Types of participation in democracy

Democracy calls for involving every citizen in the decision-making process. In a democracy, every citizen chooses their representative through the process of elections. The elected representatives make policies on the behalf of the people. Sometimes the people like the policies and favor them and at other times people don�t approve of the policies formed by the government and oppose them. It might be settled peacefully through consensus but sometimes there are conflicts over the policies formed by the government.

In case of conflict, people organize mass protests against the government. In the case of Nepal and Bolivia, you have seen how people came together to protest against the establishment. However different kinds of organizations work behind these big struggles or uprisings. These organizations play their role in different ways.

Let us explore those ways!

Direct Participation

Indirect participation, the organizations try to influence the decisions in a democracy by directly participating in active politics. They themselves create new political parties and contest elections. They aim at forming good policies by being part of the government itself.

Another form of participation is Indirect Participation.

As you know, every citizen cannot form a political party. They don't have the necessary skills or the desire to take part in direct political activity. Their voice their demands by voting. However, these citizens can form organizations to voice their interests. These organizations promote the interests and the viewpoints of the member of the organization.

They are called pressure groups. They influence government policies without sharing political power. For example organization like India against corruption is one such organization, which through indirect participation in voicing their concerns.

Read More: Interest Groups: What are Interest Groups? - Class 10