Democracy stands much superior to any other form of government in promoting dignity and freedom of the individual.  This statement can be explained by giving the following examples.
(a) Recognition of the principle of equality has made it easier for women to wage a struggle against what is now legally or morally unacceptable.
(b) Democracy in India has strengthened the claims of the disadvantaged and discriminated castes for equal status and equal opportunity.
(c) A public expression of dissatisfaction with democracy shows the success of democratic project.  It transforms people from the status of subject into that of citizens.

Democracy accommodates diversities in the following ways.
(a) Democracy develops competitive attitude: Democracy usually develops a procedure to conduct competition among the social differences.  This reduces the possibility of social tensions becoming explosive or violent.
(b) Democracy evolves mechanisms to negotiate: No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among different groups, but we can certainly learn to respect these differences and can also evolve a mechanism to negotiate the differences.  Democracies are best suited to produce this outcome.
(c) Democracy represents the general view: The majority always needs to work with the minority so that governments function to represent the general view.  Hence, majority and minority opinions are not permanent.

The following are the political outcomes of democracy.
(a) Democracy produces an accountable, responsible and legitimate government.
(b) It ensures right to the citizens to choose their leaders and put a check on them.
(c) It provides procedures and develops mechanism for decision-making.
(d) If required, people can participate in decision-making either directly or through representatives.
(e) It promotes regular, free and fair elections.
(f) It generates its own political support for itself.

When any country follows this pattern, then they are able to claim to practise democratic politics.
(i) Elections are held at regular intervals and are fair and free.
(ii) Freedom of speech, expression and thought is another feature of democracy.
(iii) The dignity of the individuals is recognised.

Democratic government is legitimate government. It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean but a democratic government is people's own government. This is not true in case of dictatorship. In a democratic government citizens have fundamental rights and duties but in dictatorship it is not so. In a democratic form of government, the decision making process is slow. Because it is follow by the procedures and its decisions are more acceptable to the people. This is not seen in the dictatorship type of government.

Democratic government is legitimate government. It may be slow, less efficient, not always very responsive or clean but a democratic government is people's own government. This is not true in case of dictatorship. In a democratic government citizens have fundamental rights and duties but in dictatorship it is not so. In a democratic form of government, the decision making process is slow. Because it is follow by the procedures and its decisions are more acceptable to the people. This is not seen in the dictatorship type of government.

Political parties shape public opinion. They raise and highlight issues. They have lakhs of members and activists spread all over the country. many of the pressure groups are the extensions of political parties among different sections of society. Political parties sometimes also launch movements for resolving the problems faced by people. Often opinion in the society crystallises on the lines parties take.

(i) Economic inequality and poverty are the twin problems of India. Different political parties are committed to remove these since it is included in their election manifesto.
These are responsive to the needs of the people. The elected Government from time to time started a number of poverty alleviation programmes to reduce poverty in India.
(ii) More over many employment scheme like Rural Works Programme, National Rural Employment Programme etc. are started by democratic Government in India.

(i) Our interest in and fascination for democracy often pushes us into taking a position that democracy can address all socio-economic and political problems.
(ii) If some of our expectations are not met, we start blaming the idea of democracy. Or, we start doubting if we are living in a democracy.

Democracy does not rule simply by majority opinion. 'Majority' does not mean a community in terms of religion, race or linguistic group. Rule by majority means that in case of every decision, or in case of every election, different people and groups can form a majority.

(i) As people get some benefits of democracy, they ask for more and want to make democracy even better. That is why when we ask people about the way democracy functions, they will always come up with more expectations, and many complaints.
(ii) The fact that people are complaining itself is a testimony to the success of democracy, it shows that people have developed awareness and the ability to expect and to look critically at power holders and the high and the mighty.
(iii) A public expression of dissatisfaction with democracy shows the success of the democratic project: it transforms people from the status of a subject under a King into that of a citizen.
(iv) Most individuals today believe that their vote makes a difference to the way the government is run and to their own self-interest.

There is no denying the fact the democracy is not free from corruption but, it is only in a democracy that people can openly expose this evil and ask for its elimination.

In democracy, the term transparency signifies that decisions are taken through the correct procedure by involving the people and that people have the right to examine the process of decision-making.

Decisions are delayed in democracy because democratic governments are based on the idea of deliberation and negotiations.

Democracy is preferred as the better form of government because it ensure people's rule based on popular consensus and enhances the dignity of the individual.

