Politics of Representation and Participation: PSIR Optional PYQs

Politics of Representation and Participation: Political parties, pressure groups and social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies.

1. Comment: Nature of political process in the Third World. (2001)
2. Analyse the basic goals of Third World movement for global justice. What is the importance of South-South co-operation to achieve these? (2005)
3. How does functioning of interest groups differ from political parties? Discuss with appropriate examples. (2008)
4. Is it necessary to evolve a distinct theoretical framework for analyzing emergent politics in the developing world? (2009)
5. Examine the comparative advantages of democracy and autocracy in restraining political violence. Do you think that autocratic societies are more prone to political violence? Illustrate your answer with a comparative study of a few societies. (2009)
6. Bring out your perspective on the indications of the emergence of a global civil society. (2010)
7. What is ‘New Social Movement (NSM)’? Explain the main challenges of the NSM in the developing countries. (2011)
8. How did the struggle for representation increase the level and quality of democracy in the industrial societies? (150 words) (2012)
9. Evaluate the nature and distinction of anomic and associational interest groups in the pressure politics of developing countries (200 words) (2012)
10. Examine the significance of ideological and policy aspects in the structural growth of modern political parties. (250 words) (2012)
11. Compare and contrast social movements in advanced industrial and developing societies. (200 words) (2013)
12. Is the rise of social movements a sign of opening up of popular space in political process or decline of representative politics? Examine. (200 words) (2013)
13. Party system in India is neither western nor indigenous. Explain. (2014)
14. In what respect is the new social movement new in nature? Discuss. (2014)
15. What is the difference between Interest Groups and Pressure Groups? Are the Pressure Groups in India in a position to fully protect or promote the interests of their members? (2015)
16. Comment on the decline of political parties and examine whether new social movements shall be alternative strategy for establishing link between government and society. (2016)
17. Do interest groups help to promote democracy or to undermine it? Give your opinion. (2016)
18. Examine the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) movement in developed societies and how it is affecting the political participation in developing societies. (2017)
19. How big a role does identity play in determining political participation in the developing countries? Discuss your answer with suitable illustrations. (2018)
20. Explain the reasons for low voter turnout in democratic countries with suitable examples. (2019)
21. Write an essay on ‘New Social Movements’ in developing countries.  (2019)
22. Analyze the contribution of liberal democratic principles in the democratization of Indian polity. (2020)
23. Has the increased participation of the underprivileged in the political process of the developing societies strengthened democracy or created political chaos and conflict? Comment. (2020)
24. “Political parties and pressure groups are sine qua non of democracy.” Comment. (2021)
25. Explain the impact of electoral systems and cleavages in shaping party systems with reference to developing countries. (2021)
26. How has the electoral democracy augmented the participation of people in the democratic process? (2022)
27. Discuss the role of social movements in strengthening the democratic processes in developing societies. (2022)
28. How does democratic politics construct citizenship? (2023)
29. Critically examine the role of political parties in sustaining and stabilising democracies in the developing societies. (2024)