Hinglish

Democracy and Republic

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 18: The State, the Government, and You · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 18.3

Learn

Democracy means "rule by the people" (Greek demos = people, kratos = rule): people choose their government through free and fair elections. In a republic, the head of state is elected (directly or indirectly), not a king or queen who inherits power, and a constitution limits the rulers' power. India and the UK both elect representatives, but Britain's head of state is a monarch, while India's president is elected by elected representatives. So India, the USA and France are democratic republics; the UK, Canada and Sweden are democracies but not republics. George Washington refused an offer to become king of America, choosing government by the people under a constitution.

A republic also protects the rights of all, not only the majority. Kabir's apartment association voted by majority to ban deliveries after 9 pm, ignoring residents who said the sick and elderly would suffer. When an elderly neighbour needed medicine late one night, the rule was changed to allow food and medicine. In the same way, India's Constitution stops a majority from overriding anyone's fundamental rights, guarding against the dominance of the majority: for example, the Dongria Kondh community's sacred hills in Odisha were protected from mining. The rule of law is stronger than the wishes of the majority.

Explore: republic or not?

  1. Sort each country.

Remember

  • Democracy is rule by the people; in a republic the head of state is elected and power is limited by a constitution.
  • India's Constitution protects everyone's rights from the dominance of the majority.

Quick check

"Every democracy is a republic." True or false?

  1. false: some democracies, like the UK, have a monarch as head of state
  2. true: they mean the same
  3. true: every democracy has a president
  4. false: republics never hold elections
Answer

false: some democracies, like the UK, have a monarch as head of state. A country can be both, like India, but not every democracy is a republic.

Think about it

Why should a majority not be allowed to make any rule it likes?

One answer

Because it could harm smaller groups who are outvoted; protecting basic rights for everyone keeps decisions fair even when most people agree.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.