Power Sharing - Class 10 Political Science - Extra Questions

1. The democratically elected government of Sri Lanka adopted a series of majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy. 
2. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. 
3. The Governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
4. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies, yet they have dealt with the problem of regional and linguistic diversity very differently. 
In Belgium: 
1. The leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. 
2. Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same country. 
3. Dutch and French communities have equal representation in the Central government; many of the powers of the central government have been given to the state governments.
4. In addition to these, both language communities have the third kind of Government called Community Government which has power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues. 

Whereas, in Sri Lanka: 
1. The democratically elected government adopted a series of majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy. 
2. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. 
3. The Governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs. 
4. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

1. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. 
2. People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed. 
3. A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system. 
4. These are the moral reasons for power-sharing.
5. Hence, I fully agree with the statement that power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy.

Majority rule creates problems for the majority itself as too much of power in one hand is always negative. power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order. Imposing the will of majority community over others may look like an attractive option in the short run, but in the long run it undermines the unity of the nation.

The prudential reason for power sharing offered in this passage is giving power to panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency.

The cartoon refers to the problems of running a coalition government. If any one party fails to get a majority, a coalition government is formed consisting of different parties. Coalition governments are rife with conflicts among coalition partners, decision making becomes slow and that generally results in the fall of the government as the partners in the coalition fight to be in charge of the government. Just as having two steering wheels in a car can make it directionless as the two drivers steer it in different directions, similarly coalition governments can become directionless as coalition partners jostle for power.

1. The horizontal distribution of power ensures that power is shared among different organs of governmentthe legislature, executive and judiciary. 
2. It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers. 
3. Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power. 
4. Each organ  checks the others. This results in a balance of power among various institutions. This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

1. Between 1970 and 1993, the Belgians amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same country. 
2. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian model of accommodation:  

• The Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.
• Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country.
• Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
• Apart from the Central and State Government, there is a third kind of government called Community government which is elected by people belonging to one language community no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language-related issues.

• Majoritarian government measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. 
• They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture. 
• They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests. 
• As a result, the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
• The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into a Civil War.

French-Speaking and Dutch- Speaking

French Language

Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. People have aright to be consulted on how they are to be governed. A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system. 

Power may also be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups. Community government in Belgium is a good example of this arrangement. In some countries there are constitutional and legal arrangements whereby socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures and administration. This type of arrangement is meant to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
Change has been noticed in India at local levels as the Panchayats do have women representation by atleast 1/3rd.

Imposing the will of majority community over others may look like an attractive option in the short run, but in the long run it undermines the unity of the nation. power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order.

Sri Lanka

Sinhalese

It means a belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority. Example- Srilanka opted for majoritarianism in which Sinhalas rule the country.

No, This measure is not in keeping with Belgium's power sharing arrangements. The arrangements seek to maintain peace between the French and Dutch-speaking communities. By banning French, the mayor will cause civil unrest. Both the languages should be made acceptable in the town's schools. This bilingual education system will be a better way to integrate the people of the town.

The different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies are:

•  Horizontal Division of Power- It is the sharing of power among the different organs of government, for example, power sharing by the executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. In this type of power-sharing arrangement, different organs of government, placed at the same level, exercised different powers. Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power, thereby putting a check on each other.
•  Vertical Division of Power- It is a system of power sharing among governments at different levels. For example, a general government for the entire country and governments at provincial or regional levels. In India, we refer to it as the Central Government, State Governments, Municipality, Gram Panchayat etc. The Constitution lays down the powers of different levels of government.
•  Division of Power among different Social Groups- Power can also be shared among different groups which differ socially like different religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community Government’ in Belgium is a good example of this type of power sharing. The system of reserved constituencies in India is another example. Such an arrangement is used to give minority communities a fair share in power, who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
• Division of Power among Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and Movements- In contemporary democracies such a division takes the form of competition among different parties, which in turn ensures that power does not remain in one hand and is shared among different political parties representing different ideologies and social groups.

