Practice Questions
Define 'Universal Adult Franchise'.
Formulate a concise argument justifying the power of the Election Commission to transfer government officials during the election period.
Name the independent body responsible for drawing up the boundaries of constituencies in India.
Solve for the composition of a 100-seat legislature if Party A gets 40% votes, Party B gets 35% votes, and Party C gets 25% votes under a PR system.
Justify the constitutional provision for an independent Delimitation Commission to draw constituency boundaries.
Recall the minimum age for a citizen to vote and to contest in Lok Sabha elections in India.
Compare the role of a voter in an FPTP system with their role in a list-based PR system as followed in Israel.
Contrast direct democracy with the representative democracy practiced in India.
Calculate the minimum quota of votes a candidate needs to win a Rajya Sabha election in a state where 240 MLAs are voting to elect 5 members.
Demonstrate how the independence of the Election Commission is secured by the constitutional provision for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
Evaluate the argument that lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1989 was a positive step for Indian democracy.
Formulate a single argument to justify why basic rules about elections are written in the constitution and not left to be decided by Parliament.
Justify the retention of the First Past the Post (FPTP) system by the makers of the Indian Constitution.
Identify the constitutional article that provides for an independent Election Commission in India.
List three key functions of the Election Commission of India.
Describe the composition of the Election Commission of India.
List any five basic rules about elections that are typically laid down in a democratic country's constitution.
Summarize the key differences between direct and indirect democracy.
Recall what the term 'separate electorate' meant in the Indian context.
Define the First Past the Post (FPTP) system of election.
Explain the concept of Proportional Representation (PR) as an election system.
Compare the First Past the Post (FPTP) system with the Proportional Representation (PR) system in terms of their impact on government stability.
Contrast the system of reserved constituencies adopted in India with the concept of 'separate electorates'.
Examine two key reasons why India's constitution makers adopted the FPTP system over the PR system for Lok Sabha elections.
Analyze why the Congress party won over 80% of Lok Sabha seats in 1984 with only 48% of the popular vote.
Apply your understanding of the FPTP system to explain why a party like the BJP in the 1984 election could get 7.4% of the vote but only 2 seats.
Analyze the statement: 'Not all elections are democratic'.
Examine why the constitution lays down basic rules about elections rather than leaving them to be decided by Parliament.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the First Past the Post (FPTP) system in providing stable governments in India since 1989, considering the rise of coalition politics.
Propose a reform to the appointment process of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners to enhance the perceived impartiality of the Election Commission.
Critique the effectiveness of the Model Code of Conduct, given its lack of statutory backing.
Evaluate whether the system of reserved constituencies for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) has successfully ensured their genuine political empowerment.
Critique the 'winner takes all' nature of the FPTP system from the perspective of a small political party with geographically dispersed support.
Propose a constitutional amendment regarding the removal of Election Commissioners to make them as secure in their tenure as the Chief Election Commissioner.
Design an alternative electoral system for a hypothetical small, multi-ethnic country that wishes to ensure both minority representation and a direct link between voters and representatives.
Critique the argument that a Proportional Representation (PR) system would be too complex for a large and diverse country like India.
Propose a mechanism to control the influence of money in elections beyond the existing expenditure limits.
Analyze the potential effects of a proposed electoral reform to bar candidates with pending criminal cases from contesting elections.
Examine the role of the Delimitation Commission in ensuring fair representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Analyze the constitutional provisions that ensure elections in India are free and fair.
Summarize the main drawback of the FPTP system as highlighted by the 1984 Lok Sabha election results.
Describe the system of 'reserved constituencies' adopted in India.
Formulate a proposal for ensuring greater representation of women in the Lok Sabha, going beyond the existing Women's Reservation Act.
Explain how members of the Rajya Sabha are elected.
Explain why the makers of the Indian Constitution adopted the FPTP system.