POWER SHARING

POLITICAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER 1
 BELGIUM
• Small country in Europe
• Shares borders with
France, Netherlands,
Germany and Luxembourg
• Mainly three languages
are spoken in Belgium-
Dutch, French and German
 SRI LANKA
• Island Nation
• Diverse Population
• Two main language
speaking groups: Sinhalese
and Tamil
 BELGIUM
59% 40%
DUTCH FRENCH 1%
LIVES IN LIVES IN
GERMAN
FLEMISH WALLONIA
REGION REGION
 BRUSSELS (CAPITAL OF
BELGIUM)

80% 20%
FRENCH DUTCH
• The Dutch speaking people were a
majority in Belgium, but a minority
in the capital city Brussels.

• While, the minority French speaking

people in Belgium were a majority in
Brussels.
 SRI LANKA

TAMILS (18%)
SINHALAS
Sri Lankan (74%)
Tamils Indian Tamils
(5%)
(13%)
 MAJORITARIANISM
1948: Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country.
Sinhala leaders secured dominance because of their majority and adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN
measures.

1956: An Act was passes, according to which:

1) Sinhala was recognized as the 2) Sinhala applications for job and 3) State shall protect and foster
ONLY official language. education were preferred. Buddhism.

The Tamils felt alienated as they were being discriminated against and were being
denied equal political rights.
3) Equality of opportunity
Sri lankan Tamils launched 1) Recognition of Tamil as
2) Regional Autonomy in securing education and
parties with the aim of: official language.
jobs.
 There demands were repeatedly denied

By 1980s, several political organizations were formed who were

demanding Tamil Eelam in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

This led to widespread conflict which soon turned into a civil war.

Thousands of people of both communities were killed.

The civil war caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the
country.

It finally ended in 2009.

 ACCOMMODATION IN
BELGIUM
• Between 1970 to 1993, constitution was
amended 4 times, to work out an arrangement
that all the language speaking communities
were comfortably accommodated.
 4 changes:
• Constitution prescribed that the number of
French speaking and Dutch speaking people
shall be EQUAL in the central government.

• Brussels has a separate government in which

both French speaking and Dutch speaking
people had EQUAL representation.
• Many powers of the central government were
given to the state government.

• There was a third kind of government,

community government. This government was
elected by the people belonging to one language
community- Dutch, French and German speaking.
This government had the power regarding
cultural, educational and language related issues.
WHY POWER SHARING IS DESIRABLE?
PRUDENTIAL REASONS

• It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict

between social groups.
• It helps to ensure stability of political order.
• It avoids tyranny of majority.
WHY POWER SHARING IS DESIRABLE?
MORAL REASONS

• It is the very spirit of democracy.

• A democratic rule involves sharing of power
with those affected by its exercise.
• A legitimate government is one where citizens
through participation also hold responsibility
in the system.
FORMS OF POWER SHARING
HORIZONTAL DIVISION OF
POWER

VERTICAL DIVISION OF
POWER

AMONG SOCIAL GROUPS

AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES,

PRESSURE GROUPS AND
MOVEMENTS
HORIZONTAL DIVISION OF POWER

LEGISLATURE EXECUTIVE JUDICIARY

• None of the organs can exercise unlimited

power.
• Each organ checks the other.
• The arrangement is also called as a system
of checks and balances.
VERTICAL DIVISION OF POWER
CENTRAL • A general government for the entire
GOVERNMENT country is usually called Federal
Government. In India, we refer to it
as Central or Union Government.
STATE • The government at provincial and
GOVERNMENT regional level are called by different
names in different countries.
• The constitution clearly lays down
the power of the different levels of
LOCAL the government.
GOVERNMENT
 AMONG SOCIAL GROUPS
• Power may also be shared among different
social groups such as religious and linguistic
groups. In India, there are constitutional and
legal arrangements whereby socially weaker
sections and women are represented in the
legislatures and administration.
 AMONG POLITICAL PARTIES,
PRESSURE GROUPS AND
MOVEMENTS
Political parties are the organizations which aim to control power by
contesting elections. In a democracy, citizens have the freedom to
choose among the various contenders for power. When no party gets a
majority, two or more parties come together to form a government.

In a democracy, pressure and interest groups also have an indirect

share in the government's power.
For Example various women empowerment committees have
pressurized to government to make stronger safety laws for women.
Narmada Bachao Andolan and Ganga Action Plan has again forced to
government to make stringent laws against cleanliness in these rivers.
 KHALIL’S DILEMMA
• The capital city of Lebanon- Beirut was a
modern cosmopolitan city. People from
different communities lived there. They lived
together but still fought a bitter civil war.
• In Beirut there lived a man named Khalil.
- His father was an ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
- His mother was a SUNNI MUSLIM
- He did not identify himself with any religion.
 KHALIL’S DILEMMA
• After the war, the leaders made some laws for
power sharing among different communities.
• According to it,
- Country’s President must belong to MARONITE
SECT OF CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS
- Prime Minister must belong to SUNNI MUSLIM
COMMUNITY.
- Deputy Prime Minister is fixed for ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN SECT
- Speaker must be SHIA MUSLIM.
 KHALIL’S DILEMMA
• If the above laws were followed, the Christians
agreed not to seek protection from French
and the Muslims agreed not to unify with
neighboring state of Syria.

• KHALIL DOES NOT LIKE THIS SYSTEM AT ALL.

 KHALIL’S DILEMMA
• Khalil was a politically ambitious man and
wanted to stand for the President but
according to current laws he could not as he
does not practice any religion.

• He wants Lebanon to be a “NORMAL

DEMOCRACY”.
• What do you think he meant by that?
 KHALIL’S DILEMMA

• If you had the power to rewrite the rules in

Lebanon, what would YOU do?
 Assignment
Q.1 What do you mean by the system of checks
and balances?
Q.2 How is power shared among different social
groups?
Q.3 Explain the different forms of power
sharing.
Q.4 Why was Khalil unhappy with the political
system of Beirut?