Cynesure Institute
Civics
NOTES
Class 9
Democracy In The Contemporary World
1. Who was Salvador Allende?
 Salvador Allende was the President of Chile, a country in South America.
 He was the founder and leader of the Socialist Party of Chile and led the Popular Unity
coalition to victory in the presidential election in 1970.
2. What were the reforms introduced by Allende in Chile?
 The President, Allende had taken several policy decisions to help the poor and the
workers.
 These included reform of the educational system, free milk for children and redistribution
of land to the landless farmers.
 He was opposed to foreign companies taking away natural resources like copper from the
country.
 The landlords, the rich and the Church opposed his policies. Some other political parties
in Chile also opposed his government.
3. Why did the landlords and capitalists oppose the policies of Allende?
 The Landlords and Capitalists did not like the socialist policies like the redistribution of
land to the landless farmers.
 He was a supporter of socialism.
4. What setback did democracy face in Chile? Or How did General Pinochet come to power
in Chile?
 A popularly elected democratic government was overthrown in Chile on 11 September
1973 by a military coup. General Augusto Pinochet , an Army general, led the coup.
 The government of the United States of America was unhappy with Allende’s rule and is
known to have supported and funded activities that led to the coup.
 Pinochet became the President of the country and ruled it for the next 17 years.
5. Why was the U.S.A unhappy with Allende’s rule in Chile?
 USA supported capitalism and was against socialism.
 It did not like the spread of socialism in the world. But Allende followed socialist
principles and opposed capitalism.
 Therefore the U.S.A was unhappy with Allende’s rule in Chile.
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Why did the U.S.A. support and fund the military coup in Chile? (Answer above)
6. Describe the reign of terror let lose by Pinochet, in Chile, soon after coming to power.
 Pinochet’s government tortured and killed several of those who supported Allende and
those who wanted democracy to be restored.
 These included General Alberto Bachelet of the Chilean Air Force and many other
officers who refused to join the coup. General Bachelet’s wife and daughter were put in
prison and tortured. More than 3,000 people were killed by the military.
 Many more were reported ‘missing’. No one knows what happened to them.
7. How was democracy restored in Chile?
 Pinochet’s military dictatorship came to an end after he decided to hold a referendum in
1988. He felt confident that in this referendum, the people would say ‘yes’ to his
continuing in power. But the people of Chile had not forgotten their democratic
traditions.
 Their vote was a decisive ‘no’ to Pinochet. This led to Pinochet losing first his political
and then his military powers. Political freedom was restored.
 Since then Chile has held four presidential elections in which different political parties
have participated.
 Slowly, the army’s role in the country’s government has been eliminated. The elected
governments came to power and democracy was restored.
8. How did the hope that Allende expressed in his last address come true?
When democracy was overthrown , the hope Allende expressed in his last address was
realized when democracy was restored. Felony, cowardice and treason were finally punished.
Political freedom was restored.
9. Who was Michelle Bachelet?
 Michelle Bachelet was the daughter of General Alberto Bachelet of the Chilean Air Force
who was tortured by General Phinotche.
 Michelle Bachelet (pronounced Mishel Bashelet), was elected President of Chile in
January 2006.
 A medical doctor and a moderate socialist, Michelle became the first woman to be a
Defence Minister in Latin America.
10. Describe the political conditions in Poland in the 1980s.
 In 1980s Poland was ruled by the Polish United Workers’ Party.
 This was one of the many communist parties that ruled in several countries of East
Europe at that time. In these countries, no other political party was allowed to function.
 The people could not freely choose the leaders of the communist party or the
government.
 Those who spoke against the leaders or the party or the government were put in prison.
 The government in Poland was supported and controlled by the government of the Soviet
Union (USSR), a vast and powerful communist state.
11. Name the two political organizations in Poland.
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The Polish United Workers’ Party and a new trade union called Solidarity (Solidarnosc in
Polish) were the two political organizations in Poland.
12. Why did the workers of Lenin Shipyard in the city of ‘Gdansk’ go on a strike in August
1940? Why was it illegal?
 The workers of Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk ( Dannzig in German) went on a
strike in August 1940 to take back a crane operator, a woman worker, who was unjustly
dismissed from service.
 This strike was illegal, because trade unions independent of the ruling party were not
allowed in Poland.
13. Who was Lech Walesa ? How did he become the leader of workers on strike and later
the President of Poland?
 Lech Walesa (pronounced Lek Walesha), was dismissed from service in 1976 for
demanding higher pay in Poland.
 Walesa joined the strikes and soon emerged as the leader of the striking workers.
14. What were the demands of the workers of Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk?
 They wanted to take back a crane operator, a woman worker, who was unjustly dismissed
from service across the whole city.
 Later under Lech Walesa they demanded the right to form independent trade unions.
 They also demanded the release of political prisoners and an end to censorship on press.
15. Write any two conditions of the 21 point agreement signed between the workers led by
Walesa and the Government led by General Jaruzelski.
