Class 6 NCERT Solutions Civics Chapter 3 - What is Government?

'Government' can be defined as a group of people that governs a community or unit. It takes decisions and makes and enforces laws for the citizens of the country.

Five ways in which the government affects one's daily life are as follows:

 i. Supplying water and electricity

 ii. Building, maintaining and repairing roads

 iii. Providing a good public transport system

 iv. Fixing and reducing the prices of essential commodities

 v. Ensuring the proper functioning of its various administrations

It is necessary for the government to make rules for everyone in the form of laws because

1. When human beings live and work together, some kinds of decisions have to be made.
2. Rules have to be made to control the resources and protect the territory of a country so that people can be safe and secure.
3. The government wants to provide welfare measures to all without discrimination.
4. To administrate the country efficiently.

However, only making laws cannot make much of a difference. For the laws to have their effect, the government needs to have the power to make sure that the laws are followed by every individual and group. 

The two essential features of a democratic government are

(i) It is the government of the people, by the people and for the people, i.e. all adult citizens elect their representatives, who make and enforce laws on their behalf.

(ii) The elected representatives explain their actions and their decisions before the people who have elected them. 

The word suffrage means the 'right to vote'. The women and the poor people in Europe and USA had to fight to get the right to vote. It was not an easy struggle. The demand for the right to vote got strengthened during the First World War. During the war, as many men were away fighting, women were called upon to do work that was earlier considered men's work. Many women began managing different kinds of work. When people saw this, they began to wonder what all women were capable of doing. This led to the questioning of the many unfair stereotypes that had been created about women. Finally, after much struggle, American women got their right to vote in 1920, while women in the UK attained it in 1928.

I feel negative about not giving the right to vote to poor and illiterate people as it constitutes a form of discrimination. Every adult Indian citizen has a right to vote under the right to equality.

Five points to support these views are

1. True democracy supports equality and justice for all.
2. Every citizen is responsible for the country and voting is a way of being responsible towards the country.
3. Policies made by the government affect all, so everyone should get equal opportunity.
4. Being illiterate cannot be the reason for not allowing one to vote. An illiterate person can have strong character which may help him to understand what is good or bad for him and the country.

The right to vote is the birthright of every individual who has attained the age of eighteen or more.