PYQ Vault · Paper 1 · Democracy

Explicate the feature of representative democracy.

How the answer moves

The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.

Flow snapshot — how the answer moves
Intro routes

Route 1 elected delegation replaces direct rule → practical form for large modern states

Route 2 second-best to direct democracy, yet most workable → rests on consent and trust

Body flow

Locke: consent/trust → Mill: ideal modern form → defining feature = delegated decision-making by elected reps → checked by free elections + accountability → rule of law + rights (speech, assembly, religion) → Montesquieu: separation of powers/checks → Tocqueville: associations + pluralism keep participation alive → two models: trusteeship + Burke’s enlightened representation

Counter-view

same delegation → elite capture, weak accountability between elections, underrepresentation

Conclusion routes

Route 1 features make delegated rule both workable and accountable

Route 2 limits met through transparency, inclusivity, stronger accountability

Model answer

Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.

Handwritten model answer — UPSC PSIR 2016, Democracy