Class: IX (A & B)
Worksheet – 2
Year: 2016-17
NAME: ___________________________________
Topic: Democracy in the Contemporary World
Subject: Political Science
Date: __________________
Q A. Answer the following questions :
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20.
Salvador Allende was the President of which country?
Who led the military coup in Chile on 11th September 1973??
For whose help had President Allende made several policy decisions?
For how many years did General Augusto Pinochet rule the country?
Name one non-democratic feature of Pinochet’s rule.
Mention one democratic feature of Allende’s government in Chile.
Where is Chile situated?
Name any two reforms made by the President of Chile after the elections of 1970.
Which term describes the sudden overthrow of a government through illegal means?
Which country had supported the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet?
Who imposed Martial law in Poland in 1981?
Why did General Zaruzelski impose martial law in Poland, in December 1981?
Ans. General Zaruzelski imposed the martial law in Poland, December 1981 in an
effort to crush the Solidarity movement. Around one crore workers became its
members and people were trying to expose the government’s corruptive policies. So
out of anxiousness (nervousness) he took the step to impose the martial law.
What was the name given to the trade union which was formed after the Gdansk
Agreement in Poland?
In which country was the trade union called ‘Solidarity’ formed? Name its leader./
Who founded the Trade Union movement ‘Solidarity’?
What is meant by Solidarity?
Ans. The word solidarity stands for unity or harmony. It is for this reason; the union of
workers having common interests and purposes was given the name ‘Solidarity’.
Who supported and controlled the government of Poland in 1980?
What right was given to striking workers in Poland under the leadership of Lech
Walesa?
Ans. a. Right to form independent trade unions.
b. Right to strike.
Which leader wanted the market to be free from the government interference?
What was the nature of the Poland’s United Workers’ Party (The party that was helped
by USSR)?
Ans. Communist
What was the nature of the Lech Walesa’s Solidarity?
Ans. Socialist
21. Write the two basic principles of Democracy.
22. Who was Allende? What steps were taken by him after he was elected as the
President of Chile in 1970? What values one can imbibe from the steps taken? /
State any three policy decisions taken by Allende after being elected as the
President of Chile. / State any three reforms undertaken by Allende after forming
the government. Why his rule is called democratic?
Ans.
Allende was the founder of the Socialist Party of Chile and became the President of
Chile in 1970.
The policies or reforms made by him were in favour of poor and are –
Reform of the Educational System
Free milk for children
Redistribution of land to the landless farmers.
Opposed foreign companies taking away natural resources like copper away
from the country.
His rule was called democratic as
He was elected as the President
He was the President of a coalition Govt.
People were free to express themselves.
He made various reforms for the poor which were democratic in nature.
One can imbibe the value of Democracy from the steps taken by him like reform of the
Educational System, free milk for children, re-distribution of land to the landless
farmers.
23. Why were the rich and the landlords unhappy with President Allende? Give any
three reasons.
Ans. The rich and the landlords were unhappy with President Allende because
He opposed the foreign companies taking away the country’s natural resources
like copper.
He redistributed the land to the landless farmers.
He had made many other reforms like reforms to educational system, free milk
distribution etc which were in favour of poor and were disliked by the rich and
landlords.
24. Who was Pinochet? What made him unpopular in Chile? / Who led the military
coup in Chile? Describe the atrocities (violence) committed by him. / How did
General Augusto Pinochet establish military dictatorship in Chile?
Ans.
General Augusto Pinochet was an army General who led the military coup in
Chile in 1973.He became the President and ruled the country for 17 years.
Atrocities committed by him were - / The ways through which he had
established the Military Rule are - / He was unpopular as –
He established military dictatorship.
He tortured and killed those who supported Allende.
General Bachelet was killed and his wife and daughter were tortured and
imprisoned.
More than 3000 people were killed and many were reported missing under his
rule.
25. Mention any three major developments in Chile after the Military Coup of
September 1973.
Ans. Main developments in Chile after the Military Coup / (during Pinochet’s
dictatorship) were
Pinochet became the President.
Military Dictatorship was established.
The power shifted to military officers.
Supporters of Allende were tortured and killed.
More than 3000 were killed and many were missing.
He allowed the foreign interventions in his country.
Brutality and corruption were widespread.
26. How was democracy restored in Chile? / How did Pinochet’s military dictatorship
come to an end? Explain. / Highlight any three developments in Chile after the
referendum held by Pinochet in 1988.
Ans.
Pinochet’s military dictatorship came to an end after he decided to hold a
referendum in 1988 about continuation of his rule. He was sure to win the
referendum but the people of Chile had not forgotten the taste of democracy that
Allende had given them. Their vote was a decisive ‘no’ to Pinochet’s rule. This led
Pinochet lose his political powers first and then his military powers.
Political freedom was restored. Army’s role in the government was eliminated.
Since then Chile had seen four presidential elections in which different political
parties have participated.
