1.

POWER SHARING
Chapter at a Glance
Power sharing in Shri Lanka
Majoritarianism in srilanka
 Established Sinhala’s Supremacy
 Sinhala as the official Language
 Preferential policy for Sinhala applicants
 Buddhism declared as official religion

Power sharing in Belgium

Belgian Model
(Constitution amended four times between1970-1993)

 Equal representation to both Dutch and French in the central

government
 Power shared with the state government
 Brussels to have separate government Equal representation to both
communities
 Community government

Why Power Sharing is Desirable

Prudential Reasons Moral Reasons
 Avoids Conflict  Spirt of democracy
 Ensures political stability  Ensures legitimate government
 Majority cannot rule over
minority
 Forms of Power Sharing
Horizontal Vertical Social Groups Political parties and
pressure groups
 Legislature  Union Government  Religious  AGP
 Executive  State Government  Genders  NBA
 Judiciary  Local Government  Linguistic  BAMCEF

Power is shared Power is shared between Power is shared Coalition government

between the the different levels of the between and alliance formed by
different organs government different social different parties is an
of the groups example of power
government Eg. Reservation sharing
of seats for SC
and
ST,reservation
for women

2. FEDERALISM
Chapter at a Glance
Federal v/s Unitary Government
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNITARY GOVERNMENT
 Two or more levels of government.  One level of government.
 Power divided between central authority  No division of power.
and various Constituent units of the
country.
 Different levels enjoy power  Subunits,if any,are subordinate
independently. to central government.
 Features of Federalism

 Two more levels of government

 Changes in the constitution is done by consent of both the levels of the

government
 Each tier or level has its own Jurisdiction in specific matters

 Existence and authority of each Tier is constitutionally guaranteed

 Independent Judiciary

Two Routes of Federation

Coming together Federation Holding together Federation

 States come together to form  Large country divides its power
bigger unit. between The constituent units.
 USA, Switzerland, Australia  India, Spain, Belgium

List System in india

Threefold distribution of power

Union list State list Concurrent list Residuary list

 Subjects of  Subjects of  Subjects of common  New
national interest state interest interest subjects
 Only union  Only state  Both tiers can frame  Only
government can governments laws but in case of union
make laws can make laws conflict, union governm
government’s law to ent can
prevail legistate
 Foreign affairs,  Police, trade  Education forest,  New
banking, agriculture, marriage, adoption, subjects
currency, irrigation succession
communication
 Decentralisation in india

Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 Local self government

 Mandatory regular election of local  Rural level
bodies
 State Election Commission  Urban level
 Seats reserved for women and SC.  Panchayats
ST.
 Share of Revenue with local  Municipal corporation and
government committees

3. GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE

Communalism In Politics

 Routine beliefs  Formation of  Mobilisation on  Communal

religious Communal communal Violence
prejudices, Parties lines

 Stereotypes  Political  Use of religious  Disintegration

dominance symbols,
emotional
appeal and fear
 Feeling of
superiority

India – A Secular State

 No official religion
 Constitutional freedom to profess, and propagate any religion or not to follow any
 Constitutional prohibition against discrimination on grounds of religion
 State cannot intervene in religious matters

Caste in Politics

 Candidates are chosen  parties and  Universal adult

keeping In mind caste candidates franchise
composition of the appeal caste and principle of one-
Electorate sentiments person-one-vote
 Ruling parties give place
to muster support compels
to Representatives of
Leaders to mobilize all
different castes
caste
Electorates

Politics- Not Just about caste alone

 No parliamentary Constituency has a clean majority of single caste

 No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community

 Parties put candidates from different castes

 Voters may vote to a candidate of different caste

 Ruling party or sitting MP or MLA may loose elections

Politics in Caste

 Politics brings caste System & caste Identities into political Arena

 Each caste group may join other castes or sub castes to form a bigger
group
  Negotiation give way to dialogue or Various caste groups may join a
coalition and thus
 New kinds of caste groups can be formed like ” backwards” and
“forwards”

4. CHAPTER: POLITICAL PARTIES

Political Party

 A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold
power in the government.

They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the
collective good.

A political party has three components

 the leaders,
 the active members and
 the followers
FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES

Parties contest elections

In most democracies, elections are fought mainly by the candidates put up by political parties.

Parties put forward different policies and programmes

Parties put forward different policies and programmes and the voters choose from them. On what
policies are suitable for the society.

Parties play a decisive role in making laws for a country.

since most of the members belong to a party, they go by the direction of the party leadership,
irrespective of their personal opinions.

