CBSE Class 6 Social Science Political Science Revision Notes Chapter 3

Class 6 Social and Political Life Chapter 3 Notes

CBSE Class 6 Social and Political Life Chapter 3 Notes – What Is Government?

Everyone must have heard the word “government” several times, but very few people know what the significance of government is in a country. The CBSE Syllabus introduces students to the concept of government machinery in Class 6 Social and Political Life Chapter 3. In this chapter, students will learn how a government works to run a country smoothly. The different types of governments  in the world and their nature have also been discussed in detail in this chapter. Class 6 Social and Political Life Chapter 3 Notes have simplified the concepts so that students can understand and memorise them easily.

When the exams are around the corner, all that a student can think of is how to revise the entire syllabus quickly.  Extramarks has all the study materials students might need to prepare for their exams to get excellent results. Therefore, Extramarks provides revision notes so that students can revise the chapter in the shortest possible time without missing any point. When the concepts are clear and revision has been done effectively, students feel more confident. So, students can give an edge to their  exam preparation and get  a high score in the exams. The notes are easily accessible and available from the website. The meticulously designed notes by experts are all-in-one solutions for students preparing for board exams.

What is Government? Class 6 Notes Social and Political Life Chapter 3

Access Class 6 Social Science Chapter 3 – What is  Government? Notes

Class 6 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 – What is Government Notes
What is Government Class 6 Notes Overview

The chapter begins with the idea of what a government is. Many scholars give their opinions about the definition of government. John Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau are the most important among them. But they all agree at one point that it is the duty of a government to keep the country moving on the path of progress.

Therefore, broadly speaking, a government is the authority formed to make important decisions for the welfare of the country. Every country needs a government to function smoothly and efficiently.

The government makes laws and has the power to enforce   important decisions about where and how to construct roads and buildings, how to control the price of essential commodities in the market, and how to supply electricity to every household in the country.

In addition to that, the government also intervenes in social issues whenever required. It also does other important things like development of railways and postal services. Besides, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure food security for every citizen of the country. Whenever a disaster hits the nation, it is the government to whom everyone looks forward to getting relief measures.

The government is also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the law and order situation in the country, and keeping the territorial integrity of the land intact while developing diplomatic relationships with foreign countries. To find out more about how a government functions, students can refer to the Class 6 Social and Political Life Chapter 3 Notes.

Levels of Government

The previous section throws light on the various roles a government has to play in the country. But in a vast country, it is not possible to keep an eye on every aspect  of the land from the centre. So, most countries opt for a decentralised structure that operates at different levels.

In this section, students will learn about the different levels of government that help the administrative machinery run smoothly. For the sake of administrative convenience, the government is divided into three levels, such as, local level, the state level, and the national level.

The administrative authorities that are seen in towns and villages are known as local government. This includes Panchayats in villages and municipalities in urban areas.

The state government is concerned with the issues involving the people residing in the respective state. Haryana, Maharashtra, Kerala, etc. have their own state governments.

The central government’s duty is to look over matters related to the nation.

The three levels of government therefore are entrusted with different responsibilities so that the country can run smoothly and efficiently.

Laws And The Government

This section deals with the legislative power of the government. As the government has the power to make laws, it also has the power to enforce those laws. Every citizen must abide by the rules and regulations made by the government.

For example, it is the common rule that every individual living in the country must get a licence before driving a vehicle on the roads. If any individual gets caught without a valid driving licence, they have to pay a heavy price as penalty or else they are put  behind bars.  Therefore, the government has to take strict measures to ensure  that laws are followed and all the citizens abide by it.

Similarly, people can also seek the government’s intervention if the laws are not followed. For example, the government will help an individual get justice if he is debarred from a job because of caste and religious issues.

Types of Government

So far, it has been discussed in the notes that the government acts as a decision-making and law -making body, and it can punish citizens if the rules are not followed. But the question arises – Who empowers the government to do so? To find the answer, one has to look at the type of governance in place  in the country.

There are generally three types of government, such as, democratic government, monarchical government, and dictatorial government.

In a democratic government, citizens of the country elect leaders through a voting system to govern the country on behalf of them. India is also a democratic country as people choose their leaders by the power of the ballot box.

In some countries,  there was no such voting system. Kings or queens ascended the throne and gained power to rule over territory and people who lived there. Such a government is known as a monarchy. The monarch’s decision was considered the final decision- maker  in every matter and is not answerable to the people for his/her decisions.

In a dictatorial government, the sole power to make decisions lies in the hands of the dictator.

Democratic Governments

The function of a democratic government can be understood by looking at the functioning of the Indian government. People choose their leaders by casting votes in favour of them. The party with the maximum votes forms the government. Every citizen who has attained the age of eighteen is eligible to vote irrespective of sex, caste, religion, race, etc.

However, such liberal system did not evolve in one day. Before the advent of the British, monarchs of different dynasties ruled India. When the British came they established their rule on our land. After the immense struggle of the freedom fighters India got independence and established a reliable modern voting system to elect leaders of the country  under the democratic government. In a way, democracy is a rule by the people wherein people actually rule themselves by making these rules through their representatives.

Votes For Women

Although the bright side of the voting system is easily visible to everyone, it is also true that women were not allowed to participate in the process of voting. Nowhere in the world women got voting rights as easily. They had to fight for their rights. The struggle became intense during the First World War when men were away on the battlefields and the so-called “men’s work” was to be done by women. This shook the stereotypical idea that women are unable to do men’s work and from that point onwards women’s movement started which finally culminated in the Suffrage Movement. American women gained voting rights in 1920, while women in the UK got the right a bit later, in 1928.