Case Study Questions Chapter 1 Power-sharing

Please refer to the Case Study Questions Chapter 1 Power-sharing with answers provided for Class 10 Social Science. These solved case study based questions are expected to come in the Class 10 Economics exam in the current academic year. We have provided Case study for Class 10 Social Science for all chapters here. You should practise these solved case studies to get more marks in examinations.

Chapter 1 Power-sharing Case Study Questions Class 10 Social Science

1. Read the source given below and answer the following questions:

Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies, this takes the form of competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus share power. In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers. They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

(i) What does the competition amongst the political parties ensure?
(a) power remains in one hand
(b) power is shared
(c) power does not remain in one hand
(d) all the above

(ii) What do you understand by pressure groups?
(a) organisations that attempt to oppose government policies
(b) organisations that attempt to influence government policies
(c) organisations that attempt to reject government policies
(d) none of the above

(iii) What is the meaning of coalition?
(a) one party
(b) oppose
(c) alliance
(d) multi party

(iv) None-sharing of power leads to
(a) peace among all the communities
(b) tyranny of the majority and oppression of the majority
(c) negation of the very spirit of democracy
(d) both (b) and (c)

2. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follows:

The Belgian leaders took a different path. They recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times so as to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same country. The arrangement they worked out is different from any other country and is very innovative. Here are some of the elements of the Belgian model: Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Some special laws require the support of majority of members from each linguistic group. Thus, no What’s wrong if the majority community rules? If Sinhalas don’t rule in Sri Lanka, where else will they rule? single community can make decisions unilaterally. Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government. Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation. The Frenchspeaking people accepted equal representation in Brussels because the Dutch-speaking community has accepted equal representation in the Central Government. Belgium is a small country in Europe, smaller in area than the state of Haryana. It has borders with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It has a population of a little over one crore, about half the population of Haryana. The ETHNIC composition of this small country is very complex. Of the country’s total population, 59 per cent lives in the Flemish region and speaks Dutch language. Another 40 per cent people live in the Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining one per cent of the Belgians speak German. In the capital city Brussels, 80 per cent people speak French while 20 per cent are Dutchspeaking.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

(i) What led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities?
(a) Both the communities were equal in socio-economic ladder and this was resented by the French-speaking community.
(b) He minority French – speaking community was richer and more powerful than the majority Dutch-speaking community.
(c) The majority Dutch- speaking community was richer and more powerful than the minority French-speaking community.
(d) Both the communities demanded special powers

(ii) Who elects the community government in Belgium?
(a) The citizens of the whole country
(b) By the leader of Belgium
(c) People belonging to one language community only
(d) The community leader to Belgium

(iii) Which language is spoken by the majority of Belgians?
(a) Dutch
(b) French
(c) German
(d) English

(iv) Which two languages are generally spoken in Belgium?
(a) Dutch and English
(b) French and English
(c) French and Dutch
(d) Dutch and Sinhala

3. Read the given extract and answer the following questions:

Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. Let us call this horizontal distribution of power because it allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers. Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power. Each organ checks the others. This results in a balance of power among various institutions. We studied that in a democracy, even though ministers and government officials exercise power, they are responsible to the Parliament or State Assemblies. Similarly, although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures. This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

(i) It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers is known as ___________.
(a) circular distribution of power
(b) vertical distribution of power
(c) horizontal distribution of power
(d) all the above

(ii) Power sharing means –
(a) system of political arrangements in which power is shared between ministers of the government
(b) system of political arrangements in which power is shared between different organs of the government
(c) system of political arrangements in which power is shared between different levels of government
(d) all the above

(iii) Power sharing is between –
(a) legislature, executive and parliament
(b) legislature, executive and judiciary
(c) legislature, high court and judiciary
(d) none of the above

(iv) Judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures, known as ____________.
(a) horizontal distribution of power
(b) checks and balances
(c) vertical distribution of power
(d) all the above

4. Read the source given below and answer the following questions:

Power may also be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community government’ in Belgium is a good example of this arrangement. In some countries there are constitutional and legal arrangements whereby socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures and administration. Last year, we studied the system of ‘reserved constituencies’ in assemblies and the parliament of our country. This type of arrangement is meant to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government. This method is used to give minority communities a fair share in power. Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among various contenders for power. In contemporary democracies, this takes the form of competition among different parties. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections.

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

(i) Power can be shared in modern democracies in the following ways:
(a) Among different organs of the government
(b) Among various levels
(c) Among different social groups
(d) All the above

(ii) Which is a prudential reason for power – sharing?
(a) It reduces the possibility of conflict between communities and ensures the stability of political order
(b) Power- sharing is the very spirit of democracy
(c) both the above
(d) None of the above

(iii) Which one of the following statements about community government is true?
(a) Power is shared among different organs of the government
(b) Power is shared among governments at different levels
(c) Power is shared by different social groups
(d) Power is shared by two or more political parties

(iv) Power sharing is good because:
(a) It increase the conflict between social groups
(b) It ensures the instability of political order
(c) It reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups
(d) It leads to violence

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Why is power sharing good for democracies? Explain one reason.
Ans. Power sharing is good for the democracy as it helps to reduce conflicts between the social groups. Since social conflicts often lead to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure stability and political order.

