Democracy in the Contemporary World Class 9 NCERT Extra Questions
Question 1
Write a short note on Salvador Allende?
Year of Question :(2010)
Answer:
Salvador Allende was the founder leader of the Socialist Party of Chile. He led the Popular Unity coalition party to victory in the presidential election in the year 1970. He was then elected President of Chile. After his election, Allende passed many reforms for the betterment of the poor people of his country
Salvador Allende reformed the educational system and ensured that free milk was provided for all the children. He also redistributed land to the landless farmers
As President he did not allow foreign companies to take away natural resources like copper, from the country.
There was a lot of opposition for Salvador Allendes policies from the rich landlords, the Church and other political parties
Question 2.
What was the out come of the Military Coup of 1973 ,in Chile ?
Year of Question :(2011)
Answer:
A coup is the sudden overthrow of a government illegally, it may or may not be violent in nature.
There was a Military coup in Chile, in the year 1973. The military coup took place under General Augusto Pinochet. Salvador Allendes government, that was elected by people, was overthrown by the military, through conspiracy and violence. On the 11th of September, 1973, the military took over the seaport. The Defence Minister was arrested by the military.
Then the military surrounded the Presidents house and started bombing it. President Allende died in the military attack. General Pinochet became the President of the country and ruled it for the next 17 years. Supporters of Allende were tortured and put to death
Question 3.
How was democracy restored after the coup, in Chile?
Year of Question :(2015)
Answer:
General Augusto Pinochet, the military ruler of Chile, decided to hold a referendum in 1988. The General was very confident that he would win the referendum, and that the people would want him to continue in power.
But the people of Chile wanted a democratic rule. General Pinochet lost the referendum, thus losing his political and military powers. The brutal and cruel dictatorship came to an end.
Michelle Bachelet, a medical doctor and a moderate socialist, was elected the President of Chile, in the free Presidential elections, which was held in January 2006. Democracy was restored in Chile
Question 4.
What was the situation in Poland in the 1980s?
Year of Question :(2018)
Answer:
In the 1980s Poland was ruled by the Polish United Workers Party. This was a Communist party. The government of the Soviet Union controlled the government in Poland. In a Communist Country people could not choose their leader or speak freely against their leader. People were put in prison for opposing the government. Independent Trade Unions were not allowed in Poland
On 14 August 1980, the workers of Lenin Shipyard, in Gdansk, went on a strike. This shipyard belonged to the Government and strikes were illegal. The strike started because a women crane operator was dismissed from service in an unjust manner. Soon Lech Walesa, joined the strike
Lech Walesa was an electrician in the shipyard. He was dismissed from service, many years ago, because he had demanded higher wages.
The strike began to spread across the whole city. The workers started raising greater demands.
They wanted the right to form independent trade unions.
They wanted the release of political prisoners.
They wanted an end to censorship of the press
Question 5.
Describe a Communist State?
Year of Question :(2018)
Answer:
A Communist state is a state governed by a communist party without allowing other parties to compete for power. The state controls all the big property and industry
Question 6.
What was the out come of the strike in Poland ?
Year of Question :(2018)
Answer:Under the guidance of Lech Walesa, the strike became a great movement. Soon the Communist government relented and signed a 21-point agreement with Lech Walesa.
The main features of the 21- point Agreement were as follows
- The Government recognized the workers right to form independent trade unions
- The government also granted trade Unions the right to strike
- A new trade union called Solidarity was formed for the first time
- Solidarity swept across Poland and had about one crore members
Question 7.
What was the plight of the Solidarity Trade union in Poland?
Year of Question :(2017)
Answer:
Solidarity Trade Union brought to light the widespread corruption and mismanagement in the government. The Polish government was not happy with this. In the year 1981, the government imposed martial law in the country.
Thousands of Solidarity members were jailed. Freedom to organise, protest and express opinions was once again taken away from the people
Question 8.
What were the similarity between the two Governments in Chile and Poland?
Year of Question :(2016)
Answer:
The Government in Chile under General Augusto Pinochet and the Government in Poland under the Polish United Workers Party, were both non- democratic governments. There were many similarities between these two governments.
The similarities were
- The people could not choose or change their rulers
- There was freedom of expression
- People could not form political associations
- People were not permitted to organize protests or initiate political action
Question 9.
What is universal adult franchise?
Year of Question :(2018)
Answer:
The right to vote, granted universally to all adults, whether they are men or women, rich or poor, white or black is called universal adult franchise. It is also known as universal suffrage.
India gained universal adult franchise in the year 1950
Question 10.
Trace the expansion of Democracy across the globe?
Year of Question :(2015)
Answer:
The journey of modern democracy started two centuries ago. During the 19th century, democracy was overthrown and restored several times, in France. The French Revolution that took place in 1789 inspired many struggles for democracy all over Europe.
In Britain, though the progress towards democracy was very slow, it started much before the French Revolution. Series of political events reduced the power of the monarchy and the feudal lords in the nineteenth centuries
In the United States, the British colonies in North America declared themselves independent in 1776. In the next few years, these colonies came together to form the United States of America. They adopted a democratic constitution in 1787
By the beginning of the twentieth century, many countries had governments elected by the people and had political freedom in some measure
Question 11.
Describe the end of Colonialism?
Year of Question :(2013)
Answer:
Many countries in Asia and Africa were colonies under the control of European nations. People in these countries wanted independence.
