The cornerstone of a functioning democracy is the
- foreign policy and military alliances
- appropriation bill
-
free and fair elections
- expenditure pattern of the executive
The correct answer is: C
Explanation
The cornerstone of a functioning democracy is free and fair elections. This is because in a democracy, the power to govern comes from the people who are governed. They express their will through voting in elections. If the elections are not free and fair, then the government does not truly represent the people, and the system is not a true democracy.