Fill the blank columns under Country A and Country B in table 9.1 given on the previous page by taking two different countries of your choice. Different forms of democratic government Institution Executive Legislature Judiciary India prime minister and the council of ministers Lower House (Lok Sabha

Pick two countries whose systems are not already in the table, so that the comparison teaches you something new. Here Country A is the United Kingdom and Country B is France . Fill in the same three columns — executive, legislature, judiciary. Country Executive Legislature Judiciary A — United Kingdom prime minister and the cabinet (the King is head of state, with nominal power only) Lower House (House of Commons) is more powerful than Upper House (House of Lords) independent from executive and legislature (separation of power) B — France president, elected directly by the people, along with a prime minister Lower House (National Assembly) is more powerful than Upper House (Senate) independent from executive and legislature (separation of power) How to check any country you choose — ask these three questions in order: Who heads the executive, and who elects that person? If the people elect the head directly, it leans presidential; if the legislature's majority decides, it is parliamentary. How many houses does the legislature have, and which is stronger? One house, two equal houses, or a stronger lower house. Is the judiciary separate from the other two? In every democracy in Table 9.1 the answer is yes. Tip: the first column of Table 9.1 is headed ‘Institution', but the entries under it — India, USA, South Korea, Australia — are countries. The Hindi edition heads the same column देश (country), which is what the column really holds. Read it as ‘Country'.

Analyse the table and discuss amongst yourselves the similarities and differences in all the examples. Different forms of democratic government Institution Executive Legislature Judiciary India prime minister and the council of ministers Lower House (Lok Sabha) is more powerful than Upper House (Raj

Read Table 9.1 down the columns , not across the rows — that is where the pattern shows. Similarities — the same in every row All six are democracies : the people are the source of authority and choose the legislature by universal adult franchise. All six have the same three organs — executive, legislature, judiciary. In all six the judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Separation of power is the one column with no variation at all. Differences — where the rows part company Point of difference What varies Countries Head of the executive Prime minister with a council of ministers India, Australia, United Kingdom President USA, South Korea, France Number of houses Two houses India, USA, Australia, UK, France Single house (National Assembly) South Korea Balance between the houses Lower House stronger India, UK, France Upper House stronger USA (Senate) Both equally powerful Australia What the analysis proves: ‘democracy' is not one fixed machine. The way a democracy is built depends on a country's own history, culture and aspirations — which is exactly the point page 190 makes. But the core, that the people choose and the judiciary stays independent, does not change. For your discussion: notice that India and the USA are both large federal democracies, yet India's executive sits inside the legislature and America's stands outside it. Ask each other which arrangement makes a government easier to remove — and you will have discovered the real difference bet

NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 9 Table 9.1, Different forms of democratic government — LET'S EXPLORE

Book page 196 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.

Fill the blank columns under Country A and Country B in table 9.1 given on the previous page by taking two different countries of your choice.

Different forms of democratic government
Institution	Executive	Legislature	Judiciary
India	prime minister and the council of ministers	Lower House (Lok Sabha) is more powerful than Upper House (Rajya Sabha)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
USA	president	equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
South Korea	president	single house (National Assembly)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
Australia	prime minister and the council of ministers	equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
A
B

Table 9.1, page 195 — “Different forms of democratic government”, reproduced as printed, with rows A and B left blank for you to fill.

Answer

Pick two countries whose systems are not already in the table, so that the comparison teaches you something new. Here Country A is the United Kingdom and Country B is France. Fill in the same three columns — executive, legislature, judiciary.

Country	Executive	Legislature	Judiciary
A — United Kingdom	prime minister and the cabinet (the King is head of state, with nominal power only)	Lower House (House of Commons) is more powerful than Upper House (House of Lords)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
B — France	president, elected directly by the people, along with a prime minister	Lower House (National Assembly) is more powerful than Upper House (Senate)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)

How to check any country you choose — ask these three questions in order:

Who heads the executive, and who elects that person? If the people elect the head directly, it leans presidential; if the legislature's majority decides, it is parliamentary.
How many houses does the legislature have, and which is stronger? One house, two equal houses, or a stronger lower house.
Is the judiciary separate from the other two? In every democracy in Table 9.1 the answer is yes.

Tip: the first column of Table 9.1 is headed ‘Institution', but the entries under it — India, USA, South Korea, Australia — are countries. The Hindi edition heads the same column देश (country), which is what the column really holds. Read it as ‘Country'.

Q2.

Analyse the table and discuss amongst yourselves the similarities and differences in all the examples.

Different forms of democratic government
Institution	Executive	Legislature	Judiciary
India	prime minister and the council of ministers	Lower House (Lok Sabha) is more powerful than Upper House (Rajya Sabha)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
USA	president	equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
South Korea	president	single house (National Assembly)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
Australia	prime minister and the council of ministers	equal power between Upper House (Senate) and Lower House (House of Representatives)	independent from executive and legislature (separation of power)
A
B

Table 9.1, page 195 — “Different forms of democratic government”, reproduced as printed, with rows A and B left blank for you to fill.

Answer

Read Table 9.1 down the columns, not across the rows — that is where the pattern shows.

Similarities — the same in every row

All six are democracies: the people are the source of authority and choose the legislature by universal adult franchise.
All six have the same three organs — executive, legislature, judiciary.
In all six the judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Separation of power is the one column with no variation at all.

Differences — where the rows part company

Point of difference	What varies	Countries
Head of the executive	Prime minister with a council of ministers	India, Australia, United Kingdom
	President	USA, South Korea, France
Number of houses	Two houses	India, USA, Australia, UK, France
	Single house (National Assembly)	South Korea
Balance between the houses	Lower House stronger	India, UK, France
	Upper House stronger	USA (Senate)
	Both equally powerful	Australia

What the analysis proves: ‘democracy' is not one fixed machine. The way a democracy is built depends on a country's own history, culture and aspirations — which is exactly the point page 190 makes. But the core, that the people choose and the judiciary stays independent, does not change.

For your discussion: notice that India and the USA are both large federal democracies, yet India's executive sits inside the legislature and America's stands outside it. Ask each other which arrangement makes a government easier to remove — and you will have discovered the real difference between parliamentary and presidential systems.

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