Political Science · Political Theory
UGC NET July 2018 Political Science
Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A): The system of democracy recognises the equality of all people and stands for the government of common people.
Reason (R): It is commonly believed that government is largely controlled and managed by the power elite.
ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A ✓ Correct
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
Correct answer: (B) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true: democracy rests on the equality of all people and stands for government by the common people, that is popular sovereignty.
Explanation
★The assertion is true: democracy rests on the equality of all people and stands for government by the common people, that is popular sovereignty.
★The reason is also true as an observation, since it is widely believed that government is in practice controlled by a small power elite.
★This elite critique is famously made by C. Wright Mills in The Power Elite (1956), who saw military, corporate and political leaders concentrating power.
★However, the claim that a power elite actually controls government does not explain the principle that democracy means government by the people.
★The assertion states an ideal while the reason offers a practical critique of it, so they do not stand in an explanatory relation.
★So both statements are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
Want more like this? Create a free account to practise a full test, track your progress, and get spaced-repetition review.
Shared by Mcqkart · via Mcqkart.in