Political Science: Democratic Politics and Institutions
Political Science: Democratic Politics and Institutions tests how constitutional rules and institutions shape participation, power and accountability.
What the exam tests
Questions test constitutional design, power sharing, federalism, Parliament, executive, judiciary, parties and elections. You must apply principles to situations, not just define them.
Core rules and concepts
- Democracy requires free and fair elections, rule of law, rights and accountability.
- Power sharing can be vertical (central–state–local), horizontal (legislature–executive–judiciary), among social groups and political parties.
- Federal features: two levels of government, division of powers, written constitution, supremacy of constitution, independent judiciary and bicameralism.
- Parliament: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; the executive is responsible to the Lok Sabha.
- Elections: universal adult franchise, secret ballot, electoral roll and model code; parties link government and people.
Worked example
A law on school education is passed by a state legislature, while defence is handled by the Union government. Identify the federal feature. Reasoning: this is division of legislative jurisdiction, supported by the Constitution's Union, State and Concurrent Lists. It is not merely decentralisation, because both levels derive powers from the constitution and neither can abolish the other.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling India 'purely federal'; it is often described as quasi-federal.
- Confusing decentralisation with federalism.
- Saying the Rajya Sabha is directly elected by the people.
- Treating a coalition as a separate constitutionally recognised system.