NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing

Question. What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.
Answer. The different forms of power sharing in modern democracies are:
• Horizontal Distribution of Power: The power is shared among the different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. Example: The distribution of power between Indian Parliament (legislature), the council of ministers headed by chief ministers (executive) and Courts of India.
• Vertical Distribution of Power: The power is shared among governments at different levels– a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. Example: In India, power is shared among Central government, State government and local governments.
• Distribution of Power among different Social Groups: Power may also be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups.Example: ‘Community Government’ in Belgium.
• Distribution of Power among Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Movements: Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Movements control or influence those who are in power. Different political parties contest elections for power which ensures that power does not remain in one hand and shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Pressure groups and movements influence the decision making process.

Question. Consider the following two statements on power sharing and select the answer using the codes given below:
A. Power sharing is good for democracy.
B. It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
Which of these statements are true and false? 

Answer. B

Question. What is the Proportion of Tamil in Sri Lanka’s total population?
Answer: Sri Lanka has a diverse population. The proportion of Tamil in Sri Lanka’s total population is 18 per cent. The proportion of people speaking Sinhala is 74 per cent. Among Tamils, there are 2 subgroups:
a) The Tamil natives of the country called the Sri Lankan Tamils.
b) The Indian Tamils whose ancestors came to Sri Lanka in search of work during the colonial period.

Question. What do you mean by checks and balances?
Answer:
● The horizontal power of distribution is called the system of checks and balances.
● It is a means to allow different organs operating at the same level to have different powers.
● Each organ ‘checks’ the other by ensuring none of the other organs exercises unlimited.
● It helps to maintain a ‘balance’ of power.
● The ministers are responsible to the Parliament or state assemblies.
● Judges are also appointed to check the functioning of the departments or laws made by the legislature.

Question. Define a coalition government.
Answer: 
● A coalition government is a cabinet in the parliament in which more than one political parties merge together.
● It helps to reduce the dominance of any one party.
● It is usually formed so that no single party on its own can have a majority in the parliament.

Question. What is the advantage enjoyed by the Sinhala community in Sri Lanka?
Answer: 
● Sri Lanka has a diverse population. The proportion of Tamil in Sri Lanka’s total population is 18 per cent. The proportion of people speaking Sinhala is 74 per cent.
● In 1948, the leaders of the Sinhala community had established certain rules and regulation to establish dominance over Sri Lanka.
● An act was passed in 1956, that recognized Sinhala as the official language. This completely disregarded the Tamil language.
● According to the new constitution, Buddhism was to be promoted.
● Sinhala community was given preference in colleges, universities and employment sectors.
Thus, the Sinhala community enjoyed many advantages in Sri Lanka.

Question. Describe the ways in which power can be shared among different social groups.
Answer: 
● Power can be shared among different social groups such as linguistic groups and religious groups.
● Another famous example is the community government in Belgium.
● A few countries have a system which ensures adequate representation of the weaker sections, backward sections and women.
● It gives these groups space within the administration of the government so that they do not feel alienated.
● It gives the minority communities a fair share of power.

Question. Explain the way in which power sharing between different organs of the government results in the maintenance of Balance of Power.
Answer: 
● The power is shared among different organs of the government through the horizontal distribution of power arrangement.
● These organs are - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
● The legislature is responsible for making laws.
● The executive is responsible for executing these laws.
● Judiciary has the responsibility to provide justice to the people and settle disputes.
● In this system, different organs of the government who are operating at the same level are given different powers.
● This is called the separation of power.
● It keeps a check on the working of the different organs so that none of them exercises unlimited powers.
● It also promotes a balance of power in the government.
● So, this system is also called checks and balances

Question. Why was it felt earlier that undivided political power was better? What changed this notion and why?
Answer: For a long time, it was felt that political power must be concentrated in one person or a group of people only. This was due to the following reasons:
a) The decision making would be easier and quicker.
b) In some countries, the monarchy system was prevalent. So, they were in complete favour of undivided power.
However, all these notions soon changed. This change was brought about due to the following reasons:
a) In a democracy, people are the key to success.
b) All the people must have a voice in the forming of the decision-making process.
c) This helps to hold people accountable for their actions.
d) The base of democracy is a division of power.
e) This was called the modern technique of governance.

Question. After reading the lesson, do you think power sharing is desirable in a democracy or any other form of government? List the values drawn from the above statements.
Answer: Power sharing is desirable in a democracy or any other form of government due to the following reasons:
a) Power sharing helps to reduce the conflicts and clashes between different ethnic groups living together in a society.
b) It helps to reduce the violence that arises when different linguistic groups.
c) It helps to bring about political, cultural, economic and social stability in the country.
d) The essence of democracy is the maximum involvement of people in the decision making so that they can have a voice in Parliament.
e) It helps to hold people accountable for their action.
So, it can be concluded that power sharing has many positive effects and must be incorporated in the different forms of government.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Multiple Choice Questions 

Question. Power struggle demanding separate Eelam was launched by
(a) Sinhalese
(b) Buddhists
(c) Tamilians
(d) none of the above
Answer. C

Question. Belgium shares its border with
(a) France
(b) Germany
(c) Luxembourg
(d) all the above
Answer. D

Question. In Belgium, the percentage of French community is
(a) 54%
(b) 40%
(c) 30%
(d) 20%
Answer. B

Question. An Act of recognising Sinhala as the official language was signed in
(a) 1942
(b) 1956
(c) 1954
(d) 1948
Answer. B

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Assertion-Reason Questions 

The following questions consist of two statements — Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer these questions selecting the appropriate option given below:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Question. Assertion (A) : Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1946.
Reason (R) : The leaders of the Sinhala community sought to secure dominance over government by virtue of their majority.
Answer. D

