Power Sharing
Why should power not rest in a single pair of hands? This Class 10 Civics chapter compares Belgium and Sri Lanka, explains the prudential and moral reasons for sharing power, and describes the different forms power sharing can take in a democracy.
Learning objectives
- Compare power sharing in Belgium and Sri Lanka.
- Explain prudential and moral reasons for power sharing.
- Describe the forms of power sharing.
- Understand why power sharing suits democracy.
Key concepts
Belgium and Sri Lanka
Belgium, with Dutch, French and German speaking communities, adopted a careful model of accommodation: power is shared between communities and regions, including a special community government. Sri Lanka instead followed majoritarianism, making Sinhala the only official language and favouring the majority, which alienated the Tamil minority and led to civil war. The contrast shows accommodation works better than domination.
Why power sharing is desirable
There are two kinds of reasons for sharing power. The prudential reason is that it reduces conflict between social groups and ensures the stability of political order. The moral reason is that power sharing is the very spirit of democracy, since people who are affected by decisions and have to live with their effects should have a say in governance.
Horizontal and vertical sharing
Power can be shared horizontally among the different organs of government — the legislature, executive and judiciary — which are placed at the same level and check one another through a system of checks and balances. It can be shared vertically among different levels of government — central, state and local — with the constitution defining each level's powers.
Sharing among groups and parties
Power can also be shared among different social groups, such as religious and linguistic communities, through arrangements like community government and reserved constituencies. Finally, it is shared among political parties, pressure groups and movements, for example through coalition governments, which give various interests a share in power.
Key definitions
- Power sharing
- The distribution of political power among different organs, levels and groups.
- Majoritarianism
- The belief that the majority community should rule as it wishes.
- Checks and balances
- An arrangement where organs of government limit one another's power.
- Coalition government
- A government formed by several parties sharing power.
Solved examples
Q1. Which country followed majoritarianism, leading to conflict?
Solution: Sri Lanka.
Q2. Name the two reasons for power sharing.
Solution: Prudential (reduces conflict, ensures stability) and moral (spirit of democracy).
Q3. What is horizontal power sharing?
Solution: Sharing power among organs at the same level — legislature, executive, judiciary.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing the cases of Belgium (accommodation) and Sri Lanka (majoritarianism).
- Mixing up horizontal (organs) and vertical (levels) power sharing.
- Thinking power sharing only means coalition governments.
- Treating majoritarianism as the same as democracy.
Power Sharing — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
Power sharing among the legislature, executive and judiciary is:
Practice questions
Short answer
What is majoritarianism?
The belief that the majority community should rule as it wishes.
Give the prudential reason for power sharing.
It reduces conflict between groups and ensures political stability.
What is vertical power sharing?
Sharing power among different levels — central, state and local governments.
Long answer
Compare the experiences of Belgium and Sri Lanka in dealing with social diversity.
Belgium and Sri Lanka are both diverse societies, but they handled their diversity very differently. Belgium has Dutch, French and German speaking communities living in different regions, and it chose a path of accommodation: its leaders amended the constitution several times to share power between the communities and regions, even creating a special 'community government' elected by people belonging to one language group. As a result, Belgium has remained united and peaceful. Sri Lanka, by contrast, adopted majoritarianism after independence: it made Sinhala the only official language, favoured the majority Sinhala community in jobs and education, and protected Buddhism, while ignoring the demands of the Tamil minority. This sense of injustice led to a long and bitter civil war. The comparison shows that accommodating all communities preserves unity, while domination by the majority breeds conflict.
Explain the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies.
Modern democracies share power in several ways. First is horizontal distribution, where power is shared among the different organs of government — the legislature, executive and judiciary — placed at the same level so that each can check the others through a system of checks and balances, preventing any one organ from becoming too powerful. Second is vertical distribution, where power is shared among different levels of government — central, state and local — with the constitution laying down what each level can do. Third, power is shared among different social groups, such as religious and linguistic communities, through devices like community governments and reserved constituencies. Fourth, it is shared among political parties, pressure groups and movements, for instance when several parties form a coalition government. Together these forms ensure that power is widely distributed rather than concentrated.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why is power sharing considered good for democracy even if it slows down decision-making?
Because it gives all affected groups a voice, prevents the tyranny of the majority, reduces conflict and gives decisions wider acceptance — values that matter more in a democracy than mere speed.
How did making one language official harm Sri Lanka?
It made the Tamil minority feel excluded and discriminated against, deepening mistrust and ultimately contributing to a civil war.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Belgium = accommodation (united); Sri Lanka = majoritarianism (conflict).
- Reasons: prudential (reduces conflict/stability) + moral (spirit of democracy).
- Horizontal: among organs (checks and balances); vertical: among levels.
- Also among social groups (reserved seats) and parties (coalitions).
Key takeaways
- Power sharing reduces conflict and deepens democracy.
- Accommodation beats majoritarian domination.
- Power is shared horizontally, vertically and among groups.
Frequently asked questions
What are the two reasons for power sharing?
Prudential (reduces conflict, ensures stability) and moral (the spirit of democracy).
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical power sharing?
Horizontal is among organs at the same level; vertical is among different levels of government.
Why did Sri Lanka face conflict?
Because its majoritarian policies alienated the Tamil minority.