Explaining the Democratic System of Government

10. Some of the drawbacks of democracy are:

a. Instability and delays

b. Corruption and hypocrisy

c. Politicians fighting among themselves

d. All of the above

12. The phenomenon of self-correcting mechanism, as found in the marketplace, seems to be missing in the case of government. True or False.

a. True

b. False

13. Who wrote: “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all of the other forms which have been tried from time to time.”

a. J.M. Keynes

b. Sir Winston Churchill

c. Margaret Thatcher

14. In some cases, like the case of well-organized special interests or pork-barrel legislation, a democratic government may seek to enact economically unwise projects or programs. True or False. 

a. True

b. False

15. Consider the following statements with respect to the interrelationship between markets and government.

a. Markets are extraordinarily useful and flexible institutions through which society can allocate its scarce resources.

b. Markets may sometimes produce unwanted results.

c. while the government may play a useful role in addressing the problems of markets, government action is also imperfect and may not reflect majority views.

d. All of the above statements are true. 

1. Most developed countries today have a democratic system of government wherein:

a. citizens express their opinions through votes and those votes affect the direction of the country. 

b. citizens express their opinions through attending the congress sittings.

2. The advantage of democracy over other systems is that it allows everyone in a society an equal say. True or False.

a. False

b. True

3. Democracy is sometimes summed up (and oversimplified) in two words:

a. Majority rule

b. Elected representation 

c. Majority vote

4. The ______________________ argues that politicians will try to match policies to what pleases the median voter preferences. 

a. middle voter preference theory

b. median voter theory

5. Condorcet's rule is not always decisive. There is no Condorcet winner if A beats B, B beats C, and C beats A. This is called a _____________.

a. voting circle

b. voting cycle

6. One person, One vote means:

a. One person is to be voted by all.

b. One person has one vote and each vote has one value.

c. A person can vote only once in his life.

d. Both a and c

7. Democracy must be based on:

a. One party system

b. Free and fair elections

c. Choice from only the ruling party 

d. All of the above

8. Democracy improves the quality of decision making because:

a. Decisions are taken by educated people.

b. Decisions are taken by consultation and discussion.

c. Decisions are taken over a long period of time.

d. All decisions are approved by the judiciary

9. How does democracy allow us to correct its own mistakes?

a. Mistakes are hidden and cannot be corrected.

b. Reelecting the same government to enable to correct its mistakes.

c. The ruler can be changed.

d. None of the above

11. A democratic  government is  better than a non-democratic government because:

a. It may or may not be accountable.

b. It always responds to the needs of the people.

c. It is a more accountable form of government.

d. None of the above