Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT textbook; answers were grounded against the chapter's content during generation. Items needing review are marked.
Your Progress - Chapter 130% complete
1Exercises8 questions
Q.1What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.v
SolutionGrounded in the four numbered forms in the chapter’s final section.
Answer:Power is shared horizontally among the legislature, executive and judiciary through checks and balances; vertically among central, state and local governments in a federation; among social groups through community government or reserved representation; and among political parties, pressure groups and movements through competition, coalitions and influence on policy. India’s independent judiciary, three levels of government, reserved constituencies and coalition governments illustrate these forms.
Q.2State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power sharing with an example from the Indian context.v
SolutionDistinguishes desirable consequences from the intrinsic democratic value of participation.
Answer:A prudential reason is that sharing power reduces conflict and political instability; India’s federal and linguistic arrangements accommodate regional differences and help preserve unity. A moral reason is that people affected by government decisions have a right to participate in making them; elected panchayats and municipalities bring power closer to citizens and express democratic self-government.
Q.3After 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.v
SolutionGrounded in the moral argument and the horizontal form of sharing.
Answer:I agree with Ouseph. Every democracy needs power sharing because unchecked concentration can become arbitrary even in a small or apparently homogeneous society. Separation among institutions, electoral competition and citizen participation make rulers accountable. Social or regional diversity makes sharing more visibly urgent, but democratic control is necessary everywhere.
Q.4The 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 in 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.v
SolutionApplies the Belgian accommodation model to the proposed ban.
Answer:No. Belgium’s settlement respects linguistic communities through equal representation, regional autonomy and a community government responsible for language and culture. A blanket ban imposes the majority language instead of accommodating diversity. Integration should enable participation while protecting identity, not reproduce the majoritarian domination that Belgium’s power-sharing arrangement was designed to prevent.
Q.5Read 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.”v
SolutionThis identifies a beneficial practical consequence rather than only a democratic principle.
Answer:A prudential reason is that giving power to panchayats increases administrative efficiency and reduces corruption: local participants can monitor development schemes directly and limit corrupt middlemen.
Q.6Different arguments are usually put forth in favour of and against power sharing. Identify those which are in favour of power sharing and select the answer using the codes given below? Power sharing: A. reduces conflict among different communities B. decreases the possibility of arbitrariness C. delays decision making process D. accommodates diversities E. increases instability and divisiveness F. promotes people’s participation in government G. undermines the unity of a countryv
- (a). A, B, D, F
- (b). A, C, E, F
- (c). A, B, D, G
- (d). B, C, D, G
SolutionConflict reduction, restraint of arbitrariness, accommodation and participation support power sharing; the remaining statements are objections.
Q.7Consider the following statements about power sharing arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka. A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose their domination on the minority French-speaking community. B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the dominance of the Sinhala-speaking majority. C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of power sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of opportunity in education and jobs. D. The transformation of Belgium from unitary government to a federal one prevented a possible division of the country on linguistic lines. Which of the statements given above are correct?v
- (a). A, B, C and D
- (b). A, B and D
- (c). C and D
- (d). B, C and D
SolutionBelgium accommodated rather than imposed Dutch dominance; the other three statements match the chapter.
Q.9Consider the following two statements on power sharing and select the answer using the codes given below: A. Power sharing is good for democracy. B. It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Which of these statements are true and false?v
- (a). A is true but B is false
- (b). Both A and B are true
- (c). Both A and B are false
- (d). A is false but B is true
SolutionPower sharing is intrinsically democratic and prudentially reduces social conflict.
Answer:(b) Both A and B are true