Q1.
There are several reasons why universal franchise is so important. A few are illustrated in the mindmap below. Can you add some more?
Answer
First, read what the mindmap already gives you (Fig. 5.4, page 120), because your two additions should not repeat these. Around the centre “Why universal adult franchise?” the book prints five branches:
| Branch in the mindmap | What the book adds on the outside |
|---|---|
| Everyone is equal | No discrimination based on caste, creed, sex, education, wealth etc. |
| Everyone’s voice matters | All can participate in deciding the nation’s future |
| Elected representatives answerable to electorate | People vote them out in elections |
| Power to determine one’s future | People decide what type of future they want and who can best represent them |
| Fosters civic engagement | People participate in solving problems in their area |
Two reasons of your own for the empty boxes — each one should be a reason that follows from everyone voting, not merely from voting:
| Your box | The reason, in one line | Why it belongs here |
|---|---|---|
| Peaceful change of government | Power changes hands by counting votes instead of by force | Because every adult has a stake in the ballot, a losing side has a legitimate route back — the next election — instead of a reason to fight |
| Policies must serve everyone | A party that ignores the poor, women or a small community loses their votes | When no group can be struck off the roll, no group can be safely ignored; universal franchise puts every community inside the calculation |
Other defensible additions: it builds a sense of belonging — a citizen who votes feels the country is hers; it protects minorities, since numbers alone no longer decide who may participate; and it trains citizens, because voting forces people to find out what candidates actually stand for.
Tip: a good mindmap box is short — four to six words — with the explanation in the outer bubble, exactly as the book does it.