Chapter 9 — From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Governments

Yes. The picture (Fig. 9.2) shows the many everyday services that a government provides — trains, roads, hospitals, defence, traffic control, disaster rescue, schools, courts, offices and postal services.

Other roles of the government you can add to the list

• Supplying clean drinking water, electricity and sanitation.
• Running the postal, banking and telecom services.
• Collecting taxes and preparing the country's budget.
• Managing relations with other countries (foreign policy, embassies, treaties).
• Issuing passports, Aadhaar, driving licences and ration cards.
• Protecting the environment, forests, rivers and wildlife.
• Preserving monuments, museums and culture; promoting sports.
• Helping farmers, workers, the elderly and the poor through welfare schemes (pensions, mid-day meal, MGNREGA).
• Conducting free and fair elections and a census.
• Managing disaster response during floods, earthquakes and cyclones.

Both a school Student Committee and Parliament work on the idea of representation — a few people are chosen to speak for many. But the scale, powers and responsibilities are completely different.

The third method — students choosing their representatives through voting — is the most effective. Let us compare the three methods before concluding.

1. Method 1 — Everyone joins the committee. It sounds fair, but if every student in the school is a member, discussions never end, decisions cannot be reached, and no one is clearly responsible for getting the work done.
2. Method 2 — The Head Teacher chooses. Decision-making becomes fast, but most students get no role. They have no way of making sure their needs and problems are heard. The committee becomes the Head Teacher's choice, not the students'.
3. Method 3 — Students elect representatives. Each grade chooses one student whom they trust to speak for their class. The committee stays small enough to work, yet every grade's problems reach it. If a representative does not work well, the class can choose someone else next time.

Here Country A = United Kingdom (a constitutional monarchy that runs as a parliamentary democracy) and Country B = Brazil (a presidential democracy). The rows in the highlighted colour are the ones you had to fill.

Analysis — similarities

• All six countries are democracies: the people are the source of authority and the government is formed through elections.
• All of them have the same three organs — legislature, executive and judiciary.
• In every one of them the judiciary is independent — this is the one column that is identical for all countries.
• All follow universal adult franchise, equality and freedom.

Analysis — differences

• Who is the executive: India, Australia and the UK have a Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (parliamentary); the USA, South Korea and Brazil have a President (presidential).
• Number of houses: South Korea has only one house; the others have two.
• Power between houses: In India and the UK the Lower House is stronger; in the USA, Australia and Brazil the two houses have roughly equal power.
• Head of state: The UK still has a hereditary king (nominal head), while the others have an elected head of state.

Part A — Core principles of a democratic government

• Equality — everyone is treated equally, has equal access to education and health, and is equal before the law.
• Freedom — citizens can make their own choices and express their opinions.
• Representative participation — every person can choose and elect representatives through elections.
• Universal adult franchise — every citizen above a certain age has the right to vote.
• Fundamental rights — right to equality, freedom of speech and expression, right against exploitation, etc.
• Independent judiciary — protects rights and ensures the laws are followed by citizens and by the government.
• Accountability — the government is answerable to the people who elected it.

Part B — A democratic plan for your Student Committee

1. Define the purpose and functions. Write down clearly what the committee will do — for example: prepare the assembly schedule, organise sports and No Bag Days, monitor cleanliness and the mid-day meal, run a suggestion box, and report student problems to teachers. (These are the committee's "legislative, executive and judicial" jobs in miniature: making rules, carrying them out, and checking that they are followed.)
2. Decide the structure. One elected representative from each grade/section, plus office-bearers chosen from among them — President, Vice-President, Secretary. Term: one academic year.
3. Announce eligibility and dates. Any student of the class may contest; put up a notice with the nomination date, campaign days and voting day so everyone gets a fair chance.
4. Nominations and campaigning. Candidates file their names and present a short manifesto in class — what they promise to do for their classmates. Keep campaigning fair and respectful.
5. Hold a secret ballot. Every student of the class gets exactly one vote (universal franchise + equality). Use a sealed ballot box — just like the Chola-era village sabhā elections at Uttaramerur!
6. Count votes openly. Count in front of the class with a teacher as observer, and declare the candidate with the most votes elected. Announce the results to the whole school.
7. Make the committee accountable. Fix monthly meetings where the committee reports what it has done. If a member does not work or misuses the position, allow the class to raise the issue and, if needed, hold a re-election.

If a king believes his power comes directly from God, he starts to think that no one on earth has the right to question him. Such a belief changes the way he rules in several ways:

• He becomes absolute. He would make the laws, enforce them and also decide the punishments — all three functions in one pair of hands. There would be no separation of power.
• Disagreement becomes disobedience to God. People who criticise him could be punished as sinners or traitors, so freedom of speech would disappear.
• Advisors lose their meaning. He may still keep a council of ministers or scholars, but he would not feel bound to listen to their advice.
• Rule may become arbitrary and unfair. Decisions would depend on his personal will and mood rather than on dharma, justice or the welfare of the people.
• Injustice and subjugation are likely. Taxes, land and even homes could be taken forcibly, as the cobbler in the Rājataraṅgiṇī story feared.
• No accountability. Since power is "divine" and hereditary, people cannot remove him — unlike a democracy where a bad government can be voted out.

