POLITICAL SCIENCE

Power Sharing
Objective Section (1 mark each)
Q. 1. Which one of the following is a major option based on the horizontal power
caste group of Sri Lanka : sharing arrangement.
[CBSE Delhi, Set 1, 2020] [CBSE Delhi, Set 1, 2020]
(a) Christian and Tamil (a) Central government, state govern-
(b) Buddhist and Hindu ment, local bodies.
(c) Sinhali and Tamil (b) Legislature, executive, judiciary.
(d) Sinhali and Christian
(c) Among different social groups.
Ans. (c) (d) Among different pressure groups.
Q. 2. Modern democracies maintain check Ans. (b)
and balance system. Identify the correct

Very Short Answer Type Questions (1 mark each)

Q. 1. State any one step taken in Belgium Ans. The dominance of majority community
to rule out the problem of regional to rule the country in whichever way it
differences and cultural diversities. wants totally disregarding the wishes
[CBSE Delhi, Set 1, 2020] and needs of minority community is
Ans. Between 1970 and 1993 Belgium known as Majoritarianism. In 1956,
government amended their constitution an act was passed by the Sinhala
four times. Constitution prescribes equal government to recognise Sinhala as
number of French and Dutch speaking the official language in Sri Lanka. The
people in Central Government so single Sinhala government gave preferences to
community cannot make decisions. the Sinhalese in gettting jobs and other
Q. 2. How did the feeling of alienation such benefits. The Sinhalas completely
develop among the Sri Lankan Tamils?  disregarded the interests of Srilankan
 [CBSE OD, Set 1, 2019] Tamils while this act was passed. This is
Ans. The measures of the act of 1956 intro- a case of Majoritarianism.
duced by Sinhalese Government made Q. 4. Why is power sharing desirable?
the Sri Lankan Tamils feel alienated.  [CBSE OD, Set 3, 2019]
They felt that none of the major politi- Ans. Power sharing is desirable because: (i) it
cal parties led by the Buddhist Sinhalese
helps to reduce the possibility of struggles
were sensitive towards their language
between social groups or communities.
and culture. They also felt that the con-
(ii) A democratic rule involves power
stitution and policies of the government
sharing with those affected by its exercise
denied them equal political rights, dis-
and who have to line with its effects.
criminated against them in terms of jobs
and other opportunities by ignoring People have a right to know that how
their interests. they are to be governed.

Q. 3. Explain the meaning of ‘Majoritaria- Q. 5. What is another popular name of rural

nism’ as practised in Sri Lanka. local government in India?
 [CBSE OD, Set 2, 2019]  [CBSE, Term 1, 2016]
Ans. Another popular name of Rural local disregarding the wishes of the minority,
government in India is Panchayati Raj this is called Majoritarianism.
system. Q. 7. What is meant by the system of ‘checks
Q. 6. What is meant by Majoritarianism? and balances’ ? [CBSE, Term 1, 2015]
 [CBSE, Term 1, 2016] Ans. The distribution of power among the
Ans. The belief of the majority community legislature, executive and judiciary in the
is that they should be able to rule a government is called a system of ‘checks
and balances’ which is mainly used to
country in whatever way they want by
restrict their powers.

Short Answer Type Questions-II (3 marks each)

Q. 1. Evaluate the power sharing system in India. [CBSE, 2019]

Topper’s Answers
Q. 2. Explain any three forms of power Judiciary.
sharing among different organs of (ii) V
 ertical form of power sharing
government in India. e.g., Union government and State
 [CBSE, Term 1, 2016] government.
Ans. Forms of power sharing are: (iii) P
 ower sharing between political
(i) H
 orizontal form of power shar- parties and pressure groups and
ing e.g., Legislative, Executive and movements e.g. colonial government.

Long Answer Type Questions (5 marks each)

Q. 1. Compare the situation of Belgium and The ethnic composition Sri lanka has a
Sri Lanka considering their location, of Belgium is very diverse population.
size and cultural aspects. complex. Of the total Social composition
population 59% are of population of Sri
OR living in Flemish Lanka is as follows:
How is the idea of power sharing region and speak Dutch • Sinhalese speaking
emerged? Explain different forms that language. Another – 74%
have common arrangements of power 40% people live in the • Tamil speaking
sharing. [CBSE Delhi, Set 1, 2019] Wallonia region and – 18%
Ans. speak French and the • Christians – 7%
remaining one percent
Belgium Sri Lanka of the Belgians speak
Belgium is a European Sri Lanka on the other German.
country which shares hand, is an island • French speaking Sinhalese - speaking
its boundaries with nation, a south asian community relatively people are Buddhist
Netherlands, Luxem- country, situated rich and powerful. and powerful.
bourg and Germany. south to India. • Dutch - speaking Sinhalese speaking
people are in people are in majority.
It is a very small country It has about 2 crore majority.
in Europe, even smaller people, about same
in area than that of the as Haryana. As OR
state of Haryana. compared to Belgium, Power sharing has emerged as a strong
it is much bigger in substitute to the idea of undivided political
area. power, which believed in giving power to
one person or a group of people located
 in one place. The core principle of power Q. 2. Highlight the reasons for the increase in
sharing is that people are the source of all the feeling of alienation among the Sri
political powers. Common forms of power Lankan Tamils after independence.
sharing are:  [CBSE, Term 1, 2015]
(i) Vertical division of power: Ans. Sri Lanka got freedom in 1948. They
The sharing of power can be done at followed the democratic rule over
different levels of the government. the country and adopted a policy of
a Central Government for the entire majoritisation. They established Sinhala
country and governments at pro- supremacy and neglected the Srilankan
vincial or regional level. This type is Tamils after independence.
usually called federal government. (i) S
 inhala became the official language
(ii) Horizontal division of power: of Sri Lanka in 1956 after passing an
In this form, the power is divided act.
among different organs of the (ii) T
 he government provides prefer-
government such as Legislature, the ence to Sinhala community in all
Executive and the Judiciary. It places kinds of job.
different organs of the government (iii) B uddhism became the state reli-
at the same level. gion. Sri Lankan Tamils felt that all
(iii) Power is also shared among different political parties led by Buddist Sin-
social groups such as religious and hala leaders were sensitive to their
linguistic groups e.g: community gov- religion and language. They de-
ernment. nied equal political rights to Tamil-
(iv) Various power sharing arrangement ians. So, they launched parties and
can also be seen in the way political struggled against them for regional
parties, pressure groups and move- autonomy and equality of opportu-
ments control or influence those in nity. This struggle between two in
power. Sri Lanka turned in to civil war.