It is true that democratic rulers have to brother about deliberation in assemblies or worry about majorities and public opinion. So, they cannot be very quick and efficient in decision making and implementation. so people think that democratic Governments are less effective.

If you consider all democracies and all dictatorships for the fifty years between 1950 and 2000, dictatorships have slightly higher rate of economic growth. The inability of democracy to achieve higher economic development worries us.

Abraham Lincoln.

Deliberation and negotiation

Democracy.

Democratic governments ensure transparency in the following ways.
(a) They make sure that decision-making will be based on norms and procedures.
(b) They allow every citizen to participate in decision-making, directly or indirectly through representatives.
(c) Citizens can examine and find out about the correctness of the procedure of decision-making using their right to information.
(d) They are accountable to the people.  If people are not satisfied with the way the government works, they have the right to change the government in the next general elections.
(e) They provide people with power to demand answers from their representatives and reduce the chances of corruption.

(i) In a democracy, elections are held at regular intervals and are fair and free.
(ii) a democracy has a multi-party system and elections are held on the basis of universal adult franchise.
(iii) Freedom of speech, expression and thought is another feature of democracy. The media also helps in building a sound public opinion.
(iv) Democracy gives to its citizens a sound political system based on social equality. 
(v) Another feature of a democracy is a strong opposition which keeps in check, the ruling party or the government.
(vi) Besides these, we also know how in a democracy, the dignity of the individuals is recognised and one can correct one's mistake in a democracy and avoid conflicts. 

(a) The working sphere of democracy:
(i) Promote equality among citizens
(ii) Enhance the dignity of the individual
(iii) Improve the quality of decision making
(iv) Provide a method to resolve conflict.
(b) Democracy is also having the fields of work are - social situations, economic achievement and the culture of the nation. It has great responsibilities, huge working area and the high population. So whatever work is done by democracy seems to be very small in terms of problems. That's why it is said that the most negative feature of democracy is that its examination never gets over.

People prefer democracy because:
(i) People are their own masters. In a democracy, every individual has a right to vote and choose his representatives in the government. The government is of the people and the laws are made by the people in the government. Laws are made to protect the liberty and freedom of the people.
(ii) In a democracy, no particular religion, region, race or language is given special preference. All individuals are given equal rights and freedom, and there is no discrimination.
(iii) The government is not by force. The opposition parties are allowed to criticise the government.
(iv) Since every individual is given equal rights, there is less danger of conflicts in society. There are less conflict based on caste, religion or region and less social tensions in society. In politics, dignity of the individual is cared for.

(i) Democracies accommodate various social divisions. for example, Belgium has peacefully solved her ethnic problems and solved the differences.
(ii) All democracies usually develop a procedure to competition, i.e. conduct elections, power-sharing, etc. This reduces the possibility of tensions, due to social divisions, turning violent or explosive.
(iii) Democracy teaches people to respect the differences and resolves conflicts among different groups peacefully. In non-democratic countries, rulers either turn a blind eye to or suppress internal differences. For example, Sri Lanka. The plus point in democratic regime is the ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts.
(iv) A democracy is not just a rule by majority opinion. The majority always needs to work with the minority so that the government represents the general view.
(v) A democratic government ensures that the rule by the majority does not become autocratic in terms of religion, race or linguistic group etc. It tries that in case of every election, different persons and groups can form a majority. It tries to see that every citizens has a chance to be in majority at some point of time and is not barred on the basis of birth. All these things ensured by a democratic regime lead to a peaceful and harmonious life.

(i) No society can fully and permanently resolve conflicts among different groups. However, we can certainly learn to respect these differences and we can also evolve mechanisms to negotiate the differences. Democracy is best suited to produce this outcome.
(ii) Non-democratic regimes often turn a blind eye to or suppress internal social differences. Ability to handle social differences, divisions and conflicts is thus a definite plus point of democratic Government.
(iii) Social diversities can be accommodated by deliberation, negotiation, and mutual understanding.
(iv) It can be accommodated by power sharing as in the case of Belgium.

Merits:
(i) Promotes equality among citizens
(ii) Enhances the dignity of the individual
(iii) Improves the quality of decision making
(iv) Provides a method to resolve conflicts
(v) Allows room to correct mistakes
Demerits:
(i) Takes more time to follow procedures before arriving at a decision as compared to a nondemocratic government.
(ii) Most democracies fall short of elections that provide a fair chance to everyone and in putting every decision to public debate.
(iii) Democratic governments do not have a very good record when it comes to sharing information with citizens.
(iv) Democracies often frustrate the needs of the people and often ignore the demands of a majority of its population.