Class 10 - Political Science - CH1 - Power Sharing
Answer: (a) Descent
Q2: A very good example of sharing power among different social group is
(a) Panchayati Raj system in India
(b) Demand for separate Eelam by Tamils
(c) Community Government in Belgium
(d) Federal arrangement in India
Answer: (c) Community Government in Belgium
Q3: In Srilanka, the democratically elected government adopted a series of which measures
to establish Sinhala supremacy?
(a) Community Government
(b) Federal Government
(c) Majoritarian Government
(d) Prudential Government
Answer: (c) Majoritarian Government
Q4: Prudential Reasons states that:
(a) Power sharing is the spirit of democracy.
(b) Power sharing reduces the possibility of social conflicts
(c) Majority should always rule
(d) A check and balance system is necessary in a democracy.
Answer: (b) Power sharing reduces the possibility of social conflicts
Q5: Which of the following system of power sharing is called checks and balances?
(a) Federal division of powers
(b) Separation of powers
(c) Vertical Division of powers
(d) Horizontal distribution of powers
Answer: (d) Horizontal distribution of powers
Q6: Which of the following was the outcome of the civil war in Sri Lanka?
(a) Set back to Sri Lanka's excellent record of economic development.
(b) Destruction of both majority and minority
(c) Demand for separate Tamil homeland
Answer: (d) All of these.
Q7: What were the Causes of ethnic struggles in Belgium:?
or
What were the major causes of tension among the ethnic communities of Belgium?
Answer: Belgium is a small country in Europe. It shares its borders with Dutch, France and
Germany. It has a population reaching 10 million and ethnic composition of the country is complex.
1. Out Of Belgium’s total population, 59% live in Flemish region and speak Dutch language.
2. Another 40% live in Wallonia region and speak French.
3. Remaining 1% of Belgians speak German.
4. In her capital city Brussels, 80% speak French while 20% are Dutch speaking.
5. The minority French speaking community is relatively rich and powerful so the majority
Dutch community showed resentment against it. This led to tension between the Dutch and French speaking communities in 1950s-1960s.
6. The conflict between the Dutch speaking and French speaking was more severe in Brussels because here, the Dutch speaking people were majority in Belgium but were in minority in Brussels.
Therefore, the ethnic struggle originated from tensions between Dutch and French community in
Q8: What was basic reason for the tension between the French speaking and Dutch speaking communities in Belgium. (Short Q & A: 1 or 2 marks)
Answer: 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 French-speaking communities during the 1950s-60s.
Q9: Why power sharing is important?
Prudential reason:
1. Avoids Conflicts: Power sharing is important because it avoids or minimizes the conflict between different social groups.
2. It is a good way to ensure stability of political order.
3. Majoritarianism undermines the unity of a nation.
4. Tyranny of majority eventually ruins the majority group as well.
5. It emphasizes that power sharing brings better results.
Value Based/ Moral Reasons:
1. Morally, the very act of power sharing is valuable for democracy.
2. It is the very essence of ‘Democracy’.
3. People have the right to have a share in government’s policy making.
4. It leads to a legitimate government as every citizen is anticipating in decision making.
Q10: List the major social groups in Sri Lanka
1. Sinhalas (74%)
2. Tamils (18%)
3. Christians (7%)
Q11: How could the tensions between the linguistic communities in Belgium be contained?
(a) The minority group accepted the dominance of the majority groups.
(b) By making constitutional amendments.
(c) By an agreement between the majority and minority groups.
(d) By accepting a federal pattern of government.
Answer: (c) By an agreement between the majority and minority groups.
Q12: What is the official religion of Sri Lanka?
Ans : Buddhism
Q14: Define the term ‘Majoritarianism’.
Answer: It is a belief that the majority community should be able to rule the country in whichever ways it want, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority is called Majoritarianism.
Q15: What were the majoritarian measures adopted by the Sri Lankan Government?
1. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, disregarding Tamil.
2. The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
3. A new constitution stipulated that the state should protect and foster Buddhism.
4. All these government measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
Q16: Define the term 'Civil War'.
Answer: It is a violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.
Q17: How did the Belgian Government resolve the ethnic diversities and tension between the two ethnic groups?
OR
What were the methods adopted by the Belgium leaders to resolve the ethnic conflict in Belgium?
Answer: The Belgium leaders recognized the existence of regional difference and cultural diversities. Between 1970-1993, their constitution was amended four times to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together in harmony. Following steps were taken:
I. Equal number of ministers from both the groups: It helped in way that no single community can take decisions unilaterally.
II. More powers to state government: Under the new power sharing arrangement, many powers of central govt. were given to state governments of the two regions of the country.
III. Equal representation at state and central level: A separate government was set up at Brussels giving equal representation to both communities.
IV. Community Government Setup: Apart from the Central and the State Government, there is a third kind of 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.
V. It helped in mitigating the tension between the two major communities and averted a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.
Q 18(CBSE 2011): Which two languages are generally spoken in Belgium?
Answer: (c) French and Dutch
Q19(CBSE 2011): The Government; in which power is shared by two or more political parties, is known as:
(a) Community Government
(b) Unitary Government
(c) Federal Government
(d) Coalition Government
Answer: (d) Coalition Government
Q20: What were the demands of Sri Lankan Tamils?
1. Sri Lanka Tamils demanded for the recognition of Tamil as an official language.
2. Regional autonomy
3. Equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
4. Later they demanded an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Srilanka.
Q21(CBSE): Which of the following minority communities is relatively rich and powerful in Belgium?
Answer: (a) French
Q22(CBSE): What is the %age of Sinhala speaking in Srilanka?
Answer: (b) 74%
Q. 23. Explain the moral reason for power sharing.
Ans. Power sharing is the basic spirit of democracy. A democracy rule involves sharing of power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. The basic principles of power, sharing include-
1. Government of different political parties, i.e., a coalition government.
2. Protection of minority rights.
3. Decentralization of power.
Q. 24. What is power sharing?
1. Power sharing is a strategy under which all the major segments of the society are provided with a permanent share of power in the governance of the country.
2. It is a potential tool for solving disputes in the society divided by deep ethnic, cultural or racial differences by giving the parties involved the wide range of power sharing to reduce the tensions through consensus-oriented governance.
3. It involves a wide array of political arrangements – usually embodied in constitutional terms – in which the principal elements of society are guaranteed a place and influence, in governance.
4. It relies on joint exercise of power where all principal groups are given a permanent share in the governance.
Q.25. Mention the steps taken by the Sri Lankan government to achieve majoritarianism.
1. In 1956, an Act was passed under which English was replaced as the country’s official language not by Sinhala and Tamil but by Sinhala only.
2. The governments followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
3. A new constitution was stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
Q. 26. Explain the difference between horizontal and vertical power sharing.
Ans. Horizontal Power sharing
1. Under the horizontal power sharing power is shared among different organs of government such as the legislature, executive and judiciary.
2. Under horizontal distribution of power, organs of the government are placed at the same level to exercise different powers.
3. Under horizontal each organ checks the other.
Vertical Power sharing
1. Under the vertical sharing power, power is shared among the different levels of governments.
2. The vertical division of power involves the highest and the lower levels of government.
3. Under vertical power sharing the lower organs work under the higher org.
Q27. Explain the power sharing arrangements among the political parties and pressure groups.
1. In a democracy, power is also shared among different political parties, pressure groups and movements.
2. Democracy provides the citizens a choice to choose their rulers. This choice is provided by the various political parties, who contest elections to win them. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand.
3. In the long run, power is shared among the 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.
4. In a democracy, various pressure groups and movements also remain active. They also have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or having influence on the decision making process.
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