# Grassroots Democracy – Part 1

## Overview

This chapter introduces the concept of governance and democracy, focusing on how rules and laws are made and followed in society. It explains the three organs of government — legislature, executive, and judiciary — and how they function at different levels: local, state, and national. It also introduces the idea of **representative democracy**, where people elect their leaders, and emphasizes the role of citizens in maintaining democratic governance.

## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Understanding Governance

* **Governance** is the process of making decisions and ensuring people follow rules.
* **Government** is the system or group responsible for making and enforcing rules.
* Rules exist in all aspects of life — home, school, workplace, and society.
* **Laws** are important rules that are officially recognized and enforced.

### 2. Three Organs of Government

* **Legislature**: Makes laws; consists of elected representatives.

* **Executive**: Implements laws; includes President/Prime Minister at national level and Chief Ministers at state level.

* **Judiciary**: Decides if laws are broken and ensures justice; includes courts.

* These three organs function independently but coordinate through a system called **separation of powers** to maintain checks and balances.

### 3. Three Levels of Government

Governments function at:

* **Local level**: Municipalities and Panchayats — solve community-level problems.
* **State level**: State governments — handle broader issues within the state.
* **National level**: Central government — manages the country’s overall governance.

Each level has specific responsibilities, especially during emergencies like floods or pandemics.

### 4. Representative Democracy

* Democracy means **“rule by the people”**, but citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.

* Representatives:

* At state level: MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly)
* At national level: MPs (Members of Parliament)

* Decisions are taken by voting and majority rule.

* India is the **largest democracy** in the world with more than 970 million voters (as of 2024).

### 5. Role of Citizens

* In a **grassroots democracy**, citizens participate in decision-making at local levels.
* Everyone, including youth, has a role in shaping a better society.
* Governance is not possible without the active participation and awareness of citizens.

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**New Terms and Their Meanings**

| Term | Simple Definition |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Governance | Managing a society with rules and decisions |
| Government | Group or system that makes and enforces laws |
| Legislature | Part of government that makes or changes laws |
| Executive | Part of government that carries out the laws |
| Judiciary | Part of government that interprets the laws and gives justice |
| Democracy | System where people have the power to choose their leaders |
| Representative | Someone chosen to act or speak on behalf of others |
| Separation of Powers | Division of government into parts that check each other’s actions |
| Nominal Head | A leader who holds a position in name but doesn’t exercise real power regularly |
| Voting | A process where people choose by showing their choice, usually through a vote |

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**Practice Questions**

### Easy (3)

1. **What is the meaning of democracy?**
*Democracy means rule by the people, where people choose their leaders.*

2. **What does the judiciary do?**
*It ensures laws are followed and decides punishments if laws are broken.*

3. **Name one function of the local government.**
*Maintaining roads and drainage in a village or town.*

### Medium (2)

4. **Why do we have three organs in the government?**
*To divide power so that no single group can misuse it — each organ checks the other.*

5. **What is the importance of voting in a democracy?**
*Voting allows citizens to choose their leaders and influence how the country is governed.*

### Difficult (3)

6. **Explain the role of the executive in a government.**
*The executive enforces laws. It includes leaders like the Prime Minister, ministers, and police.*

7. **How is direct democracy different from representative democracy?**
*In direct democracy, people directly make decisions. In representative democracy, they elect leaders to decide for them.*

8. **Give one example each of the three levels of government solving a problem.**
*Local: fixing a broken streetlight, State: managing flood relief in districts, Central: making national policies like education.*

### Very Difficult (2)

9. **What might happen if the same group controls all three organs of the government?**
*It can lead to misuse of power, unfair decisions, and no justice as there is no one to stop them.*

10. **Describe how a cybercrime case involves all three government organs.**
*Legislature makes cyber laws, Executive (police) catches the criminal, Judiciary decides punishment.*

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