Power Sharing, Chapter-1, Political Science, Class 10, CBSE Exam Notes, 10 Plus Questions.
Overview
Power Sharing, Chapter-1, Political Science, Class 10, CBSE Exam Notes focuses on intelligent sharing of power among legislative, executive and judiciary. This power sharing is very important to the design of a democracy. It presents an interesting way to learn your chapter in question answer format. All the concepts and facts given in the book have been packaged here in easy to digest form. This Power Sharing, Chapter-1, Political Science, Class 10, CBSE Exam Notes is immensely helpful for preparation of examination as well as for achieving excellence in the topic. This gives you best result when you study it in following way:
- First stage: First concentrate on the title of your chapter and imagine what things might be hidden here. This activity will create an interest in you for the topic.
- Second stage: Give a thorough reading of the questions and answers, which are woven here in such a fashion so as to maintain an hierarchy and orderliness. At this stage you should not take any stress. Just enjoy your reading by touching one question after another.
- Third stage: Try to establish links between questions. See how they are inter related. Try to focus on the keywords of a topic and try to reach its underlying meaning.
- Fourth stage: Now give another reading to each question and answer with a purpose to internalise it in your own way.
Q.1. What do you mean by the term ethnicity?
Ans. The term ethnicity refers to a social division which is based on shared culture.
People belonging to same ethnic group believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both. They need not have always the same religion or nationality.
Q.2. What do you mean by the term Majoritarianism?
Ans. Majoritarianism is a belief which assumes that the majority community should be able to rule a country in which ever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and the needs of the minority.
Accommodation In Belgium
Q.3. Discuss the ethnic composition of Belgium. What were the causes of social conflict in Belgium during 1950s and 1960s?
Ans. Belgium is a small country in Europe whose area is even smaller than the state of Haryana in India. It has a population of a little over one crore.
It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg and so the cross border lingual attributes have influenced the ethnic composition of Belgium as well.
Ethnic composition of Belgium is very complex. Of the country’s total population, 59% lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch language . Another 40% people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining 1% of the population speaks German.
Again in the national capital Brussels, 80% people speak French while 20% are Dutch speaking.
Cause of ethnic conflict in Belgium: 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 tension between the Dutch speaking and the French speaking communities during the 1950s and 1960s.
In the national capital Brussels, where the Dutch speaking population constituted a minority as compared to the French speaking population, problem was more acute.
Q.4. In what way did the Belgian leaders resolve the ethnic tension rising in Belgium during 1950s and 1960s? Also discuss the Belgian Model of power sharing.
Ans. In order to address the problem of rising ethnic tension in Belgium, its leaders recognised 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 in the same country. This Belgian Model was very innovative in its approach. The constitution prescribed that :
- Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.
- Some special laws require the support of majority of members from each linguistic group. (Thus no single community can make decisions unilaterally.)
- Many powers of the central government have been given to the state governments of the two regions.
- The state governments are not subordinate to the central government.
- Brussels has a separate government in which both communities have equal representation.
- A Community Government was created which was to be elected by the people belonging to one language community, no matter where they live. The Community Government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language related issues.
Important: The above question also gives answers to the questions like: What was Belgian Model of power sharing? or, What was the concept of Community Government in Belgium?
Note: If you want to broaden your view on social conflicts arising out of the complex ethnic compositions, you can look at India’s North Eastern States (e.g. Manipur, Nagaland etc.) as well. It is always advisable to read the editorial page of a national newspaper on regular basis and focus on the news which relate with the concepts of your political science syllabus. Develop this habit. Indirectly it will add to your personality development as well.
Q.5. Briefly assess the performance of Belgian Model in Belgium.
Ans. Though Belgian Model was very complicated even for people of Belgium, but these arrangements have worked well so far.
Arrangements of Belgian Model have helped to avoid civic strife between the two major communities and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.
When many countries of Europe came together to form the European Union, Brussels was chosen as its headquarters.
Majoritarianism In Sri Lanka
Q.6. Discuss the complex ethnic diversity of Sri Lankan population.