 The 21-point agreement with the government ended their strike.
 The government agreed to recognize the workers’ right to form independent trade unions
and their right to strike.
 After the Gdansk agreement was signed, a new trade union called Solidarity
(Solidarnoscin Polish) was formed.
 It was the first time an independent trade union wasformed in Poland.
16. Why did General Jaruzelski impose martial law on Poland in December 1981?
 Within a year of its formation the trade union Solidarity swept across Poland and had
about one crore members.
 Revelations of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the government made
matters worse for the rulers. The government, led by General Jaruzelski, grew anxious
and imposed martial law in December 1981.
 Thousands of Solidarity members were put in prison. Freedom to organise, protest and
express opinions was once again taken away.
17. What were the favourable conditions in Poland during 1989 and 1990 for a change
in Government? Or How did Poland become a democratic country?
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 Another wave of strikes after the Gdansk strike, again organised by Solidarity, began in
1988. This time the Polish government was weaker, the support from Soviet Union
uncertain and the economy was in decline.
 Another round of negotiations with Walesa resulted in an agreement in April 1989 for
free elections. Solidarity contested all the 100 seats of the Senate and won 99 of them.
 In October 1990, Poland had its first presidential elections in which more than one party
could contest.
 Walesa was elected the President of Poland.
18. What are the two important features of democracy?
 Democracy is a form of government that allows people to choose their rulers.
 In a democracy, only leaders elected by people should rule the country.
 The people have the freedom to express views, freedom to organize and freedom to
protest.
19. What were the differences between the two non-democratic rules in Chile and Poland?
 There were many differences between Pinochet’s rule in Chile and the communist rule in
Poland.
 Chile was ruled by a military dictator, while Poland was ruled by a political party.
 The government of Poland claimed that it was ruling on behalf of the working classes.
 Pinochet made no such claim and openly favoured big capitalists.
20. What were the common features of the two non-democratic rules in Chile and
Poland?
 The people could not choose or change their rulers.
 There was no real freedom to express one’s opinions, form political associations and
organize protests and political action.
21. What were the differences in the two democratic governments in Chile and the other in
Poland with regard to their approach towards social and economic matters? What are
their basic features?
 Allende preferred government control on all big industries and the economy.
 Walesa wanted the market to be free of government interference.
 Michelle stands somewhere in the middle on this issue.
 Yet these three governments shared some basic features.
 Power was exercised by governments elected by the people and not by the army,
unelected leaders or any external power.
 The people enjoyed some basic political freedoms.
(The Remaining areas of the Chapter is meant for assignment and not for any TESTS)
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS [1 MARK]
Q.1.“Workers of my homeland! I have faith in Chile and its future...... It will
be a moral lesson to
castigatefelony, cowardice, and treason.” Who said this?
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(a) General Augusto Pinochet (b) General Alberto Bachelet (c) Salvador Allende (d)
Michelle Bachelet
Q.2. When did the military coup take place in Chile?
(a) 12 Sept. 1973 (b) 11 Sept. 1973 (c) 11 Sept. 1974 (d) None of the above
Q.3. Who led the military coup in Chile in 1973?
(a) General Alberto Bachelet (b) Michelle Bachelet (c) General Augusto Pinochet (d)
Salvador Allende
Q.4.What is a referendum?
(a) A vote of all the people on an important national issue (b) A vote of educated
population
(c) A vote of men only (d) None of the above
Q.5. Who was elected as President of Chile in Jan. 2006?
(a) Michelle Bachelet (b) General Bachelet (c) General Pinochet (d) None of the above
Q.6.Which party ruled in Poland in 1980?
(a) Polish Workers Party (b) Polish Party
(c) Polish United Workers’ Party (d) None of the above
Q.7.The workers of Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk went on a strike on
(a) 14 Aug 1980 (b) 15 Aug 1980 (c) 14 Sept 1980 (d) None of the above
Q.8. Who was the leader of the Solidarity Movement in Poland?
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(a) Pinochet (b) Lech Walesa (c) Jaruzelski (d) None of the above
Q.9.The three governments of Allende’s Chile, Walesa’s Poland and
Michelle’s Chile had a
(a) Democratic form of government (b) Martial law
(c) Communist form of government (d) All the above
Q.10. Which Revolution inspired many struggles for democracy all over
Europe?
(a) Russian Revolution (b) American Revolution
(c) French Revolution (d) Both (a) and (b)
Q.11.What is meant by Universal Adult Franchise?
(a) Right to vote to property owners (b) Right to vote to women
(c) Right to vote to all adults (d) Right to vote to blacks
Q.12. When did Ghana become independent and from whom?
(a) 1956, Dutch (b) 1957, France (c) 1957, Britain (d) 1958, Germany
Q.13.After Independence, who became the first Prime Minister and then the
President ofGhana?
