b) Models of Democracy: Representative, Participatory, Deliberative

Introduction

Democracy has evolved into different models depending on how citizens exercise power and participate in decision-making. The three major models are Representative, Participatory, and Deliberative democracy.

1. Representative Democracy

• Meaning: Citizens elect representatives who make laws and policies on their behalf.
• Features:
  • Regular elections.
  • Political parties as mediators.
  • Accountability of representatives.
• Thinker: J.S. Mill supported representative democracy as practical for large societies.
• Examples: USA, UK, India.
  👉 Advantage: Efficient, practical.
  👉 Limitation: Distance between people and decision-making (elitism).

2. Participatory Democracy

• Meaning: Citizens directly participate in decision-making beyond elections.
• Features:
  • Decentralization of power.
  • Local self-government, referendums, citizen assemblies.
  • Emphasis on active civic engagement.
• Thinker: Rousseau supported direct participation of citizens in making laws.
• Examples: Swiss referendums, Panchayati Raj in India.
  👉 Advantage: Ensures active involvement.
  👉 Limitation: Difficult in large, complex societies.

3. Deliberative Democracy

• Meaning: Decisions are made through rational discussion, reasoning, and consensus-building rather than mere voting.
• Features:
  • Emphasis on dialogue, public debate, deliberation.
  • Respect for minority opinions.
  • Quality of decision matters, not just majority rule.
• Thinkers: Jürgen Habermas, John Rawls.
• Example: Public hearings, citizen juries, consensus-based policies.
  👉 Advantage: Promotes inclusiveness and rational decisions.
  👉 Limitation: Time-consuming, requires educated citizenry.

Conclusion

Representative, Participatory, and Deliberative models are not mutually exclusive. Modern democracies combine features of all three to balance efficiency, participation, and legitimacy.

c) Pluralism, Diversity, and Democracy

Introduction

Democracy is based on the recognition of diversity in society. Pluralism ensures that different groups, identities, and interests coexist peacefully within the democratic framework.

Pluralism

• Meaning: Existence of multiple groups and centers of power in society (religious, cultural, economic, political).
• Thinkers:
  • Harold Laski: State is not the only source of power; society has multiple associations.
  • Robert Dahl: Modern democracy is “polyarchy” – rule by many groups.
• Importance: Prevents concentration of power, promotes balance and negotiation.

Diversity

• Refers to variety in race, religion, language, culture, class, caste, gender.
• In democracies, diversity is protected through rights, representation, and inclusion.
• Example: Indian democracy respects linguistic, religious, caste, and regional diversity through federalism, reservations, and minority rights.

Pluralism, Diversity, and Democracy

• Democracy thrives when pluralism and diversity are respected.
• Suppression of diversity leads to authoritarianism (e.g., Nazi Germany).
• Pluralism ensures healthy competition among groups, prevents dominance of one section, and strengthens democracy.

Conclusion

Pluralism and diversity are the soul of democracy. A truly democratic society is one where all voices are heard, differences are respected, and decisions are made collectively for the common good.