Parties form and run governments.

The big policy decisions are taken by political executive that comes from the political parties. Role of
opposition
Those parties that lose in the elections play the role of opposition to the parties in power, by voicing
different views and criticizing government for its failures or wrong policies.

TYPE OF PARTY SYSTEM

One Party system Two Party system Multi party system

only one party is allowed to  In some countries, If several parties compete for
control and run the power usually changes power, and more than two
government between two main parties have a reasonable
eg China parties. chance of coming to power
 Only the two main Eg India
parties have a serious
chance of winning
majority of seats
eg. USA and UK

STATE PARTY NATIONAL PARTY

A party that secures at least 6 per cent of the
total votes in an election to the Legislative
Assembly of a state and wins at least two seats is
recognized as a State party.
A party that secures at least six per cent of total
votes in Lok Sabha elections or Assembly
elections in four states and wins at least four
seats in the Lok Sabha is recognized as a national
party.

CHALLENGES TO POLITICAL PARTY The first challenge is lack of internal democracy within parties.

Parties do not keep membership registers, do not organizational meetings, and do not conduct
internal elections regularly.

The second challenge of dynastic succession is related to the first one.

In many parties, the top positions are always controlled by members of one family.

The third challenge is about the growing role of money and muscle power in parties.

Since parties are focused only on winning elections, they tend to use shot outs to win

Elections

Use of money and muscle power

Parties do not offer meaningful choices

Its all about power so there is no scope of morality parties play dirty tricks to gain power
MEASURES TO REFORM POLITICAL PARTIES

REFORMS
 Strict implementation of anti defection law ie
no candidate can change the party after the
announcement of election result
 Filing of Affidavit declaring assets and
liabilities and showing that there is no
criminal record pending against the candidate
 it is necessary for political parties to hold
their organizational elections and file that
income tax returns.
SUGGESTIONS
 Parties to regulate the internal
affairs
 Reservation of 1/3 seats for women
 State funding of election in cash or
kind
 Putting pressure by pressure groups
petition protest etc

5. CHAPTER: OUTCOMES OF DEMOCRACY

Assessment of Democratic outcome

Democracy is a better form of Government when compared with dictatorship or any other
alternative.

Democracy was better because it:

 Promotes equality among citizens;

There is Rule of Law.There is no discrimination on the basis of gender caste colour or creed.
Everybody is treated equally without any discrimination. Untouchability is a punishable
offense
 Enhances the dignity of the individual
Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens by treating them as the dignified citizens and
not as the subjects,. There is aprovision of fundamental rights which are sanctioned by law
and are given equally to all the citizens without any discrimination.
 Improves the quality of decision-making
All the decisions are taken after debate and discussion with majority. This system improves
the quality of decision making Such decisiond are easily acceptable
 Provides a method to resolve conflicts;
Democratic regime provides with a system of independent Judiciary which is empowered to
resolve the disputes between the citizens, between the centre and the state government
and between different state governments.
 Allows room to correct mistakes.
 The constitution in a democratic set up provides with a system through which we can
correct our mistake we can change the government and change the existing laws as
well.thus it allows us to correct our mistake whenver it is required.

Democracy is

Accountable responsive legitimate

It is answerable to the people Responds to the need and It is lawfully elected
for all the decisions made aspirations of the people government. It is not
during the tenure hereditary
Peoples own government

Role of democracy in

Accommodation of Reduction of Enhancing dignity

Economic growth and diversity inequality of citizens
development
Democracy has a ability A small number of Provision of
dictatorships have to handle social ultra-rich enjoy a highly fundamental rights
slightly higher rate of difference divisions and disproportionate share
economic growth. conflicts of wealth and incomes. Enforcement of
fundamental rights
There are many factors Rule by majority means The gap between the through law
responsible for that in case of every rich nd poor is
development like decision different widening The passion for
resources, population persons and groups may respect and
physiographic location and can form a majority. elected government do freedom are the
and government policy not appear to be as basis of
Democracy accomodates keen to address the democracy.
it is better to prefer diversity as it ensures question of poverty.
democracy as it has Power sharing with the The Fundamental
several other positive discriminated and But democracy is rights are
outcomes. disadvataged groups considered as the best sactioned by law .if
As it gives equality and through form of government as they are violated
liberity to its citizens Reservation of it ensures equal we can seek them
discriminated groups distribution of through court.
Eg sc/st/women resources without any
discrimination