General Bachelet’s daughter, Michelle Bachelet who was tortured and imprisoned
during Pinochet’s rule became the President of Chile in January 2006.
The elected government ordered enquiries into Pinochet’s rule.
27. Can Chile under Pinochet’s rule be called a democratic country? Support your
answer with three arguments.
Ans. No, Chile under Pinochet’s rule can’t be called a democratic country as
Pinochet became the President through a military coup, not through elections.
His government tortured and killed more than 3000 people who supported Allende
and wanted to restore democracy.
No one had freedom of expression. People were imprisoned or punished on trivial
( minor / small ) offence.
28. Which freedoms are usually taken away when a democracy is overthrown by
military?
Text book Q - 6
29. Describe the three demands of the workers of Lenin Shipyard during their strike
which started in August 1980 in Poland. / State any three features of 21 Points
Agreement signed by the striking workers in Poland.
Ans. The three demands of the workers of Lenin Shipyard during their strike which started
in August 1980 in Poland were –
Formation of independent trade union.
Release of political prisoners.
End to censorship on press.
( These were also the main features of the 21 points Agreement that took place
between the government and the striking workers of Gdansk.)
30. Walesa soon emerged as a leader of the striking workers in Poland. Identify three
qualities that helped them to lead the strike.
Ans. The values that helped Walesa to lead the strike in Poland were –
His ability to win the trust and confidence of the people.
His love for freedom and democracy.
His determination to provide justice to the people.
31. Write a short note on the formation of ‘Solidarity’ – a trade union in Poland.
Ans. On 14th August 1980, the workers in Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk, Poland
went on a strike as they wanted the government to take back a woman crane operator
who was unjustly dismissed from the service.
Lech Walesa, an electrician who was dismissed earlier joined the strikers and became
the leader due to his leadership qualities. Under his leadership the strike spread across
the city and became so popular that the Government had to give in. The government
had to accept the 21 points Agreement with Lech Walesa and then after, a new
independent trade union called ‘Solidarity’ was formed.
32. Analyze three reasons for the popularity of Solidarity in Poland.
Ans.
Solidarity was the first trade union formed in any communist state with one crore
members within a year. It was formed after 21 points Agreement with the
government.
Strikes were organized at national level as many members were put in jail.
During free elections in 1998, it consisted for 100 seats in the Senate out of which it
won 99.
33. Describe any three features of the Communist Party Rule in Poland.
Ans.
No other political party is allowed to function except the Communists.
The people were denied the right to choose their leader.
People were denied the right to freedom of speech (they can’t criticize the leader or
the government).
34. What difficulties do people face in non-democratic conditions?
Text book Q 5
35. State two differences and two similarities between Pinochet’s rule in Chile and the
Communist Rule in Poland.
Ans. Venn diagram
36. Describe the different approaches of three governments namely : Allende’s in
Chile, Walesa’s in Poland and Michelle’s in Chile towards socio-economic matters
of their respective countries.
Ans. Allende’s government in Chile – preferred the government control over all big
industries and economy.
Walesa’s Government in Poland – wanted the market to be free from the government
control.
Michelle’s government in Chile – preferred the mixed economy.
37. Name the region where expansion of democracy took place in the beginning.
Ans. In the beginning the expansion of democracy took place in Europe, N.America and
Latin America.
38. When did the expansion of democracy take place at its maximum?
Ans. The expansion of the democracy took place the maximum in the last quarter of the 20th
Century i.e. between 1975-2000 (mainly after 1980).
39. Name a country where there was democracy at first, then it was overthrown and
again it had been restored.
Ans. Chile and Pakistan.
40. When was the power of monarchy and feudal lords reduced in Britain?
Ans. The power of monarchy and feudal lords was reduced in Britain during the 18 th and the
19th centuries due to a series of events.
41. What is ‘universal adult franchise’ or ‘universal suffrage’?
The right to vote granted to every citizen irrespective of his / her caste, colour, sex,
religion or economic status is known as the ‘universal adult franchise’ or ‘universal
suffrage’. It means one person –one vote.
42. What were the criteria for Right to vote in the initial phase of democracy?
Ans. Initially the right to vote was not given to every citizen. It was given only to the people
who owned land or property. Women were not given the right to vote. Even the blacks
in countries like U.S.A. were not having the right.
43. Where was the universal adult franchise granted for the first time?
Ans. It was granted for the first time in New Zealand.
44. State any two features that led to the spread of democracy.
Ans. The two features that led to the spread of democracy were –
People’s struggle
End of Colonialism
45. Who was Kwame Nkrumah? State two of his achievements. Also write why he was
overthrown.
Kwame Nkrumah, the son of a goldsmith and himself a teacher, was active in the
independence of his country, Ghana – a British Colony under the name – the Gold
Coast.
His achievements –
He became the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana after
independence.
He was an inspiration for democrats in Africa.
He was overthrown by a military coup as there was restlessness among people. This
was due to the fact that he got himself elected as a President for the lifetime.