Question. How is community government elected in Belgium?
Ans. In Belgium, community government is elected by all those people who belong to one community and all those who speak the same language regardless of where they live.

Question. An independent Tamil Eelam was one of the main demands of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. What is meant by ‘Eelam’ here?
Ans. Here ‘Eelam’ means a separate state exclusively meant for the Tamils.

Question. Why is power sharing desirable? Explain one reason.
Ans. Power sharing reduces possibilities of social conflicts and the accumulation of powers in the hands of a particular group of people.

Question. How did the feeling of alienation develop among Sri Lankan Tamils?
Ans. The feeling of alienation developed among Sri Lankan Tamils because of the ‘majoritarian measures’ adopted by the Sri Lankan government.

Question. Study the picture and answer the question that follows:

What is the character doing in the given picture?
Ans. To understand the true meaning of democracy, the character is trying to read in between the lines of a paragraph probably published in a newspaper.

Question. Differentiate between community government in Belgium and majoritarian government in Sri Lanka.
Ans.

Question. Why was there an acute problem in Brussels during 1950s and 1960s between the two communities ?
Ans. Acute problems in Brussels:
The Dutch speaking people constituted majority in the country but minority in the capital.

Question. Why is there a need to give space to diverse social groups in the administration of a democratic country? Give any one reason.
Ans. It is necessary to give space to diverse social groups in the administration of a country to avoid majoritarianism, accumulation of power in the hands of a particular social group which would lead to social conflicts.

Question. Recognize the form of power sharing which is represented by the Community Government in Belgium.
Ans. Power sharing among different social groups like the religious and linguistic groups.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. ‘One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power.’ Justify the statement.
Ans. This is true that people are the source of all political power in democracy. It is so because:
(1) In a democracy, people rule themselves through institutions of self-governance.
(2) In a good democracy, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that exist in a society.
(3) Everyone has a voice in the shaping of public policies.

Question. Why does money and muscle power play an important role in elections?
Ans. Money and muscle power play an important role in elections because:
Parties tend to nominate only those candidates who have or can raise lots of money.
Rich people and companies who fund political parties are bound to have great influence over the decisions, agenda and ideology of the party. When in power, most actions are taken keeping their benefits in mind.to have influence on the policies and decisions of the party.
In some cases parties even support criminals who can win election due to their influence and muscle power.

Question. Describe the horizontal power sharing arrangement.
OR
What do you mean by Horizontal Power sharing? Mention its benefits.
Ans. Horizontal power sharing arrangement is one of the types of power sharing. This type of power sharing takes place among different organs or institutions of government all placed at the same level. No organ is subordinate to the other.
Power is equally divided among the three organs with different functions for each of them. These organs are independent and check over one another for misuse of power. In India, this kind of arrangement is found among legislative, executive and judicial organs at all levels. This helps to avoid accumulation of power.

Question. Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies but they follow different systems of power sharing. Support the statement by giving three points of difference.
Ans. Difference in power sharing arrangements of Belgium and Sri Lanka:
(1) In Belgium, the government does not follow preferential policies in matters of jobs and education unlike Sri lanka. In Sri Lanka, majoritarian government gave its preference to only Sinhala language speaking community.
(2) In Belgium, there is a unique setup called ‘community government’ to look after the cultural, educational and language related issues of minorities and majority. In Sri Lanka, issues of minorities are neglected.
(3) In Belgium, there is no discrimination between different religions. In Sri Lanka, Buddhism is the official religion. People practicing other religion are discriminated against.

Question. How did the Sri Lankan Tamils express their discontent after the majoritarian measures were adopted by the Sri Lankan government in 1956?
Ans. The ways that the Sri Lankan Tamils used to express their discontent were as follows:
(1) Put forward their demands: They launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
(2) Formed Political Organisations: By 1980s several political oganisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil state in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
(3) Led Civil War: The distrust between the two communities led to a civil war in which thousands of people of both the communities have been killed, many others took shelter as refugees in other countries and causing terrible set back to the socio-cultural and economic life of the Sri Lanka.

Question. Describe the elements of the Belgian model for accommodating diversities.
Ans. The Belgian model for accommodation of diversities has been explained below:
(1) To establish equality, the Belgian Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government and resolutions shall require the support of each linguistic group to be passed.
(2) State governments are not made subordinates to the central government. Their powers are divided.
(3) Brussels has a separate government in which both the communities have equal representation.
(4) A third kind of government, ‘community government’ (in which different social groups are given the power to handle affairs related to their communities and are expected to work jointly)’ has the power regarding cultural, educational and language related issues.

Question. Compare Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka and Model of Accommodation in Belgium.
Ans. 

