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    Power Sharing 24-2025

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    Power Sharing 24-2025

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    2 views6 pages

    Power Sharing 24-2025

    Uploaded by

    sriramvatsans

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 6

    OUR OWN HIGH SCHOOL AL, WARQA’A DUBAI

    Grade 10, POWER SHARING - CH.1


    2024-2025

    Q1) ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF BELGIUM.

    • The ethnic composition of this small country is very complex.


    • Of the country’s total population, 59 per cent lives in the Flemish region and
    speaks Dutch language.
    • Another 40 per cent people live in the Wallonia region and speak French.
    • Remaining 1 per cent of the Belgians speak German.
    • In the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people speak French while 20 per
    cent are Dutch-speaking.

    Q2) RELATIONS OF THE FRENCH AND DUTCH BEFORE THE


    CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS?

    • The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful.


    • This was resented by the Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of
    economic development and education much later.
    • This led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking
    communities during the 1950s and 1960s.
    • The tension between the two communities was more acute in Brussels.
    • Brussels presented a special problem: the Dutch-speaking people constituted
    a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.

    Q3) HOW COULD THE MAJORITY GROUPS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE


    NUMBER IN BOTH BELGIUM AND SRI LANKA?

    • In Belgium, the Dutch community could take advantage of its numeric majority
    and force its will on the French and German-speaking population.
    • This would push the conflict among communities further.
    • This could lead to a very messy partition of the country; both the sides would
    claim control over Brussels.
    • In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala community enjoyed an even bigger majority and could
    impose its will on the entire country.

    1
    Q4) HOW DID THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF SRI
    LANKA PRACTICE MAJORITARIANISM?

    • Sri Lanka emerged as an Independent country in 1948.


    • The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over
    government by virtue of their majority.
    • As a result, the democratically elected government adopted a series of
    majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.
    • In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official
    language, thus disregarding Tamil.
    • The governments followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala
    applicants for university positions and government jobs.
    • A new constitution stipulated that the state Protect and foster Buddhism.
    • All these measures gradually increased the feeling of Alienation among the
    Sri Lankan Tamils.

    Q5) HOW DID THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS STRUGGLE?

    • The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of
    Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy and equality of
    opportunity in securing education and jobs.
    • But their demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils
    was repeatedly denied.
    • By 1980s several political organizations were formed demanding an
    independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

    Q6) WHAT DID THE DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONS RESULT INTO?

    • The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict.
    • It soon turned into a civil war.
    • As a result thousands of people of both the communities have been killed.
    • Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many more
    lost their livelihoods.
    • The civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and
    economic life of the country.

    2
    Q7) HOW DID THE BELGIAN LEADERS RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENCES
    EXISTING IN THE COUNTRY?

    • The Belgian leaders took a different path.


    • They recognized the existence of regional differences and cultural
    diversities.
    • 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.
    • The arrangement they worked out is different from any other country and is
    very innovative.

    Q8) WHAT WERE THE CHANGES MADE BY THE BELGIAN LEADERS? Or


    What path did the Belgium leaders took.( Accommodation )

    Between 1970 and 1993 they amended the constitution Four times.

    • Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking


    ministers shall be equal in the central government.
    • Thus, no single community can make decisions unilaterally.

    • Equal member of ministers: The Government of Belgium has equal number of


    Dutch- and French- speaking ministers.

    • Fair share of Power: 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.

    • Equal representation: In the State Government of Brussels—the capital


    city—both the French- and Dutch- speaking communities have equal
    representation.

    • Setting up of Community Government: This ‘community government is


    elected by people belonging to one language community – Dutch, French and
    German-speaking – no matter where they live.
    • This government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language-
    related issues.

    3
    Q9) HOW WERE BELGIUM AND SRILANKA DIFFERENT ON THE CONCEPT OF
    POWER SHARING?

    • Both are democracies.


    • Yet, they dealt with the question of power sharing differently.
    • In Belgium, the leaders have realized that the unity of the country is possible
    only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and
    regions.
    • Such a realization resulted in mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing
    power.
    • Sri Lanka shows us a contrasting example.
    • It shows us that if a majority community wants to force its dominance over
    others and refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the country.

    Q10) WHY IS POWER SHARING DESIRABLE?

    A. PRUDENTIAL REASONS

    • Two different sets of reasons can be given in favor of power sharing.


    • 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.
    • Inspiring the will of the majority community undermines the unity of the
    nation for eg.in India, Hindi has not been imposed on the southern states,
    our government showed caution while adopting the language policy.

    B. MORAL REASONS

    • They emphasize the very act of power sharing as valuable.


    • It is the spirit of Democracy.
    • In a democracy, power sharing is necessary. Since all the people are affected
    by the policies of the government, they should be consulted in the governance
    of the country.
    • They should be allowed to participate in decision making process. For eg. In
    India, reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the state assemblies and
    parliament is an example of moral reason.
    4
    Q11) WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF POWER SHARING?

    • 1.)Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the


    legislature, executive and judiciary. Let us call this horizontal distribution of
    power because this form of power sharing ensures that none of the organs of
    the government gets unlimited power. Each organ keeps a check on the
    other.It is called check and Balance
    Eg :Although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the
    functioning of of executive or laws made by the legislature.

    • 2.)Power can be shared among governments at different levels – A general


    government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or
    regional level. In India, we refer to it as the Central or Union Government.
    In this system power is shared at national, state and local levels. It is called
    Vertical form of power sharing

    • 3.)Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as the
    religious and linguistic groups. Eg ‘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.

    • 4.)Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political


    parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in
    power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among
    various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies this takes the
    form of competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that
    power does not remain in one hand.

    • Two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected,
    they form a coalition government and thus share power. Eg: NDA government or
    former UPA government in India.
    •
    Sometimes interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists,
    farmers and industrial groups either participate in governmental committees or
    influence on the decision making
    5
    HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIVISION OF POWER

    Horizontal:

    • Under horizontal power is shared among different organs of government such


    as legislature, executive and judiciary.
    • Under horizontal distribution of power, organs of the government are placed
    at the same level to exercise different powers.
    • Under horizontal each organ checks the other.
    Vertical:

    1. Under vertical power is shared among different levels of government.


    2. The vertical division of power involves higher and lower levels of government.
    3. Under vertical power sharing lower organs works under higher organs.

    BY MR. GERARD GOMES

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