•  Prudential Reason: Power sharing helps in reducing the conflict between various social groups. Hence, power sharing is necessary for maintaining social harmony and peace. In India, seats are reserved for the weaker sections of society. Example: reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. This allows the weaker sections also to participate in the running of the Government.
•  Moral Reason: It upholds the spirit of democracy. In a truly democratic setup, the citizens too have a stake in governance. In India, the citizens can come together to debate and criticise the policies and decisions of the government. This, in turn, puts pressure on the government to rethink its policies and reconsider its decisions.

Joseph's statement is the most logical, and thus, should be agreed on. Every society needs some form of power-sharing even if it is small or does not have social divisions. A democratic society is one where its members or citizens through participation acquire a stake in the system. Power-sharing not only prevents conflict between various groups in the society but it also generates a sense of belongingness among them to society. Power-sharing helps to maintain a balance of power among various institutions and also keep a check on how it is exercised. Irrespective of the size of a country or the type of a society, people will be more satisfied where they have a say in the functioning and decision making processes of the system.

Forms of power sharing:-
1- Among government at different levels: - There may be government at different levels i.e. at the centre and at the state level. Such a government is called federal government. In India, the constitution clearly lays down the different levels of government. Division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government is called the vertical division of power.
2- Among political parties/Pressure groups and movements: - If an alliance is elected they form a coalition government and thus share power.
e.g. U.P.A. government at central level.
3- Among different social groups: - Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as religious and linguistic groups. Community government in Belgium is a good example of this government.

In India, just like in Belgium, the central government has to share its powers with the regional governments. However, unlike India, Belgium has a community government in addition to the central and the state government.

The series of majoritarian measures adopted by the democratically elected government were as follows: 
(i) In 1956, an act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the official language thus disregarding Tamil.
(ii) The government followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
(iii) A new Constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

1. Belgium is a small country in Europe which shares borders with France, Netherlands and Germany. 
2. Of the countrys total population, 59 percent live in the Flemish region and speak the  Dutch language. 
3. Another 40 percent live in the Wallonia region and speak French. The remaining one percent of the Belgians speak German. 
4. In the capital city of Brussels, 80 percent of people speak French while 20 percent are Dutch-speaking. From the above points, it is evident that the ethnic composition of this small country is very complex.

The different power-sharing forms in India are as follows : 
i. Power is shared among different organs of a government such as the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. 
ii. Power is shared among governments at different levels. Example: a government for the entire country and governments for different regions in the country. 
iii. Power is shared among social groups such as linguistic groups, religious groups, etc. 
iv. Power is shared among political parties, movements and pressure groups. They try to control and influence the one, who is in power. 

• A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority is called majoritarianism.
• Yes, majoritarianism is wrong because imposing the will of the majority community over others undermines the unity of the nation in the long run. 
• Tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority; it often brings ruin to the majority as well. 
• The example of Sri Lanka can serve as a warning as majoritarianism in that country led to political instability, conflict and civil war. 

In modern democracies, power sharing arrangements can take many forms. Some of the most common forms are: 
1. Horizontal power sharing: Power is shared among different organs of government at the same level, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers.
2. Vertical Power Sharing: Power can be shared among governments at different levels a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. The constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. 
3. Power sharing among different social groups: Power may also be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups. Community government in Belgium is a good example of this arrangement. 
4. Other forms of power sharing: Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power.

The country represented in the cartoon is Germany. The two major parties of the country, namely the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party formed a coalition government. The two parties are historically rivals to each other. They had to form a coalition government because neither of them got a clear majority of seats on their own in the 2005 elections. They take divergent positions on several policy matters, but still jointly run the government.

1. In India there is horizontal distribution of power among the three branches of government: legislature, executive and judiciary at both the centre and state level. 
2. In India, power is also shared among governments at different levels i.e. vertical sharing of power. The general government for the entire country is called the Central or Union government. The governments at regional level are called state governments. 
3. The constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. 
4. Power is also shared with the level below state governments i.e. with local governments. 

Firstly, power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order.

The two different sets pf reasons given for power sharing are prudential and moral.

The Belgian model for the accommodation of diversity has the following features:-
A) The number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers are equal in the central government.

B) Special laws are required for the support of the majority of members from each linguistic group. 

C) Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.