Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Democratic governments are better than other forms of government in the following ways:

1. Accountable Government: Democracy produces a government that is accountable to citizens. People have the right to choose their rulers and control over them.

1. Transparency: Decision-making is based on norms and procedures. Citizens have the right to examine the process — this is called transparency, which is often missing in non-democratic governments.

1. Legitimate Government: A democratic government is people's own government, elected by them. It is therefore a legitimate government, which non-democratic governments are not.

1. Resolves Conflicts: Democracy provides a method to resolve conflicts and allows room to correct mistakes.

1. Promotes Equality and Dignity: Democracy promotes equality among citizens and enhances the dignity of the individual.

1. Economic Development: Although dictatorships show slightly higher growth rates, the difference in poor countries is negligible. Democracy offers several other positive outcomes that make it preferable.

Source: Chapter 5 — Outcomes of Democracy

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• Examiners expect 5 distinct points for a 5-mark answer — each point earns 1 mark.
• Key terms like transparency, legitimacy, and accountability must appear.
• Avoid writing only vague statements; link each point to a specific democratic outcome from the chapter.
• The economic argument should be balanced — acknowledge dictatorships' slightly better growth rate but emphasise negligible difference in poor countries.