CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Power Sharing Worksheet Set B

♦ SUMMARY

Belgium and Sri Lanka are two typical case studies of countries that had a common problem of ethnic minorities but adopted different measures to deal with the problem. Belgium‟s population comprised of citizen who spoke Dutch Flemish region (59%) French Wallonia region (40%) and German (1%). In Sri Lanka Sinhala speaking people comprised of 74% while the Tamil speaking minority was just 18%.

The Political leadership in Belgium chose to be accommodative. At the level of the Central Governance, the Dutch and the French speaking people have equal number of ministers. Both communities have equal representatives at Brussels which has a separate government. The Third kind of government – The 'Community Government' is elected by people belonging to one community irrespective of where they live. Matters regarding cultural, educational and language are decided by the Community Government. The arrangement helped in avoiding any strife within the country.

The Sri Lankan government recognised Sinhalese as the only official language. State fostered Buddhism with no such regard for other religions. These measures alienated the Tamils. There is a demand for a separate and independent Tamil state in the North – eastern part of the country. The two ethnic groups are involved in a long drawn civil war. The unity of a country is seriously undermined if the majority is unwilling to share power with minority groups, where different groups have opportunities for participation , they acquire a stake in peace and stability of the nation.

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 1 Power Sharing Multiple Choice Questions 

Question. Power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of
(a) population
(b) political order
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of the above
Answer. B

Question. Power shared among governments at different levels is also called
(a) horizontal distribution
(b) vertical distribution
(c) slant distribution
(d) none of the above
Answer. B

Question. Belgium has worked on the principles of
(a) majoritarianism
(b) accommodation
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of the above
Answer. B

Question. Majoritarianist constitution was adopted by
(a) Belgium
(b) India
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Pakistan
Answer. C

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

Question. The capital city of Belgium is
(a) Dutch
(b) France
(c) Brussels
(d) none of the above
Answer. C

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 1 Power Sharing Very Short Answer Questions 

Question. With which countries does Belgium share border?
Answer. Belgium shares borders with Netherlands, France, Germany and Luxembourg.

Question. What is the ethnic composition of Belgium?
Answer. 59 per cent of the populations lives in the Flemish region and speak Dutch language, 40 per cent live in the Wallonia region and speak French, remaining one percent of the Belgians speak German.

Question. What is the ethnic composition of capital city Brussels?
Answer. 80% people speak French while 20% are Dutch speaking communities.

Question. Why was the tension more acute in Brussels between two communities?
Answer. There was more tension in Brussels because the Dutch speaking people constituted a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.

Question. What is the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka?
Answer. The Sinhala speakers are 74 per cent and Tamil speakers 18 per cent and among Tamils there are two sub groups—Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils.

Question. What was the division of power between Central and State governments of Belgium?
Answer. Many powers of the Central government have been given to State government of the two regions of the country. The State governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.

Question. What is the similarity between Belgium and Sri Lanka?
Answer. The similarity between Belgium and Sri Lanka is that both are democracies.

Question. What is the state religion of SRILANKA?
Answer : Buddhism is the state religion of sri lanka.

Question. who elects the community government in Belgium?
Answer : The community government is elected by people belonging to one language community-Dutch,French,and German speaking.

Question. What is power sharing ?
Answer : A policy agreed between political parties or withn a coalition to share responsibility for decisionmaking and political action.

Question. Define Majoritarianism?
Answer : This is rule by majority community by disregarding the needs and wishes of the minority community.

Question. After independence, Sri Lanka witnessed the supremacy of which community?
Answer : Sri Lanka emerged as an independent country in 1948 and the democratically elected government adopted a series of measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.

Question. What measure was adopted by the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka to establish Sinhala Supremacy?
Answer : In 1956, an Act was passed to make Sinhala the official language.
The government followed preferential policies favouring Sinhala applicants for University positions and government jobs.

Question. Why is the ethnic composition of Belgium complex?
Answer : Belgium is a small country in Europe, having a population of a little over one crore.
59 per cent of the country’s total population lives in the Flemish region and speak Dutch language.
Another 40 per cent people live in Wallonia region and speak French. Remaining one per cent of the Belgians speak German.
Whereas in the Belgian capital, Brussels, 80 per cent of the population is French-speaking and 20 per cent is Dutch-speaking.

