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Power Sharing- POLITICAL SCIENCE X

 Power Sharing-  POLITICAL SCIENCE X

  1. With this chapter, we resume the tour of democracy that we started last year.
  2. An intelligent sharing of power among a legislature, executive and judiciary is very important to the design of a democracy.
  3. We start with two stories from Belgium and Sri Lanka.
  4. Both these stories are about how democracies handle demands for power sharing.

Belgium and Sri Lanka:

  1. Belgium is a small country in Europe.
  2. It has borders with Netherlands, France and Germany.
  3. 59% in the Flemish region speaks Dutch.
  4. Another 40% people live in Wallonia region and speaks French.
  5. Remaining 1% of the Belgians speak Germany.
  6. n the capital city Brussels, 80% people speak French while 20% are Dutch – speaking.
  7. The minority French – speaking community was relatively rich and powerful.
  8. This was resented by the Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of the economic development and education much later.
  9. The tension between two communities was acuter in Brussels.
  10. Like other nations in the south Asia region, Sri Lanka has a diverse population.
  11. The Sinhala speaks are 74% and Tamil speakers are 18%
  12. Among Tamils, there are two sub groups, Tamil natives of the country are called “Sri Lankan Tamils”; the rest whose forefathers came from India as a population workers during the colonial period, is called ‘Indian Tamils’.

Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka:

  1. Sri Lankan emerged as an independent country in 1948.
  2. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over the government by virtue of their majority.
  3. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
  4. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
  5. All these coming measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils.
  6. As a result, the relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
  7. The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles.
  8. But their demand for more autonomy to provinces populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied.
  9. The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into CIVIL WAR.
  10. The civil war caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the country.

Accommodation in Belgium:

  1. Belgium recognized the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities.
  2. 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.
  3. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian model:
    a. Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.
    b. Many powers of the central government have been given to states government of the two of the regions of the country.
    c. Brussels has separated government in which both the communities have equal representation.
    d. Apart from the central and state government, there is a third kind of government. This is community government.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Why is power sharing desirable?

  1. Thus, two different sets of reasons can be given in favor of power sharing.
  2. Firstly, power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
  3. There is a second, deeper reason why power sharing is good for democracy. Power sharing is very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with it effects.
  4. Let us call the first set of reasons PRUDENTIAL and the second moral.
  5. While prudential reasons stress that power sharing will bring out better outcomes, moral reasons emphasizes the very act of the power sharing as valuable.

Forms of power sharing:

  1. The idea of power sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided political power.
  2. For a long time, it was believed that all power of a government must reside in one person or group of a person located at one place.
  3. One basic principle of power sharing is that people are the source of all political power.
  4. In a good democratic government, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that exist in a society.
  5. Everyone has a voice in the shaping of public politics.
  6. Therefore, it follows that in a democracy political power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible.

Let us look at some of the most common arrangements that we have or will come across.

  1. Power is shared among different organs of the government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary. Let us call this horizontal distribution of power because it allows different organs of the government placed at the same level to exercise different powers.
  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. The division of higher and lower levels of government is called the vertical division of power.
  3. Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as the religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community government’ is a good example of this arrangement.
  4. Power sharing arrangement can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power.

Question 1. What are the different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.

Answer: The different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies are:

  • Horizontal Division of Power: It is the sharing of power among the different organs of government, for example, power-sharing by the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. In this type of power-sharing arrangement, different organs of government, placed at the same level, exercised different powers. Such a separation ensure that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power, thereby putting a check on each other. For example, judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures.
  • Vertical Division of Power: It is a system of power sharing among governments at different levels. A general government for the entire country usually known as federal government and governments at provincial or regional levels also known as State Government in India. In India, we refer to it as the Central Government, State Governments, Municipality, Gram Panchayat etc. The Constitution lays down the powers of different levels of government.
  • Division of Power among different Social Groups: Power can also be shared among different groups which differ socially like different religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community Government’ in Belgium is a good example of this type of power sharing. The system of reserved constituencies in India is another example. Such an arrangement is used to give minority communities space in the government and administration and a fair share in power, who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
  • Division of Power among Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Movements: In contemporary democracies such a division takes the form of competition among different parties, which in turn ensure that power does not remain in one hand and is shared among different political parties representing different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing is direct when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections.

Question 2. State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power sharing with an example from the Indian context.

Answer :

  • Prudential Reason: Power sharing helps in reducing the conflict between various social groups. Hence, power sharing is necessary for maintaining social harmony and peace. In India, seats are reserved for the weaker sections of society. Example: reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in jobs and government. This allows the weaker sections also to participate in the running of the Government and upliftment in the society.
  • Moral Reason: It upholds the spirit of democracy. In a truly democratic setup, the citizens too have a stake in governance. In India, the citizens can come together to debate and criticise the policies and decisions of the government. This, in turn, puts pressure on the government to rethink its policies and reconsider its decisions. People have a say in the government and government is answerable to the people.

Question 3. After reading this chapter, three students drew different conclusions. Which of these do you agree with and why? Give your reasons in about 50 words.
Thomman – Power sharing is necessary only in societies which have religious, linguistic or ethnic divisions.
Mathayi – Power sharing is suitable only for big countries that have regional divisions.
Ouseph – Every society needs some form of power sharing even if it is small or does not have social divisions.

Answer: Ouseph’s statement is the most logical, and thus, should be agreed on. Every society needs some form of power sharing even if it is small or does not have social divisions. A democratic society is one where its members or citizens through participation acquire a stake in the system. Power sharing not only prevents conflict between various groups in the society but it also generates a sense of belongingness among them to the society.No single community can take a decision unilaterally. It is realized that unity of the country is only possible by respecting feelings and interest of different communities. Power sharing helps to maintain a balance of power among various institutions and also keep a check on how it is exercised. It reduces conflicts between different social groups. Irrespective of the size of a country or the type of society, people will be more satisfied where they have a say in the functioning and decision making processes of the system. Power sharing is the spirit of democracy. People have the right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.

Question 4. The Mayor of Merchtem, a town near Brussels in Belgium, has defended a ban on speaking French in the town’s schools. He said that the ban would help all non-Dutch speakers integrate into this Flemish town. Do you think that this measure is in keeping with the spirit of Belgium’s power-sharing arrangements? Give your reasons in about 50 words.

Answer: No, This measure is not in keeping with Belgium’s power-sharing arrangements. The arrangements seek to maintain peace between the French and Dutch-speaking communities. By banning French, the mayor will cause civil unrest. Both the languages should be made acceptable in the town’s schools. The unity of a country is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions. Thus bilingual education system will be a better way to integrate the people of the town. Such a realisation would result in a mutually acceptable arrangement for sharing power.

Question 5. Read the following passage and pick out any one of the prudential reasons for power-sharing offered in this.
“We need to give more power to the panchayats to realise the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the hopes of the makers of our Constitution. Panchayati Raj establishes true democracy. It restores power to the only place where power belongs in a democracy – in the hands of the people. Giving power to Panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency. When people participate in the planning and implementation of developmental schemes, they would naturally exercise greater control over these schemes. This would eliminate the corrupt middlemen. Thus, Panchayati Raj will strengthen the foundations of our democracy.”

Answer: The prudential reason for power sharing offered in this passage is giving power to panchayats is also a way to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency. Panchayats are at the local level hence deepen democracy in our country. Local people have better ideas and knowledge about local problems. They can better understand the problems of the people, thus performing better. Introduction of panchayats has made the country more united and stronger. It has also made the administration easier.