POWER SHARING

1. Define the term ‘Ethnic’.

--- It is a social division based on shared culture and common descent because of similarities
of physical type or of culture or both.
--- People belonging to an ethnic group need not have the same religion or nationality.

2. Why is the ethnic composition of Belgium complex?

Belgium is a small country in Europe, having a population of a little over one crore.
--- 59 per cent of the country’s total population lives in the Flemish region and speak Dutch
language.
--- Another 40 per cent people live in Wallonia region and speak French.
--- Remaining one per cent of the Belgians speak German.
--- Whereas in the Belgian capital, Brussels, 80 per cent of the population is French-speaking
and 20 per cent is Dutch-speaking.

3. What was the problem that existed in Belgium?

The population of Belgium had diverse ethnic groups.
--- 59 per cent of the country’s total population lives in the Flemish region and speak Dutch
language.
--- Another 40 per cent people live in Wallonia region and speak French.
--- Remaining one per cent of the Belgians speak German.
--- 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 two 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.

4. What is the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka?

--- In Sri Lanka, there are two major communities.
--- The Sinhalese speaking constitute 74% of the population and most of them are Buddhists.
--- Those that are Tamil speaking constitute 18% of the population and most of them are
Hindus or Muslims.
--- The Tamil speaking community is further sub-divided into Sri Lankan Tamils 13% and
Indian Tamils 8%.
--- The Christians constitute about 7% of the population and have both Tamil and Sinhala
speakers.

5. Define majoritarianism.
Majoritarianism is a belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in
whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes of the minority community.

6. What measure were adopted by the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka
to establish Sinhala Supremacy?
--- In 1956, an Act was passed to make Sinhala the official language.
--- The government followed preferential policies favouring Sinhala applicants for University
positions and government jobs.
--- The Constitution laid down that the State shall protect and foster Buddhism

7. Explain any three consequences of the majoritarian policies adopted by the Sri
Lankan government.

Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. The democratically elected

government adopted a series of majoritarianism measures to establish Sinhala Supremacy.

The consequences of these majoritarian policies were:

--- The Sri Lankan Tamils felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist
Sinhala leaders were sensitive to their language and culture and the government policies
denied them equal political rights which led to increased feeling of alienation among them.

--- The Sri Lankan Tamils felt that the Constitution denied them equal rights in politics, in
getting jobs and ignored their interests. As a result, the relation between the Tamil and
Sinhala communities became extremely strained.

--- The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil, for
regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.

--- Therefore, the measures adopted by the government to establish Sinhala supremacy led to
distrust between the two communities which turned the widespread conflict into a Civil War.
As a result, thousands of people of both communities were killed and many families were
forced to leave the country as refugees and lost their livelihoods

8. Explain the four elements in the Belgian power-sharing model.

Or
What path of accommodation was adopted in Belgium?
--- The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural
diversities. Between, 1970 and 1993, the Constitution was amended four times to enable all
linguistic groups to live together within the same country.

--- The Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking people shall be
equal in the Central Government.
Some special laws require the support of majority of members from each linguistic group. No
single community can make decisions unilaterally.

--- 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.

--- Brussels, the capital, has a separate government where both the communities have equal
representation. The French- speaking people accepted equal representation in Brazil’s
because the Dutch-speaking community has accepted equal representation in the central
government.
--- Apart from the Central and the state Government, there is a third kind of government – the
Community Government. This Community government is elected by people belonging to one
language community – Dutch, French and German speaking, no matter where they are. This
government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language- related issues.

9. Explain the similarities and differences between the power sharing model accepted by
Belgium and Sri Lanka.
Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies, yet they have dealt with the problem of
cultural diversity very differently.

Belgium:
--- The Belgian leaders realised that the unity of the country is possible only by respecting the
feelings and interests of different communities and regions.
--- This resulted in mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power.
Sri Lanka:
--- In Sri Lanka the government followed the policy of majoritarianism.
--- 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.

10. Why is power sharing desirable in democracy?

Prudential reason:
--- Power sharing is desirable in democracy because it helps to reduce the possibility of
conflict between social groups.
--- Conflict between social groups 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, in the long run may undermine the
unity of the nation. Tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority, it often
brings ruin to the majority as well.
--- Prudential reasons stress that power sharing brings out better outcomes.

Moral reasons:
--- A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who
have to live with its effects.
--- People have a right 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.
--- Moral reasons emphasize the act of power sharing as valuable.

11. How has the idea of power sharing changed with time?
--- The very idea of power-sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided
political power.
--- For a long time it was believed that all power of a government must reside in one person
or group of persons located at one place.
--- It was felt that if the power to decide is dispersed, it would not be possible to take quick
decisions and to enforce them. But these notions have changed with the emergence of
democracy.
--- One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power. In a
democracy, people rule themselves through institutions of self- governance.
--- In a good democratic government, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that
exist in a society. Everyone has a voice in the shaping of public policies.
--- Therefore, it follows that in democracy political power should be distributed among as
many citizens as possible
--- A positive attitude towards diversity and willingness to accommodate it, is good for
democracy.

12. What meant by the system of ‘checks and balances’?

Or
What do you understand by horizontal distribution of power?
--- The horizontal distribution of power ensures that power is shared among different organs
of government—the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
--- It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different
powers.
--- This system ensures that none of these organs can exercise unlimited power. Each organ
checks the other. This results in a balance of power among various institutions.
This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

13. What is vertical division of power?

--- Power can be shared among governments at different levels —a general government for
the entire country and governments at provincial or regional level. This is the federal form of
government.
--- This division of power involving higher and lower levels of government is called the
vertical division of power.
---The sharing of powers can be extended to levels of government lower than the state
government. In the case of India, it is shared with local government – among the
Muncipalities and panchayats.

14. How is power shared among different social groups?

--- Power can be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic
groups.
--- The Community government in Belgium is an 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.
--- Reserved constituencies in assemblies and the parliament of our country are examples of
this.
--- 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.
--- This type of arrangement is meant to do space in the government and administration to
diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
--- This method is used to give minority communities a fair share in power.

15. How can power be shared between political parties, pressure groups and
movements?
--- Power sharing arrangement can 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 competitions ensure that power does not remain in one hand.
--- In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different
ideologies and social groups.
--- Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to
contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share
power.
--- We even find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialist, farmers
and industrial workers sharing power.
--- They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in
governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.

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