CBSE Class 10 Democratic Politics Chapter 1 Power Sharing Long answer question

Question. Compare the different ways in which the Belgians and the Sri Lankans have dealt with the problem of cultural diversity.
Answer : Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies, yet they have dealt with the problem of cultural diversity very differently.
Belgium:
Leaders realised that for the unity of the country it is important to respect the feelings and interests of different communities. The Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking people shall be equal in the Central Government.
Both Dutch and French communities share power on an equal basis at the Centre. Along with the State Government, both communities have a third kind of Government called ‘Community Government’ which decides on cultural, education and language related issues. Between, 1970 and 1993, the Constitution was amended four times to enable all linguistic groups to live together within the same country.
Sri Lanka:
In Sri Lanka, there are two major communities, the Sinhalese speaking (74%) and Tamil speaking (18%).
The majority community, the Sinhalese have forced their domination over Tamils, refusing to share power.
Both communities have lived in tension as the Sinhalese have denied political, educational, religious, employment and economic rights to the Tamils leading to Civil War.
In 1956, the Government passed an Act to recognise Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.

Question. What are the main principles of democracy?
Answer.
- One basic principle of democracy is that people are the source of all political power.
- In a democracy, people rule themselves through institutions of self-governance.
- In a democracy, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that exist in a society.
- Everyone has a voice in the shaping up of public policies.

Question. Why was the minority French speaking community relatively rich and powerful?
Answer.
- French speakers got the benefit of economic development.
- They were well-qualified and educated.
- Because of their qualifications and education, they were well-settled and thus, rich and powerful.

Question. How did the Tamils make efforts to gain power in Sri Lanka?
Answer. (i) Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as the official language.
(ii) They also made efforts for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs.
(iii) Several political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

Question. What is so special about the ‘community government’ in Belgium?
Answer. (i) Community government is elected by people belonging to one language community—Dutch, French and German speaking, no matter where they live.
(ii) This government has the power relating to culture, education and language issues.
(iii) This kind of government helped to avoid civic strife between the two major communities.

Question. What is the moral reason behind power sharing?
Answer. (i) Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.
(ii) A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects.
(iii) People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed.

Question. What factors led to a civil war in Sri Lanka?
Answer.
- Measures taken in majoritarianism gradually increased the feeling of alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils.
- They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests.
- As a result, the relations between Sinhalas and Tamil communities got strained over time.
- The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, regional autonomy and equality of opportunities in getting education and jobs.
- By the 1980s, several political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Elam (state) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
- The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into a civil war. As a result, thousands of people of both the communities were killed.

Question. How is ethnic composition of Belgium very complex? Explain.
Answer. The ethnic composition of this small country is very complex. Of the country’s total population, 59 per cent lives in Flemish region and speak 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 Dutch speaking.

Question. What measures were adopted by the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka to establish Sinhala Supremacy?
Answer. (i) In 1956, an Act was passed to recognise ‘Sinhala’ as the only official language; thus disregarding Tamil.
(ii) The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
(iii) A new constitution specified that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.

Question. Evaluate the steps which turned out to be milestones to establish majoritarianism in Sri Lanka.
Answer. (i) 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.
(ii) As a result, the democratically elected government adopted majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.
(iii) In 1956, an act was passed to recognise Sinhala, as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
(iv) The government followed policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
(v) With a new constitution, Buddhism was adopted as a state religion.

Question. “Existence of Dutch and the French speaking people in Belgium created an ethnic tension.”
Elaborate the statement.
Answer. Causes of conflict in Belgium:
(i) The minority French speaking community was relatively rich and powerful.
(ii) This was resented by the Dutch speaking community, who got the benefits of economic development and education much later.
(iii) This led to tension between the Dutch and French speaking communities.

Question. “Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.” Justify the statement with four suitable points.
OR
Why is power sharing desirable? Give any three prudential reasons.
Answer.
- Power sharing helps to reduce the possibilities of conflicts between various ethnic groups living in a society.
It helps in ensuring political stability, since a country can be run by all the communities without giving preference to any majority community.
- It also reduces violence and linguistic problems. In India, there is diversity in language but our constitution gives equal weightage to all the languages.
- Power sharing is actually being called the true spirit of democracy. It helps in bringing
political, economic, social and cultural stability to the nation.