1. Does Shane's country look like a democracy?

No, it does not. Shane's country (North Korea) is a dictatorship. Compare it with the principles of democracy:

2. How would Shane's everyday life be?

• Controlled and fearful. Every action is watched, so he must be careful of what he says even to friends and family.
• Without personal choice. No say in his hairstyle, clothes, job or how long he serves in the army.
• Cut off from the world. No global internet means no free news, no outside friends, no free ideas.
• Full of pressure. He is expected to inform on others, which destroys trust between people.
• Uncertain. He has no rights he can claim and no court he can turn to if he is treated unfairly.

3. Would you like to live in such a country?

No. In such a country I would have no freedom to speak, to choose my studies or work, to follow my beliefs, or to disagree with the government. There would be no way to change a bad government, because there are no free elections and no independent judiciary to protect me. I would rather live in a democracy where I can make my own choices — as long as they do not harm someone else's rights — and where the government is answerable to me.

1. What do you observe in the cartoon?

The elected members (senators) are drawn small and are sitting quietly at their desks. Towering behind them are huge figures made of money bags, labelled with the names of big businesses ("trusts" — oil, steel, coal, sugar). On the right there is a wide door marked "Entrance for Monopolists". The message is that the rich businessmen, not the elected members, dominate the House.

2. What do you see at the top left-hand corner?

A door marked "People's Entrance" — and it is CLOSED. The common people, whose votes created this elected body, have been shut out of it.

3. Who is making the decisions?

Not the elected representatives, and certainly not the people. The decisions are being made by a small group of extremely wealthy businessmen. Although the body looks democratic (its members were elected), it actually functions as an oligarchy — rule by a few.

4. Can a democracy turn into an oligarchy?

Yes. As the chapter notes, political commentators have observed that even some democracies show signs of oligarchy when a small group of politicians and wealthy businesspeople hold too much influence in governance. Elections may still be held, but if money decides who wins, and if a few families or companies control the media, the parties and the institutions, then real power sits with that small group — the form remains a democracy while the substance becomes an oligarchy.

5. What can people do to keep democracy strong?

• Vote — thoughtfully and always. Judge candidates by their work, not by money, gifts or slogans.
• Stay informed. Read from many sources, check facts, and resist manipulated information and rumours.
• Question and demand accountability. Ask representatives what they have done; use tools like the Right to Information.
• Protect institutions. Support an independent judiciary, a free press and a fair Election Commission.
• Insist on transparency in political funding so that wealth cannot buy decisions.
• Participate locally. Take part in gram sabhas, ward meetings, school committees — democracy is a daily habit, not a five-year event.
• Speak up against corruption and discrimination, and respect the rights of others.

Reasons for each answer

• Universal adult franchise: Only a democracy gives every adult the right to vote. A dictator, an absolute monarch and an oligarchy come to power without the people's vote.
• Equality amongst citizens: A democracy treats everyone as equal before the law. In the other three, the ruler(s) — the dictator, the royal family, or the few wealthy families — are above the law and enjoy special privileges.
• Freedom of speech: Guaranteed as a fundamental right in a democracy. Criticism is punished in a dictatorship and an absolute monarchy, and is discouraged where a small powerful group controls information.
• Separation of powers: Only a democracy keeps the legislature, executive and judiciary independent of one another. In the other forms, the same person or group makes the laws, enforces them and judges disputes.
• Wellbeing and prosperity of all citizens: A democratic government is designed to work for equality and prosperity for all. The other forms are usually run for the benefit of the ruler, the royal family, or a few powerful groups.

How to enact each form (a simple classroom plan)

1. Enact democracy. Decide the topic — say, "Which game will the class play on Sports Day?" Every student gets one vote. The class elects two representatives, who listen to everyone, discuss the options, and announce the majority's choice. A third student acts as an "independent judge" to see that the voting was fair. Observation: it takes time, but everyone feels heard and the decision is accepted.
2. Enact monarchy. One student is the "king" — chosen not by election but because the previous "king" was his parent. He picks a council of ministers (his friends) and announces the game himself. In an absolute monarchy he need not listen to the council; in a constitutional monarchy he only announces what the elected class committee has already decided. Observation: the decision is quick, but in the absolute version it depends entirely on one person's wish.
3. Enact dictatorship. One student seizes the role of "leader", cancels the vote, forbids anyone from objecting, decides the game, and asks two "monitors" to report students who complain. Observation: decisions are fastest, but there is fear, no choice and no way to change the leader.
4. Discuss afterwards. Ask the class: In which round did you feel free? In which round were your problems heard? In which round could a bad decision be corrected?

Which is the most suitable form?

Democracy is the most suitable form of government. In the role play it is the only form where every person's opinion counts, where decisions can be questioned and changed peacefully, and where the leaders remain accountable. A monarchy or a dictatorship may take faster decisions, but the people have no protection if the decision is wrong or unjust — and no way to remove the ruler. Democracy may be slower, but it protects equality, freedom, rights and the welfare of all, which is why more than half the countries of the world have adopted it.