Procedural democracy
Topic: Democracy: Forms of Government, Principles and Outcomes · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Procedural democracy judges democracy by its procedures. These are competitive elections, universal franchise (every adult can vote) and majority rule. If these rules are followed, the country counts as a democracy. Joseph Schumpeter set out this view in 1942.
Example
India meets the procedural test on a huge scale. It had about 96.8 crore voters in 2024, more than 10 lakh polling stations including single-voter booths, and turnout of about 65.8% in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. On this view alone, such elections make India a democracy.
Don't confuse with
- Substantive democracy: this asks whether people actually enjoy equality, justice and dignity, not just whether the voting rules are followed.