Question. Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies but they follow different systems of power sharing.
Support the statement by giving these points of difference.
Answer. Both countries are democracies. Both have various ethnic groups living in their respective countries.
Differences
(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. Such a realisation resulted in mutually acceptable arrangement for sharing the power.
(ii) Sri Lanka shows us a contrasting example. It shows 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.

♦ Questions

1 Name the various language groups of Belgium. 

2 What led to the tension between the Dutch- speaking and the French – speaking communities of Belgium during the 1950s and 1960s?

1. The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful. This was resented by the Dutch-speaking community who got the benefit of economic development and education much later.
2. This led to tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities during the 1950s and 1960s.
3. The tension between the two communities was more acute in Brussels. Brussels presented a special problem: the Dutch-speaking people constituted a majority in the country, but a minority in the capital.

3 Define the term ‘Prudential’. 

4 “For a long time it was believed that all power of a government must reside in one person or groups of pressure located in one place”. Why?

1. For a long time it was believed that all power of a government must reside in one person or group of persons located at one place.
2. It was felt that if the power to decide is dispersed, it would not be possible to take quick decisions and to enforce them.

5 Define the term ‘Ethnic’. 

6 Why power sharing is desirable? Justify your answer with suitable examples.

1. Firstly, power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups. Since social conflict often leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of political order.

2. Second, deeper reason why power sharing is good for democracies. Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects. People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed. A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system.

7 Describe the how Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka spoiled the relation between various ethnic groups.

1. The democratically elected government adopted a series of MAJORITARIAN measures to establish Sinhala supremacy.
2. In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil.
3. The governments followed preferential policies that favoured Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
4. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
5. All these government measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders were sensitive to their language and culture. They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities and ignored their interests.

8 How is power shared among various communities of Belgium?

9 In a democracy political power should be shared among as many citizens as possible. Why?
1. For a long time it was believed that all power of a government must reside in one person or group of persons located at one place.
2. It was felt that if the power to decide is dispersed, it would not be possible to take quick decisions and to enforce them.
3. In a democracy, people rule themselves through institutions of self-governance. In a good democratic government, due respect is given to diverse groups and views that exist in a society.
4. Everyone has a voice in the shaping of public policies .So, in a democracy political power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible.

10 Why is horizontal distribution of power often referred to as a system of „checks and balances‟? Explain three reasons.  

10.1 Power shared among different organs of government ( Separations of power)

1. 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
2. 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 madeby the legislatures. This arrangement is called a system of checks and balances.

10.2 Power shared among governments at different levels. (Federation)

1. Power can be shared among governments at different levels – a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level.
2. Such a general government for the entire country is usually called federal government. In India, we refer to it as the Central or Union Government. The governments at the provincial or regional level are called by different names in different countries. In India, we call them State Governments.
3. This system is not followed in all countries. There are many countries where there are no provincial or state governments.
4. But in those countries like India, where there are different levels of governments, the constitution clearly lays down the powers of different levels of government. This is what they did in Belgium, but was refused in Sri Lanka. This is called federal division of power.
5. The same principle can be extended to levels of government lower than the State government, such as the municipality and the panchayat. Let us call division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government or vertical division of power.

10.3 Power shared among different social groups (Community Government)

Power may also be shared among different social groups, such as the religious and linguistic groups.
1. ‘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.
2. 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.

10.4 Power shared among political parties, pressure groups and movements. (Coalition Government)

1. Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups and movements control or influence those in power.
2. In a democracy, the citizens must have freedom to choose among various contenders for power.
3. 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.
4. In a democracy, we find interest groups such as those of traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers.
5. They also will have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or bringing influence on the decision making process.

11 Consider the following statements about power sharing arrangements in Belgium and Sri Lanka.

A. In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking majority people tried to impose their domination on the minority French-speaking community.
B. In Sri Lanka, the policies of the government sought to ensure the dominance of The Sinhala-speaking majority.
C. The Tamils in Sri Lanka demanded a federal arrangement of power sharing to protect their culture, language and equality of opportunity in education and jobs.
D. The transformation of Belgium from unitary government to a federal one prevented a possible division of the country on linguistic lines. Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) A, B, C and D   (b) A, B and D   (c) C and D   (d) B, C and D