India was one of the few colonies where people led a nationalist struggle of non- violence, to liberate the country from the colonial rule. India achieved its independence in 1947. From a subject country India has emerged into a democratic country. India continues to be a democracy.
By the end of the Second World war many of the countries became independent. Ghana was one of the first few countries which became independent. It gained independence in the year 1957. It inspired other African countries to struggle for freedom
Question 12.
Trace the Political developments in Myanmar?
Year of Question :(2014)
Answer:
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, gained freedom from Colonial rule in 1948 and became a democracy.
The following are the political developments that took place in Myanmar since 1948
- A military coup over threw the democratic government in the year 1962
- In 1990, elections were held for the first time after almost 30 years
- The National League for Democracy, which was led by Aung San Suu Kyi , won the election
- The military leaders of Myanmar did not accept the results of the election
- San Suu Kyi was put under house arrest
- Political activists were jailed for minor offenses
- People were oppressed and not given any freedom of expression
- Lakhs of people in Myanmar were driven away from their homes by the military-ruled government
- The people in Myanmar are still struggling for a democratic government in their country
Question 13.
Write a short note on the United Nations and its General Assembly?
Year of Question :(2011)
Answer:
The United Nations is a global association of nations of the world. It promotes cooperation in international law, security, economic development, and social equity. The UN Secretary-General is the head of the UN.
The UN General Assembly has 192 member countries. Each country has one vote in the UN General Assembly. The General Assembly meets regularly
The President of the Assembly is elected from among the representatives of the member countries. General Assembly is like the parliament where discussions take place and decisions are made. The General Assembly does not have the power to interfere in a conflict between different countries
Question 14.
How does the International Monetary Fund function?
Year of Question :(2015)
Answer:
International Monetary Fund can be considered as one of the biggest moneylenders for the world. It provides loan to countries for their developmental projects.
The IMF has 173 member states. All these states do not have equal voting rights. The vote of each country is weighed by how much money it has contributed to the IMF
SolutionAlmost half of the voting power in the IMF is in the hands of the G7 nations. The G7 nations are, the US, Japan, France, UK, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia. The remaining 166 countries have very little say in the decisions the IMF takes
Question 15.
What is a referendum?
Year of Question :(2018)
Answer:
A Referendum is a direct vote in which the people are asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may be adoption of a new constitution, a law or a specific governmental policy
Important questions and answers
Democracy in Chile
Question1.
Who was Salvador Allende, and what changes did he implement in Chile?
Answer:
- Salvador Allende was elected President of Chile in 1970
- He implemented policies to support the poor and workers:
- Free milk for children
- Land reform for landless farmers
- Restricted foreign companies from exploiting Chiles resources, like copper
Question2.
What was the 1973 Military Coup in Chile?
Answer:
- On September 11, 1973, the military took control of Chile
- General Augusto Pinochet led the coup, overthrowing Allende.
- Allende died, refusing to surrender to the military
- Pinochet ruled as a military dictator for 17 years, torturing and killing many supporters of democracy
Democracy in Poland
Question1.
What was the role of Lech Walesa and Solidarity in Polands democracy movement?
Answer:
- Lech Walesa was an electrician who became the leader of a workers strike at the Gdansk Shipyard in 1980.
- Workers formed Solidarity, an independent trade union, to demand:
- Political freedom and freedom of the press
- The right to form unions and strike
- This was the first independent trade union in a communist state and grew rapidly
Question2.
How did Poland transition to democracy in 1989?
Answer:
- After years of martial law and government repression, Solidarity gained strength
- In 1989, free elections were allowed, and Solidarity won almost all seats in the Senate
- Lech Walesa was elected as President of Poland in 1990
Expansion of Democracy
Question1.
How did democracy expand globally during the 20th century?
Answer:
- Democracy spread to more countries, especially after World War II:
- Many colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence in the 1940s-1960s
- 1980s-1990s saw the fall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe
- Maps show the growth of democratic countries:
- 1950: Mostly Europe and America
- 1975: Spread to newly independent countries
- 2000: Most regions had democratic governments
Question2.
What is Universal Adult Franchise, and when did it become common?
Answer:
- Universal Adult Franchise is the right for all adults to vote without discrimination
- Countries adopted this progressively:
- New Zealand in 1893, India in 1950, and South Africa in 1994
Challenges to Democracy
Question1.
Why did countries like Ghana face difficulties maintaining democracy after independence?
Answer:
- Ghana gained independence from British rule in 1957 with Kwame Nkrumah as the leader
- Although initially democratic, Nkrumah declared himself President for life, leading to his overthrow by the military in 1966
- Many newly independent countries experienced military coups and dictatorships
Global Democracy and International Organizations
Question1.
What role does the United Nations (UN) play in global democracy?
Answer:
- The UN helps maintain peace and security among countries
- The Security Council can take action against countries violating peace, but decisions require agreement from five permanent members (US, Russia, China, UK, France)
- UN General Assembly acts as a global discussion platform, but it lacks decision-making power
Question2.
What is the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank?
Answer:
- IMF and World Bank provide loans to countries, but often impose conditions on economic policy
- Voting power in these organizations depends on financial contribution, giving wealthy countries more influence
Case Study: Iraq and Democracy Promotion
Question1.
What happened during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003?
Answer:
- The US claimed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, although the UN found no evidence
- The US invaded Iraq without UN approval, overthrowing Saddam Husseins dictatorship
- This raises questions about whether external intervention helps or hinders democracy