Question. Assertion (A) : In Belgium, the Dutch community could take advantage of its numeric majority and force its will on the French and German-speaking population.
Reason (R) : In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala community enjoyed an even bigger majority and could impose its will on the entire country.
Answer. B

Question. Assertion (A) : Sri Lanka has a diverse population.
Reason (R) : The major social groups are the Sinhala-speakers (74 per cent) and the Tamilspeakers (18 per cent).
Answer. A

Question. Assertion (A) : Power can be shared among governments at different levels – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level.
Reason (R) : Such a general government for the entire country is usually called federal government.
Answer. A

Question. Assertion (A) : Although judges are appointed by the executive, they can check the functioning of executive or laws made by the legislatures.
Reason (R) : This arrangement is called a system of chess and balances.
Answer. C

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Very Short Answer Questions 

Question. Which religions are followed by Sri Lankans?
Answer. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

Question. How was Sri Lanka different from Belgium in making the decisions of their communities?
Answer. Sri Lanka showed us that if a majority community wants to force its dominance over others and refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the country.

Question. Which prudential reasons make power sharing desirable?
Answer. Power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order.

Question. What is the basic principle of democracy?
Answer. People are the source of all political powers. People rule themselves through institutions of self-governance.

Question. How did Sinhalese become the official language of Sri Lanka?
Answer. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise ‘Sinhala’ as the only official language thus disregarding Tamil.

Question. What is the horizontal distribution of power?
Answer. The power is shared among different organs of government such as legislative, executive and judiciary.

Question. Why is power sharing between different organs called horizontal distribution of power?
Answer. It allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers.

Question. How is power shared among different social groups?
Answer. Religious and linguistic groups. Share power socially weaker sections and women also represent in the legislatures and administration.

Question. Which religion is adopted as the state religion of Sri Lanka?
Answer. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Question.Why did Sri Lankan Tamils feel alienated from Sinhalese?
Answer. They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them even political rights,discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests.

Question. What were the demands of Political organisations of Tamils in Sri Lanka?
Answer. An independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Short Answer Questions

Question. Why has the idea of power sharing emerged?
Answer. The idea of power sharing has emerged in opposition to the notions of undivided political power. For a long time, it was believed that all powers of a government must reside in one person or group of persons located at one place. It was felt that if the power to decide is dispersed, it would not be possible to take quick decisions and to enforce them. But these notions have changed with the emergence of democracy.

Question. Why is horizontal power sharing also called a ‘system of checks and balances’?
Answer. Each organ checks the other. This results in a balance of power among various institutions.
In it, ministers are responsible to parliament or state assemblies and judges are appointed by executive but can check the functioning of executive or laws made by legislatures.

Question. What is the concept of ‘Community government’ of Belgium?
Answer. The ‘community government’ is elected by the people belonging to one language community— Dutch, French and German speaking—no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural, educational and language related issues.

Question. What does ‘Ethnic’ mean?
Answer. A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group, believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both. They need not always have the same religion or nationality.

Question. What does ‘Majoritarianism’ mean?
Answer. It means a belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority, e.g., Sri Lanka opted for majoritarianism, in which majority Sinhalas rule the country.

Question. How did Belgians tackle the problems of different communities?
Answer. (i) In Belgium, the leaders have realised that the unity of the country is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions.
(ii) Such a realisation resulted in mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Long Answer Questions

Question. How did the Belgium government solve its ethnic problem?
Answer. In Belgium, leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities.
The Belgian government accommodated its diverse ethnic population in the following manner:
- Constitution says that the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the Central government. Thus, no single community can make decisions unilaterally.
- Many powers of the Central Government have been given to the 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.
- There is a third kind of government, called the ‘community government’. This government is elected by the people belonging to one language community—Dutch, French and German speaking, no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural education and language related issues.
These arrangements helped to avoid a civic strife between the two major communities and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines.

Question. Explain the two main reasons why power sharing is important in a democracy.
Answer. The two main reasons are:
(i) Prudential Reasons: These lay emphasis on better outcomes of power sharing.
(a) Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between the social groups.
Thus, it ensures the stability of political order.
(b) Its absence results into imposition of will by majority community, which undermines the unity of the nation.
(ii) Moral Reasons: These stress on power sharing as a valuable act because
(a) It is the very spirit of democracy.
(b) A democratic rule involves it with those affected by its exercise and who have to live with its effects.
(c) A legitimate government is the one where citizens acquire a role in the system through participation.

Question. “Power is shared between different social groups.” Comment on this statement with the help of an example.
Answer. Power may be shared among different social groups, such as the religious and linguistic groups.In some countries, there are constitutional and legal arrangements whereby socially weaker sections and women represent in the legislatures and administration.
There is a system of ‘reserved constituencies’ in 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.
There is a government called “community government” in Belgium. This government is elected by the people, belonging to one language or community—Dutch, French and German speaking,no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding to culture, education and language issues.
These arrangements help to avoid civic clashes and animosity between the two major communities and possible division of the country on linguistic lines.

Question. What kind of power sharing problems were faced by Belgians and Sri Lankans?
Answer. In Belgium, the Dutch community could have taken advantage of its numeric majority and force its will on the Flemists and German-speaking population. This would have pushed the conflict among all these communities further. This could lead to a very messy partition of the country; both the sides would claim control over Brussels. In Sri Lanka, the Sinhala community enjoyed an even bigger majority and could impose its will on the entire country.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1 Power Sharing Source-based Question

Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:

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 decisionmaking process.

Question. What does the competition among different parties ensures?
Answer. 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.

Question. Explain direct form of power sharing.
Answer. Sometimes sharing power 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.

Question. How are interest group assicated with politics?
Answer. They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision-making process.