(a) Patrice Lumamba (b) Jomo Kenyatta (c) Sam Nujoma (d) Kwame Nkrumah
Q.14. When did Myanmar attain independence and what type of
government did it adopt?
(a) 1946, communist (b) 1948, democracy (c) 1947, democracy (d) 1948, dictatorship
Q.15.Which award has been won by Suu Kyi?
(a) Literary Award (b) Oscar Award (c) Nobel Peace Prize (d) None of the above
Q.16.Which organ of the U.N. is responsible for maintaining peace and
security among the countries?
(a) General Assembly (b) Security Council (c) International Court of Justice (d) All the
above
Q.17. Name the body of the U.N. which acts like a Parliament.
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(a) General Assembly (b) Security Council (c) International Court of Justice (d) Social
and Economic Council
Q.18. How many members does the Security Council consist of?
(a) 5 (b) 10 (c) 15 (d) 20
Q.19. Name the five permanent members of the Security Council.
(a) US, Germany, France, China, Italy (b) US, Britain, Germany, Italy, France
(c) US, France, Switzerland, China, Russia (d) US, France, Britain, Russia, China
Q.20.Which country contributes most of the money to U.N.?
(a) U.K. (b) France (c) U.S.A. (d) China
Q.21.The President of the World Bank has always been from
(a) U.K. b) U.S.A. (c) France (d) Russia
Q.22.Which party ruled Iraq since 1968?
(a) Baa’th Party (b) Socialist Baa’th Party (c) Arab Socialist Baa’th Party (d) None of the
above
Q.23.What is the territory under the immediate political control of another
state called?
(a) Communist state (b) Colony (c) Democratic state (d) none of the above
Q.24.Which one of the following does not lead to the spread of democracy?
(a) Struggle by the people (b) End of colonialism
(c) People’s desire for freedom (d) Invasion by foreign countries
25. Which one of the following situations is democratic?
(a) General Pinochet, an Army General of Chile, led a coup and became the President of
the country.
(b) In China, always the Communist Party only wins in elections and forms the
government.
(c) The government led by Jaruzelski in Poland, imposed martial law and imprisoned
thousands of Solidarity
members who took part in strike.
(d) The African National Congress of South Africa drew up a constitution which gave
most extensive rights to its citizns.
26. Which one of the following countries is not a permanent member of UN
Security Council?
(a) China (b) France (c) Japan (d) Russia
27. How many member states are there in the International Monetary
Fund?
(a) 173 (b) 192 (c) 200 (d) 190
28. Which country among the following was the only country by 1900,
where every citizen had voting right?
(a) Australia (b) New Zealand (c) Poland (d) USA
29. Which country supported and controlled the Autocratic government in
Poland?
(a) USA (b) China (c) Russia (d) UK
30. What is the total number of members in the UN General Assembly?
(a) 200 (b) 190 (c) 193 (d) 205
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31. Who among the following in UN has always been a citizen of the US?
(a) Treasury Secretary (b) President of the World Bank
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(c) Finance Secretary (d) Secretary General
32. Which of the following countries was the first to give universal adult
suffrage?
(a) New Zealand (b) Britain (c) India (d) USA
33. Which of the following does not lead to the spread of democracy?
(a) Struggle by people (b) Invasion by foreign country
(c) End of colonialism (d) People’s desire for freedom
34. Who was the leader of Solidarity Movement in Poland?
(a) Michelle Bachelete (b) Salvador Allende (c) Lech Walesa (d) Pinochet
35. Why was International Monetary Fund established?
(a) To maintain peace and security among the countries
(b) Lends money to governments of member nations when in need
(c) To implement and formulate trade agreements
(d) To take decision regarding misery and poverty of western countries
36. In Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi led
(a) National Congress (b) United Workers Party
(c) Communist Party (d)TheNational League for Democracy
37. First Prime Minister of Ghana :
(a) Augusto Pinochet (b) Nkrumah (c) General Bachelet (d) Allende
38. Strike the odd one out:
(a) General Assembly (b) International Court of Justice (c) Security Council (d) Veto
39. How many member countries are there in Security Council of UN?
(a) 25 (b) 20 (c) 15 (d) 10
40. Name of the leader in Myanmar put under house arrest is:
(a) Ban Kimoon (b) Uthan (c) Aung San Suu Kyi (d) Khalida Zia
ANSWERS.M.C.Qs. [1 MARK]
1 (c) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 (a)5 (a) 6 (c) 7 (a) 8 (b) 9 (a) 10 (c) 11 (c) 12 (c) 13 (b) 14 (b) 15 (c)
16(b) (17 (a) 18 (c)
19 (d) 20 (c) 21 (b) 22 (c) 23 (b) 24 (d) 25 (d) 26 (c) 27 (a) 28 (b) 29 (c) 30 (c) 31 (b)
32 (a) 33(b) 34 (c) 35
(b) 36 (d) 37 (b) 38 (d) 39 (c) 40 (c)
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