Give arguments to support or oppose the following assertions.
(a) Industrialised countries can afford democracy but the poor need dictatorship to become rich.
(b) Democracy cannot reduce inequality of incomes between different citizens.
© Government in poor countries should spend less on poverty reduction, health, education and spend more on industries and infrastructure.
(d) In democracy, all citizens have one vote, which means that there is absence of any domination and conflict.
(a) Democracy means every citizens take part in the decision-making process either directly or indirectly through the elected representatives. Under dictatorship, all powers are with a single person or party who takes all the important decisions.
The economic development of a country does not depend on the democratic set-up of the government. It depends on several other factors like country’s population size, global situation, cooperation from other countries, economic priorities adopted by the country, etc.
If we compare democracy and dictatorship regimes between 1950 to 2000, we find countries under dictatorship to be more economically advanced.
But if we compare between less developed countries, the difference is negligible. India being a third world nation, now becomes one of the last growing economies of the world.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe which was a fairly prosperous nation, has run into huge international debt with the progression of Robert Mugabe’s rule. Thus, it is not always proper to say that the poor need dictatorship to become rich.
(b) There is no denying fact that we find growing . inequalities in democracies. There is a wide gap between the rich and the poor.
A small proportion of population enjoy a high share in income and a large proportion of population has to live on a very small share in income.
However, the democratic governments play an important role in removing economic disparities.
The Minimum Wages Act, enacted by the Indian Government and other policies which regulate the basic price at which agricultural producers and small industries sell their goods, have helped increase the per capita income of the country. Thereby, making its citizens more prosperous.
© Industry and infrastructure are very important for the economic development of a nation. But these are not the only inputs needed for the economic development of a country.
Human resource is the most important resources for any country. The government in poor countries should maintain a balance between investment on poverty, food, clothing, health, education and in industries and infrastructure.
A country needs to spend on all the sectors maintaining a balance, so that every sector helps the other sector to grow.
(d) A democracy gives every citizens and every social group equal importance to avoid any domination and conflict in the society.
Since, every citizens has one vote, political parties cannot avoid any social group. The political parties have to formulate policies which will benefit all the groups. But all these do not mean that conflicts are totally absent in a democracy.
They can happen if the demands of one social group are against the demands of the other social group. Democracy only avoids the possibility of such conflicts by giving everyone equal rights and freedom in the society.