Question 27 from UPSC CSE 2017 - Polity and
Governance

Question

Democracy's superior virtue lies in the fact that it calls into activity

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. the intelligence and character of ordinary men and women.

Strategy: Focus on the core value associated with democracy—participation and empowerment of ordinary citizens. The question's phrase 'superior virtue' signals a broader inclusion aspect, not just leadership or party activism. Highlighting the collective intelligence and character of the masses matches the essence of democracy, clearly making option A the correct answer.

Key Info: Democracy is a system of government where power ultimately rests with the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives. Its central virtue is fostering participation, deliberation, and empowerment among all citizens, ensuring their intelligence, conscience, and character shape public life and governance. The notion is deeply rooted in thinkers like John Dewey, who emphasized democracy as a way of life promoting shared inquiry and communal decision-making, and Abraham Lincoln's 'government of the people, by the people, for the people.' Contrasting models like autocracy or oligarchy concentrate decision-making, whereas democracy's legitimacy relies on participation beyond elites or select groups. Executive leadership (option B), charismatic individuals (option C), or party workers (option D) are consequential, but secondary to the foundational democratic value of involving ordinary citizens in statecraft and societal progress.

Answer

Option B: the methods for strengthening executive leadership.

Answer

Option C: a superior individual with dynamism and vision.

Answer

Option D: a band of dedicated party workers.