Class IX
Civics
Unit I – Democracy in the Contemporary World
Notes
More than half of the independent countries in today’s world
are democracies.
The process of democratization is still going on.
Salvador Allende
1903 – 1973
Doctor and
politician
Founder of
Socialist Party of Chile
Leader of
Popular Unity Coalition in the 1970 election
President of Chile 1970 – 73
The first Marxist to become president of a Latin American
country through open election
His policies were in favour of the poor and the workers.
Disliked by the landlords, the rich, the Church and also the
USA
Killed in the bombing of the President’s House after the
military coup on 11 September 1973
The coup was led by Augusto Pinochet, military dictator of
Chile during 1973 – 90; arrested in 1998 on charges of corruption and human
rights violations; under house arrest from 2004 till his death in 2006
Veronica Michelle Bachelet Jeria
President of
Chile 2006 – 10
The first
female President of Chile
Formerly,
Health and Defence minister of Chile 2000 – 04
Daughter of
Alberto Bachelet who opposed Pinochet
Detained and
tortured in 1975 along with her mother
Head of UN
Women since 2010
The case of Poland
Ruled by the Polish United Workers’ Party and controlled by
the government of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in the early
1980s
14 August 1980: The workers of (state-owned) Lenin Shipyard
in the city of Gdansk go on a strike demanding to take back a dismissed worker;
led by Lech Walesa; the strike ends in a 21-point agreement with the government
The agreement allows trade unions independent of the ruling
party.
Poland’s first independent trade union Solidarity (Solidarnosc
in Polish) is formed
Within one year, the membership of Solidarity reaches one
crore mark
December 1981: Martial law imposed by General Jaruzelski
1988: Another wave of strikes by Solidarity
April 1989: Agreement for free elections
Solidarity wins 99 out of 100 seats
October 1990: Presidential election
Lech Walesa becomes President of Poland
Differences between the governments of Pinochet and
Jaruzelski:
Pinochet’s was a military government; Jaruzelski’s was of a
political party (Polish United Workers’ Party)
Pinochet’s favoured the capitalist class; Jaruzelski’s
claimed it was a workers’ government
Similarities between the governments of Pinochet and
Jaruzelski:
The people
could not choose or change their rulers.
There was no freedom to express opinions, form associations
and organize protests.
Similarities between Allende’s, Walesa’s and Bachelet’s
governments:
Power was
exercised by elected governments.
People
enjoyed political freedom.
Characteristic features of democracy:
People can
choose and change their leaders.
People have basic political freedom (to express opinions,
form associations and to organize protests).
Only those leaders who are elected by people rule the
country.
The extent of democracy in the 20th century:
1900 – 1950: The governments in the countries of the
Americas and Australia were mostly democratic. In Europe, nearly 50% were under
democracy. In Asia and Africa, very few countries followed democracy.
1975: Many countries in South America relapsed into military
dictatorship. So also were the African countries.
2000: The Americas, Australia, Europe, almost all of Asia
and most of Africa were democracies.
Phases in the expansion of democracy:
Phase I (The
Early Developments)
The Magna Carta (or the Great Charter of the Liberties of
England) was signed between the barons of medieval England and King John in the
year AD 1297.
1640 – 1649: Civil war in England between the people of the
country and the armies of the then ruler Charles II
1649: Charles II beheaded
1649 – 1660: England becomes a republic for a short period
for the first time and also the last time, under Cromwell
1688: The Glorious Revolution in England; for the first time
in the history of the world, Parliament of people becomes superior to the king;
the king is now a nominal head
1773: The Boston Tea Party incident
4 July 1776: The Declaration of American Independence
1783: End of the American War of Independence; Treaty of
Paris
14 July 1789: The Fall of the Bastille; the French
Revolution begins
1893: Universal Adult Franchise in New Zealand
1917: The Russian Revolution
Phase II (End
of Colonialism)
1945:
the end of World War II
1947:
India’s independence
1950
– 60: Most African countries become independent.
The
Case of Ghana:
A
country in western Africa
Formerly
called Gold Coast, a British colony
Independence
in 1957
Kwame Nkrumah (1909 – 72) led the struggle for freedom
1957
– 60 Nkrumah is the Prime Minister of Ghana
1960
Nkrumah is elected President for Life
1966 Nkrumah’s government is overthrown; Ghana comes under
military rule
Phase III
(The Recent Period):
1980s:
The deterioration of USSR begins slowly
1991: The USSR breaks down into 15 independent republics;
end of Soviet control on east Europe
1990s: Democracy is restored in Pakistan; Nepal becomes a
constitutional monarchy
1999:
Pakistan back under army rule
2005: The new king of Nepal dismisses the elected government
and withdraws people’s political freedom
2008: Nepal becomes a republic
The Case of Myanmar:
Formerly
known as Burma
Independence
in 1948; becomes a democracy
1962:
Military coup
1990:
Election after 30 years
The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi
wins the election; the military rulers refuse to recognize the election
results; Suu Kyi is still under house arrest
Democracy at the Global Level:
International
Organizations: UNO, World Bank, IMF
The UN is a global association of nations of the world to
ensure cooperation in international law, security, economic development and
social equity.
The UN Security Council is responsible for maintaining peace
and security in among countries.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank lend
money, on certain conditions, to governments when they need it.
Undemocracy (sic):
The 193-member General Assembly of the UN has no powers to
take decision in case of conflict between two countries.
In the 15-member Security Council of the UN, five countries
enjoy veto power (US, UK, Russia, France, China).
The 185 members of the IMF do not have equal voting rights.
54% of the voting power in the IMF rests with 10 countries
(US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, China, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Russia).
The President of the World Bank is always a citizen of the
US; he is nominated by the Treasury Secretary (Finance Minister) of the US.
The war by the US and UK against Iraq was not authorized by
the UN but they didn’t care.
In Iraq, after removing Saddam Hussein from power, the US
installed an interim government of its preference.
Democratization of a nation or the world is not an
incident;
it’s a process.
