Question -
Answer -
a. Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.
Answer
a. Industrialised countries can afford democracy, but the poor need dictatorship to become rich – There is no relationship between democracy and the wealth of the nation. The economic development of the nation is dependent upon the resources, the policies and the openness of the government to attract investment. If the dictatorship could have brought wealth in the nation, countries like Nigeria would be having all rich people, which is not the case in reality.
b. Democracy can’t reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.
Answer
b. Yes, democracy can not reduce income inequality as there are sectional communities which have different professions. Income equality is not a value of democracy as democracy brings social and political equality. People have the right to vote and can access fundamental rights, but income is self-generated, and that depends on their ability to work.
c. The government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure.
Answer
c. The statement is untrue. For any country to be developed, the focus should be on human resources. The country is made up of its people, and if the citizens are uneducated, ill and under-sufficient, the country cannot grow. The human development report in itself judges the development of the country by the education and health of the citizen along with the income. Hence, it is important for a country to invest in health and education infrastructure.
d. In a democracy, all citizens have one vote, which means that there is an absence of any domination and conflict.
Answer
d. The statement is partly true. Yes, democracy offers one vote to each of its citizens. However, it is not a fool-proof system that does not invite any conflicts. Take the example of India, which has a diverse diaspora. The social divisions in the society are reflected in the form of riots, protests and strikes. Hence, no democracy can eliminate social divisions.