power-sharing, correcting mistakes) discussed in Chapters 1 and 5.