Power-Sharing in Democracy Class 10

Power-Sharing in Democracy

Overview

• Power-sharing is essential in a democracy to prevent concentration of power in one organ of government.
• The chapter explores the concept of power-sharing through two stories from Belgium and Sri Lanka.

Belgium: A Country with Complex Ethnic Composition

• Belgium is a small country in Europe with a population of around one crore, comparable to Haryana.
• The country has a complex ethnic composition: 59% Flemish region (Dutch-speaking), 40% Wallonia region (French-speaking), and 1% German-speaking.
• In the capital city Brussels, 80% people speak French, and 20% speak Dutch.

Consequences of Not Sharing Power

• In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala community sought dominance over government, leading to majoritarian measures that disregarded Tamil language and culture.
• This resulted in feelings of alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils, who felt none of the major political parties were sensitive to their needs.
• The relations between Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time, leading to a civil war that caused immense loss of life and livelihood.

Accommodation in Belgium

• Belgian leaders recognized the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities.
• The constitution was amended four times between 1970 and 1993 to work out an arrangement for power-sharing.
• Key elements of the Belgian model include:
  • Constitutional prescription of equal number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the central government.
  • Special laws requiring support from a majority of members from each linguistic group.
  • Community government elected by people belonging to one language community, with powers related to cultural, educational, and language-related issues.

Lessons from Belgium and Sri Lanka

• Power-sharing arrangements can help avoid civic strife between communities and possible division of the country.

• Recognition of regional differences and cultural diversities is essential for working out mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power.

• Power-sharing makes a country stronger, rather than weaker.### Power Sharing

• Power sharing deals with the question of sharing power among different communities and protecting the interests of all groups.

• In Belgium, leaders have realized that unity is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities.

• In Sri Lanka, if the majority community wants to force its dominance over others, it can undermine the unity of the country.

Importance of Power Sharing

• Power sharing is good because it helps reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups, leading to violence and political instability.
• Imposing the will of the majority can look attractive in the short run, but it undermines the unity of the nation in the long run.
• Power sharing is desirable because it brings out better outcomes and is valuable in itself.
• There are two sets of reasons in favor of power sharing: prudential (good for outcomes) and moral (it's valuable in itself).

Examples of Power Sharing

• In Germany, the two major parties, the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party, form a coalition government because neither got a clear majority of seats in the 2005 elections.
• In Lebanon, the President must belong to the Maronite sect of Catholic Christians, the Prime Minister must be from the Sunni Muslim community, the Deputy Prime Minister from the Orthodox Christian sect, and the Speaker from the Shi'a Muslims.

Forms of Power Sharing

• Power sharing arrangements can take many forms, including horizontal distribution of power among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary.

• Separation of powers ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power, resulting in a balance of power among institutions.

• In a democracy, people rule themselves through institutions of self-government, giving due respect to diverse groups and views in society.

• Everyone has a voice in shaping public policies, and those in power are responsible to the Parliament or State Assemblies.### Power Sharing in Democracies

• Power sharing is an essential element of democratic governments.

• It can be done in various ways, such as:

• Horizontal power sharing: Power is shared among different organs of government, like the legislature, executive, and judiciary.

• Vertical power sharing: Power is shared among different levels of government, like the central government and state or provincial governments.

• Power sharing among different social groups: Power is shared among different social groups, like religious and linguistic minorities.

Checks and Balances

• In a system of checks and balances, one organ of government cannot dominate the others.
• Judges can check the functioning of the executive and laws made by the legislature.
• This arrangement helps to prevent the concentration of power in one branch of government.

Federal Government

• A federal government is a general government for the entire country.
• In India, it is referred to as the Central or Union Government.
• Power is shared between the federal government and governments at the provincial or regional level.

Power Sharing in India

• In India, the constitution lays down the powers of different levels of government.
• The same principle of power sharing can be extended to lower levels of government, like municipalities and panchayats.

Community Government

• Community government is a form of power sharing among different social groups.
• In Belgium, community government is a good example of this arrangement.
• It helps to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups.

Power Sharing Arrangements

• Power sharing can be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence those in power.
• In a democracy, citizens must have the freedom to choose among various contenders for power.
• Competition among different parties ensures that power does not remain in one hand.

Examples of Power Sharing

• The Bombay High Court ordered the Maharashtra State Government to improve living conditions for children in Mumbai.
• The government of Ontario state in Canada agreed to a land claim settlement with the aboriginal community.
• Russia's two influential political parties agreed to unite their organizations into a strong right-wing coalition.
• The finance ministers of various states in Nigeria demanded that the federal government declare its sources of income.

Importance of Power Sharing

• Power sharing is necessary in societies with religious, linguistic, or ethnic divisions.
• It is suitable for big countries with regional divisions.
• Every society needs some form of power sharing, even if it is small or does not have social divisions.
• Power sharing helps to reduce corruption and increase administrative efficiency.
• It promotes people's participation in government and accommodates diversities.