GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, institutions
Source: IE
Context: In a representative democracy, the role of citizens is very critical.
Representative vs direct democracy:
- In a representative democracy, people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.
- In a direct democracy, people vote on policy initiatives directly.
Basic principles of representative democracy:
- Equality of all citizens before the law.
- Free and fair elections.
- Principle of popular sovereignty: Popular sovereignty is the principle of majority rule being used to carry out the political will of the people.
- Political liberty: This idea holds that people are free to enjoy fundamental liberties such as freedom of expression, assembly, movement, and thought.
India’s representative democracy: It is one of the largest and most complex in the world, where elected representatives constitute its federal democratic ethos – representing the aspirations of their electorate.
Challenges faced by Indian representative democracy:
- Increasing ideological divisions among political parties and their supporters.
- The spirit of consensus building is undermined, hampering constructive debates and resulting in policy paralysis.
- Corruption in governance and personal values erodes individual trust in institutions.
- The role of money power in elections, identity politics, and inequitable opportunities is hindering citizens’ right to ethical representation.
Reforming representative democracy:
- Increasing people’s participation: To transform representative democracy to participatory democracy to foster greater “democratisation” of political life.
- For example, Gram Sabha [Article 243 (b)].
- Strengthening federal democracy: Decentralising power and empowering local governments can enhance accountability and promote citizen participation in matters of national importance.
- For example, the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution.
- The National Legislators Conference (NLC):
- It is a pioneering initiative bringing together 4,000 MLAs and MLCs from all political parties under one roof.
- The 3-day boot camp is an opportunity to exchange notes across ideological lines, presenting case studies of best practices and governance.
Best practice – Switzerland:
- Direct democracy is one of the special features of the Swiss political system.
- It is underpinned by two instruments: initiatives (to propose constitutional amendments or legislative enactment) and referendums (to express their opinion on decisions taken by the Swiss Parliament).
Way ahead:
- Explore the possibility of the right to recall inefficient and corrupt politicians.
- Strengthen RTI and protect whistleblowers.
- Leveraging technology to improve governance. With nearly 60% internet penetration in India and 600 million smartphone users, the legislators have an opportunity to reach out to the electorates.
Conclusion: Citizens have a very important role in a representative democracy as they exercise their rights and freedoms and benefit from the democratic setup of the country.
Insta Links:
Democracy and its structural slippages
Mains Links:
To enhance the quality of democracy in India the Election Commission of India has proposed electoral reforms in 2016. What are the suggested reforms and how far are they significant to make democracy successful? (UPSC 2017)
