.svg)
In 2004 a report published in the USA pointed to the increasing inequalities in that country. Inequalities in income are reflected in the participation of people in democracy. It also shaped their abilities to influence the decisions taken by the government. The report highlighted that:
I. If an average Black family earns $ 100 then the income of an average White family is $ 162. A White family has twelve times more wealth than the average Black family.
II. In a President's election nearly 9 out of 10 individuals in families with income over $ 75,000 have voted. These people are the top 20% of the population in terms of their income. On the other hand, only 5 people out of 10 from families with income less than $ 15,000 have voted. They are the bottom 20% of the population in terms of their income.
III. About 95% contribution to the political parties comes from the rich. This gives them the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns, which is not available to most citizens.
IV. As poor sections participate less in politics, the government does not listen to their concerns – coming out of poverty, getting jobs, education, health care and housing for them. Politicians hear most regularly about the concerns of business persons and the rich. Write an essay on ‘Democracy and Poverty’ using the information given in this report but using examples from India.
For the welfare and development of the common people, democracy is the only way of rule. But in the present scenario democracy is being used for the benefit of a few people who have wealth, education and facilities. This difference between rich and poor is increasing day by day. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Rich people can use all sorts of government facilities while poor people are deprived of these facilities. We cannot deny that Poverty has a direct impact on democracy. Modern democracy is run by the rich people of society. They control the media and use it for their good. This influence of rich people on politics can be easily seen in countries like the USA, England and India. In India, mostly rich people have the power to contest elections. The votes of poor people are bought and sold. So, the unfair means and unfair use of money in the elections should be stopped. Then only, real democracy will be established and the focus will be shifted to the problems of poor people.
.avif){kind=small}
.svg){kind=logo}
