Class 9 Social Science — Chapter 1: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?

What you'll learn

• ▸The Necessity of a Clear Definition for Democracy
• ▸The Simple Definition of Democracy
• ▸Differentiating Democratic and Non-Democratic Governments
• ▸Guiding Questions for Analyzing Democracy
• ▸Feature 1: Major Decisions by Elected Leaders
• ▸Case Study: Pakistan under General Musharraf

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- 0972CH01 CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY? OVERVIEW What is democracy? What are its features? This chapter builds on a simple definition of democracy. Step by step, we work out the meaning of the terms involved in this definition. The aim here is to understand clearly the bare minimum features of a democratic form of government. After going through this chapter we should be able to distinguish a democratic form of government from a non-democratic government. Towards the end of this chapter, we step beyond this minimal objective and introduce a broader idea of democracy. Democracy is the most prevalent form of government in the world today and it is expanding to more countries. But why is it so? What makes it better than other forms of government? That is the second big question that we take up in this chapter. Reprint 2025-26 ©NCERT republished --- PAGE 2 --- 1.1 WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? You have already read about different forms of government. On the basis of…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

Tap "Get Solution" on any question to ask our AI tutor.

1. Explain simple definitions of democracy. Get Solution →
2. List advantages of democratic government. Get Solution →
3. Compare various non-democratic rule forms. Get Solution →
4. What is the simple definition of democracy provided in the chapter? Get Solution →
5. The word 'democracy' comes from which Greek word? Get Solution →
6. In the Greek word 'Demokratia', what does 'demos' mean? Get Solution →
7. Who led a military coup in Pakistan in October 1999? Get Solution →
8. Which political party ruled Mexico for a long period until the year 2000? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 Ancient Athens used broken pottery pieces, called ostraca, as ballots to banish politicians.
• 💡 The world's smallest democracy, Nauru, has only around 10,000 citizens but holds regular elections.
• 💡 India holds the largest election globally, with hundreds of millions of people voting for their leaders.
• 💡 Women in New Zealand were the first to gain the right to vote in national elections, back in 1893.
• 💡 Some Swiss cantons still practice open-air direct democracy, where people raise hands to vote.

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