46. Do you think it is good to elect someone President for a lifetime? Why?
Ans. No, it is not good to elect someone as a President for the lifetime as it would be no
different than the dictatorship. People should have freedom to choose their leaders after
every few years as if the leader doesn’t perform they can replace him with a better
option. It is for this reason only it is better to hold regular elections after every few
years.
47. When was the Soviet Union disintegrated? It had been disintegrated into how
many countries?
Ans. Soviet Union was disintegrated in 1991 into 15 independent countries.
48. Who was Aung San Suu Kyi? State a few of her achievements.
Ans. Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar.
She won the elections in 1990 but the military leaders in Myanmar refused to step
down and declared the elections illegal. She was kept under the house arrest. Despite
this she continued campaigning for the democracy and was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1991. She had got the international recognition due to her campaign for
democracy.
49. Why has democracy spread throughout the world in the last 100 years and so?
Ans. Democracy has spread throughout the world in the last 100 years and so due to
following reasons :
Democracy was first established in Europe, N. America and Latin America.
French Revolution had inspired many struggles for democracy all over the world.
Gradual reduction in the powers of monarchy and feudal lords promoted
democracy.
Struggle by the working classes for the equality, freedom and justice led the
promotion of democracy.
End of colonialism in many countries after the Second World War had resulted in
the spread of democracy.
Disintegration of the USSR too caused the spread of democracy in its constituent
Republics and the Eastern Europe.
By 2005 nearly 140 countries were holding multi-party elections.
50. Who makes laws and rules to govern the seas that do not fall in the boundary of
any country? / Who controls the environmental degradation at the world level? /
Who makes the international laws?
Ans. The United Nations, an international organization performs the above mentioned jobs.
51. What is United Nations?
Ans. The United Nations is a global association of nations of the world to help cooperation
in international law, security, economic development and social equity. The UN
Secretary General is its chief administrative officer. It has various organs –
General Assembly
The Security Council
The international court of Justice
The Secretariat
The Economic and Social Council
Trusteeship Council
52. Who lends money to the governments when they need it? On what criteria do they
lend money?
Ans. International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank lend the money to the
government when they need it.
Before lending they ask the respective government to show its accounts and to make
certain changes in its economic policies.
53.
What is UN Security Council? What does it do? How many countries are
members in the Security Council?
Ans.
UN Security Council, an organ of UN, is responsible for maintaining peace and
security among the countries.
It can put together an international army and take action against the wrong doer.
It tries to resolve conflicts between different countries.
15 Countries are the members of the Security Council out of which 5(U.S.A.,
Russia, France, Brazil and China are the permanent members and rest of the 10 are
elected every two years.
54.
Is IMF democratic in nature?
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is one of the biggest moneylenders in the
world.
Its 185 member countries do not have equal voting rights.
The vote of each country is weighed by how much money it has contributed to
the IMF.
More than 52% of the voting power in the IMF is in the hands of the10 countries
who contribute the maximum.
These points prove that IMF is non-democratic in nature.
55.
What is veto power? Who enjoys it?
The right of a person, party or a country to stop a certain decision or law is called
veto. The word comes from Latin, which means ‘I Forbid’. A veto gives unlimited
powers to stop a decision, but not to adopt one.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council – USA, Russia, UK,
France and China have veto powers.
56. Write a short note on the Arab Socialist Ba’th Party.
The Arabic word Ba’th means renaissance. Saddam Husain, one of its leading
leaders, led a military coup in 1968 and brought the party at power.
Ba’th government had abolished the traditional Islamic laws and gave women the
right to vote and several other freedoms not granted in other Islamic countries.
In 1979, Saddam became the President of Iraq and ran a dictatorial government. He
suppressed any opposition to his rule and got killed the political opponents.
US had accused him of possessing the nuclear and chemical weapons. Despite of
UN clearing of not having the same, US and its allies invaded Iraq and removed
Saddam from power in 2003.
The USA had installed an interim (temporary) government of its preference that had
gained profits to US multinationals.
Kofi Annan, the then UN Secretary General stated the US war on Iraq was illegal.
57. Do international organizations function in a democratic way? Explain with
reasons.
Ans. No, the international organizations do not function in a democratic way as
The General Assembly is not entitled to take any decisions for conflict resolution
between member countries.
The power for the same lies with the 15 members Security Council which has 5
Permanent members with veto powers. The 10 others are elected by the General
Assembly for every 2 years. So, the real power is with 5 Permanent Members – US,
Russia, UK, France and China.
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the biggest moneylenders do not
have equal voting rights for its 188 members.
52% of its voting rights are with 10 countries who contributed the maximum to its
funds.
The President of the World Bank had always been nominated by the Treasury
Secretary (Finance Minister) of US.
The USA had installed an interim (temporary) government of its preference that had
gained profits to US multinationals.
Kofi Annan, the then UN Secretary General stated the US war on Iraq was illegal.