Question. What are the two main forms of power sharing in modern democracies?
Ans. Power can be shared or distributed among various organisations or institutions in two ways: Horizontal and Vertical.
(1) Horizontal Distribution of Power Sharing: In this system power is shared among different organs of the governments in which each organ of government, i.e. Judiciary, Legislature and Executive are placed at the same level to exercise different powers in such a way that none of the organ exercise unlimited power. Besides, each organ checks the others which makes a balance of power among various institutions. For example, judiciary checks the functioning of the executive or laws made by legislature. That is why, this system is called a system of checks and balances also.
(2) Vertical Distribution of Power Sharing: In this system, power is shared among governments at different levels. For example: Central/Union Government for the entire country at national level, States Governments/Provincial or Regional Governments at state level while Munici-pality and Panchayats at the local level share the power in our country. This division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government is called vertical distribution of power sharing. In India, the Central Government is more powerful than its subordinate governments.

Question. Why is power sharing desirable? Give any three prudential and moral reasons of power sharing?
Ans. Power sharing is necessary in democratic form of government. Prudential and Moral reasons of power sharing are as follows:

Prudential Reasons:
(1) It helps to reduce the possibility of conflicts between social groups. For example, seats in legislative assemblies and parliament have been reserved for SCs and STs.
(2) Power sharing is good way to ensure political stability (stable government) in the country.
(3) Imposing the will of majority community over the minority may undermine the unity of the nation in long run. For example, in civil war between Tamils and Sinhala in Sri Lanka, killed lakhs of people from both the communities.

Moral Reasons:
(1) Power sharing is the spirit of democracy.
(2) It involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise.

Question. Read the source given below and answer the question that follows:
Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948. The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority. As a result, the democratically elected government adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN measures to establish Sinhala supremacy. What do you mean by Majoritarian measures and majoritarianism? Explain with emphasis as to what happened in Sri Lanka.
Ans. The belief that a majority community can dominate multiple minority communities only because it has more number of people and can administer a country according to its own whims and fancies, without considering or respecting the interests of the minority community is called Majoritarianism. Measures to favour the majority are called majoritarian measures.
Majoritarianism was practiced in Sri Lanka when a democractically elected government assumed power in the parliament and to please the majority, passed laws supporting Sinhala speakers neglecting the interest of Sri lankan Tamils.
Sinhala speakers were preferred in educational and professional institutions above Sri Lankan Tamils. This turned into civil war due to rising conflicts between the two communities.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Mention any three different forms of power sharing in modern democracies?
Ans. In modern democracies, power-sharing arrange-ments can take many forms:
(1) Among diffferent organs of government: This type is also known as horizontal distribution of powers. Powers are distributed among Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. They are all placed at the same level and none is given absolute power.
(2) Among governments at different levels: Also known as vertical distribution of powers. Herein the Central or National power of law making, execution and judiciary are divided into their sub-units at state and local level. The Central Unit holds the most power but cannot order state or local units.
(3) Among different social groups: Power may also be shared among different social, religious and linguistic groups. For example, Community Government in Belgium, reservations in jobs, posts for certain caste groups in India.
(4) Among political parties, pressure groups and movements: Power is shared among various political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen also have certain share without actually participating in politics directly.

Question. Explain with examples the accommodative experience of Belgium for peace and harmony.
Ans. The accommodative experience of Belgium for peace and harmony
(1) The Path of accommodation adopted in Belgium.
(2) Dutch and French speaking ministers got equal in the central govt.
(3) Many Powers of the central government have been given to state government.
(4) The state Government was not subordinate to the Central Govt.
(5) Brussels has a separate Govt. in which both the communities have equal representation.
(6) There is a third kind of Govt. called community Govt. elected by the people belonging to Dutch, French and German communities no matter where they live.

Question. Explain the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka.
Ans. The ethnic composition of Sri Lanka:
(1) Sri Lanka has a diverse population of about two crore people, almost equal to Haryana.
(2) The major social groups are the Sinhalaspeakers (74 per cent) and the Tamilspeakers (18 per cent).
(3) Tamils have two sub-groups-Sri Lankan Tamils (13 per cent) and Indian Tamils (5 per cent).
(4) Most of the Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhists while most of the Tamils are Hindus or Muslims
(5) There are about 7 per cent Christians, who are both Tamils and Sinhala.

Question. ‘The Belgian Model of power sharing was better’. Support this statement with three arguments.
Ans. The Belgian model of power sharing was better because:
(1) At the centre, there were both French and Dutch ministers and their number was equal.
(2) The centre and the state governments had equal and independent powers.
(3) A separate government was elected for the city of Brussels and had equal ministers of both the language speaking groups-French and Dutch.
(4) A third government called ‘Community Government’ was elected by Dutch, French and the German speaking people. This government had the power of handling the issues related to their language, culture and education.
(5) It helped to avoid civic strife between the two major communities and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines. Later, its capital Brussels was chosen as its headquarters by the countries of European Union.