1. Democracy

Democracy means government of the people, for the people and by the people. In direct democracy, people directly participate in the administration of the country.

Indirect democracy is run by the represen­tatives of the people. Although direct democracy is impracticable in modern states, yet certain direct democratic devices are employed in some states of USA. and Switzerland.

2. Merits of Democracy :

(a) It recognizes the worth of man as man.

(b)It ensures the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

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(c) The ruler and the ruled are identified.

(d) People willingly obey the law.

(e)It is least susceptible to revolution.

(f)It is self-government.

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(g)It has an immense educative value.

(h)It is self-corrective.

3. Demerits of Democracy :

(a) Democracy emphasizes quantity rather than quality.

(b) It is a cult of incompetence.

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(c) It is the government of amateurs.

(d) It is the government of the opportunists and power-seekers.

(e) It cannot function without political parties which sometimes harm the interests of the people.

(f) It encourages irresponsibility’s.

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(g) Election propaganda misguides public opinion.

(h) The majority tyrannizes over the minority. There is nothing wrong with democracy itself. The defect lies in the socio-economic system in which it is made to work. The future of democracy hangs in the balance. It may turn into capitalist democracy or socialist democracy.