Ans. Sri Lanka is an island nation with population of about two crore (almost equal to the population of Haryana in India).
Sri Lanka has a diverse population. The major social groups are the Sinhala speakers(74%) and the Tamil speakers(18%).
Among Tamils speakers there are two sub groups:
- Tamil natives of Sri Lanka, called ‘Sri Lankan Tamils’ (13%).
- Tamils of Indian origin, called ‘Indian Tamils’ (about 87%).
Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in north and east of the country.
Most of the Sinhala speaking people are ‘Buddhists’ and most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims.
There are about 7% Christians, who are both Tamil speaking and Sinhala speaking.
Q.7. How did the approach of majoritarianism in Sri Lanka led to ethnic conflict and civil war?
Ans. Majoritarianism is a belief which assumes that the majority community should be able to rule a country in which ever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and the needs of the minority.
Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948.
The leaders of Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority and tried to establish Sinhala supremacy in the country.
In 1956, an act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language. This was seen as disregard to the Tamil language.
The subsequent governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
A new constitution stipulated that the State shall protect and foster Buddhism.
All these government measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They felt that –
- non of the major political parties led by Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture.
- the constitution and government policies have denied them equal political rights, equal opportunities (in jobs and other fields), and have ignored their interests.
As a result, the relation between Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time, which resulted in ethnic conflict and civil war.
Q.7. What were immediate demands of the Sri Lankan Tamils from the majoritarian Sinhala leaders and their government ? What was the final outcome of their struggle?
Ans. The Sri Lankan Tamil community launched parties and made following demands:
- recognition of Tamil as an official language.
- regional autonomy.
- equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
Their demand for greater regional autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied by the government. As a result , by 1980s several political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil state (or Tamil Eelam) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
The distrust between the two communities turned in to widespread conflict, which soon turned in to civil war.
Outcome of civil war:
- Thousands of people of both communities lost lives.
- Many of the families were forced to leave the country as refugees.
- terrible set back to country’s social, cultural and economic life.
It ended in 2009.
Q.8. What lessons do we learn from the stories of Belgium and Sri Lanka?
Ans. Story of Belgium makes us realise that unity of country is possible only by respecting the feelings of and interest of different communities and regions.
On the other hand story of Sri Lanka 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.
Forms Of Power Sharing
Q.9. why power sharing is desirable in democratic countries?
Ans. Power sharing in a country is good for prudential as well as moral reasons.
Prudential reasons:
- Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
- It ensures the stability of political order.
- power sharing denies the dominance of majority community over minority.
Moral Reasons:
- Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. Here citizens, through participation, have stake in the system. In democracy, people have right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.
Q.10.What do modern democracies take view about power sharing in a country?
Ans. Regarding power sharing in a country’s governance, modern democracies have following principles:
- People are the source of all political powers.
- In a democracy, people rule themselves through various institutions.
- In a good democratic government, due respect is given to diverse groups and views in a society.
- Everyone has a voice in the shaping of public policies.
Q.11. Discuss some common forms of power sharing arrangements in modern democracies.
Ans. Some common forms of power sharing in modern democratic countries are as follows:
- One common form is sharing of power among different organs of government such as legislature, executive and judiciary. Each organ checks the other organ. This arrangement of power sharing is also called system of checks and balances. It is also called horizontal distribution of power, because all these organs are placed at the same level in exercising their powers.
- Power can be shared among governments at different levels ( e.g. central government, state government, municipalities and panchayats ). This is called Federal division of power. This is also called vertical division of power.
- Power may also be shared among different social groups such as religious or linguistic groups.
- Power may also be shared by giving representation to socially weaker sections and women in legislature and administration.
- System of reserved constituency in assembly and parliamentary elections also gives weaker sections and minorities a fare share in power and does let them feel alienated.
- Competition as well as alliances between different political parties to form government also shows sharing of power among political parties affiliated to different ideologies.
- Functioning of various Interest Groups (of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers, industrial workers ) and their participation in governmental committees is also a kind of power sharing. These Interest Groups also bring influence on decision making process of the government.
