Power Sharing quiz

Which language was made the only official language of Sri Lanka by an Act passed in 1956?

In Belgium, the majority of the population speaks:

The 'community government' in Belgium is elected by people belonging to:

Power sharing between the legislature, executive and judiciary is called:

Which of the following is a prudential reason for power sharing?

The capital of Belgium is:

Majoritarianism means:

The system of checks and balances ensures that:

Which of the following is an example of vertical division of power?

Coalition government is an example of power sharing among:

Why did the Tamils of Sri Lanka feel alienated? (2 marks)

What were the main features of the Belgian model of power sharing? (2 marks)

Why is power sharing desirable? (2 marks)

How does the system of checks and balances work? (2 marks)

What is meant by 'reserved constituencies'? Give an example from India. (2 marks)

How did majoritarian measures affect Sri Lanka? (2 marks)

Why did the Belgian leaders choose to share power rather than adopt majority rule? (2 marks)

What are the demands of the Sri Lankan Tamils? (2 marks)

How do pressure groups share power in a democracy? (2 marks)

What is the role of the federal system in power sharing? (2 marks)

Study the data: Sri Lanka's population is 74% Sinhala-speaking and 18% Tamil-speaking. Most Sinhalas are Buddhists, while most Tamils are Hindus or Muslims, and about 7% of the population is Christian. Calculate the remaining percentage of the population not covered by the two main language groups. Why was the dominance of one group a problem? (3 marks)

In a city council of 40 seats, a minority community making up 20% of the population is given 50% of the seats under a power-sharing agreement. Calculate the seats they would get under strict proportional representation and under the agreement. Why might such an arrangement be accepted? (3 marks)

In a federal country, the central government collects Rs 20 lakh crore in taxes and transfers 41% to the states. Calculate the amount transferred. Why is sharing revenue a form of power sharing? (3 marks)

A country's parliament has 300 seats. A coalition of four parties holds 90, 40, 20 and 12 seats. Does it have a majority? Calculate the percentage of seats held by the largest party within the coalition. (3 marks)

In a state legislature of 120 seats, 18 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 12 for Scheduled Tribes. Calculate the percentage of reserved seats. Why are such reservations a form of power sharing among social groups? (3 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Belgium is a small country in Europe with a population of a little over one crore. Of the country's total population, 59% lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch. Another 40% lives in the Wallonia region and speaks French. The remaining 1% speak German. In the capital city Brussels, 80% speak French while 20% are Dutch-speaking. (i) Which community is in the majority in Belgium but a minority in Brussels? (ii) Why did this create tension? (iii) How did the Belgians resolve the problem? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over the government by virtue of their majority. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise Sinhala as the only official language. The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs. (i) What is the measure described called? (ii) What was its impact on the Sri Lankan Tamils? (iii) How did this lead to a civil war? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. In a democracy, power is shared among different organs of government: the legislature, executive and judiciary. This is called horizontal distribution of power because it allows different organs placed at the same level to exercise different powers. Ministers and government officials exercise power, but they are responsible to Parliament or the State Assemblies. (i) What is horizontal distribution of power? (ii) How does the judiciary check the executive? (iii) Why is this system called 'checks and balances'? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. In India, power is shared among the Union government, state governments, and local governments such as panchayats and municipalities. The Constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels. In some countries, special arrangements also exist to share power among religious and linguistic groups. (i) What form of power sharing is described? (ii) Name the three levels of government in India. (iii) How does the Belgian community government differ from this form? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Power can also be shared among political parties, pressure groups and movements. In a democracy, people have a choice among various contenders for power. When two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections, they share power if elected. Interest groups such as traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers also influence decisions. (i) What is a coalition government? (ii) How do interest groups share power? (iii) Why is competition among parties a form of power sharing? (5 marks)

Describe the ethnic composition of Belgium and explain the main features of the Belgian model of accommodation. Draw a sketch map of Belgium showing its regions and languages. (6 marks)

Describe the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka. Explain the majoritarian measures adopted by the Sri Lankan government after independence and their consequences. How was the civil war resolved? (6 marks)

Why is power sharing desirable? Explain the prudential and moral reasons with examples. Draw a flowchart showing how power sharing reduces conflict. (6 marks)

Describe the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies with examples. Draw a mind map showing the four forms. (6 marks)

Compare the Belgian and Sri Lankan experiences of power sharing. Explain, with examples from India, how power sharing helps to maintain unity in a diverse country. (6 marks)