Flash Cards: Grassroots Democracy — Part 1: Governance

Governance is the process of taking decisions, organizing society's life with different sets of rules, and ensuring that they are followed.

A government is needed to create and enforce rules and laws that maintain order and harmony in society.

The three organs of government are the legislature (makes laws), the executive (implements laws), and the judiciary (interprets laws).

The legislature makes new laws and may update or remove existing ones.

The executive enforces laws and manages the day-to-day operations of government.

The judiciary decides if laws are broken and determines appropriate consequences and checks on other branches.

Separation of powers is a principle that ensures the three branches of government operate independently while checking each other.

The three levels of government are local, state, and national.

Grassroots democracy allows citizens to participate in decision-making processes affecting their lives at local levels.

Representation in democracy means that elected officials act on behalf of the citizens who voted for them.

Voting is a method of decision-making in which citizens express their preferences on an issue or candidate.

MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) are elected representatives at the state level in India.

MPs (Members of Parliament) are elected representatives at the national level in India.

Laws are formal rules created by the government to regulate the behavior of citizens and maintain order.

Checks and balances prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful by allowing each branch to monitor the others.

The motto is 'Satyameva Jayate', meaning 'Truth alone triumphs'.

Direct democracy allows all citizens to vote directly on laws and policies, without intermediaries.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a renowned Indian scientist and the 11th President of India, known for his contributions to space and missile programs.

Local government addresses community-specific issues and makes decisions that directly affect local populations.