Power Sharing – Very Short Answer Type Questions
CBSE Class 10 – Social Science (Political Science / Civics)
Democratic Politics – II
Chapter 1: Power Sharing – Belgium and Sri Lanka | Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka |
Accommodation in Belgium | Why is Power Sharing Desirable? | Forms of Power Sharing
Very Short Answer Type Questions (VSA) | Structured for CBSE Class 10 Board Examinations
Instructions: The following 50+ Very Short Answer Type Questions with clear and simple
answers are designed strictly according to the NCERT textbook – Democratic Politics II, Chapter 1: Power Sharing.
They are ideal for 1-mark and 2-mark questions and for quick last-minute revision before the CBSE Class 10 board exams.
A. Basic Ideas of Power Sharing
Q1
Concept
1. What is meant by power sharing in a democracy?
Answer: Power sharing means the distribution of power among different organs and levels of government,
and among social groups and political forces, so that no single person or group can monopolise power.
Q2
Concept
2. Why is power sharing necessary in a democracy?
Answer: It is necessary to prevent conflict, ensure political stability, protect minority rights and
uphold the basic principle of democracy that power belongs to the people.
Q3
Concept
3. Name the two broad sets of reasons for power sharing discussed in the chapter.
Answer: The two broad sets of reasons are prudential reasons
(practical reasons) and moral reasons (principle-based reasons).
Q4
Concept
4. What do you understand by prudential reasons for power sharing?
Answer: Prudential reasons are practical reasons which say that power sharing reduces social conflict,
strengthens political stability and leads to better outcomes for all.
Q5
Concept
5. What do moral reasons for power sharing emphasise?
Answer: Moral reasons stress that power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.
People have a right to be consulted and to participate in how they are governed.
Q6
Concept
6. Define the term ‘majoritarianism’.
Answer: Majoritarianism is the belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country
in any way it wants, ignoring the wishes and needs of the minority.
Q7
Concept
7. What do you mean by ‘horizontal distribution of power’?
Answer: Horizontal distribution of power means sharing power among different organs of government
(legislature, executive and judiciary) at the same level.
Q8
Concept
8. What is ‘vertical distribution of power’?
Answer: Vertical distribution of power refers to sharing power among different levels of government,
such as central, state and local governments, as in a federal system.
B. Belgium – Ethnic Composition & Accommodation
Q9
Belgium
9. In which part of Europe is Belgium located?
Answer: Belgium is a small country located in Western Europe.
Q10
Belgium
10. Name the two main linguistic communities in Belgium.
Answer: The two main linguistic communities in Belgium are the
Dutch-speaking community and the French-speaking community.
Q11
Belgium
11. What proportion of Belgium’s population speaks Dutch?
Answer: About 59% of Belgium’s population speaks Dutch.
Q12
Belgium
12. What proportion of Belgium’s population speaks French?
Answer: About 40% of Belgium’s population speaks French.
Q13
Belgium
13. Which language is spoken by a small minority in Belgium other than Dutch and French?
Answer: A small minority in Belgium speaks the German language.
Q14
Belgium
14. What is special about the language composition of Brussels, the capital of Belgium?
Answer: In Brussels, about 80% people speak French and only
20% speak Dutch, which is the reverse of the country’s overall composition.
Q15
Belgium
15. Why did the Dutch-speaking community initially resent the French-speaking community in Belgium?
Answer: Because the French-speaking community was socially and economically more powerful and
enjoyed better education and job opportunities, despite being a minority.
Q16
Belgium
16. What was the main fear in Belgium due to linguistic tensions?
Answer: There was a fear that the country might split into two parts
if the conflict between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities was not resolved.
Q17
Belgium
17. Between which years were constitutional amendments made in Belgium to accommodate different communities?
Answer: Constitutional amendments were made between 1970 and 1993.
Q18
Accommodation
18. What is meant by ‘accommodation’ in the context of Belgium?
Answer: ‘Accommodation’ means adjusting and sharing power among different communities
through constitutional arrangements so that everyone feels represented and respected.
Q19
Accommodation
19. How are ministers chosen in the central government of Belgium?
Answer: The central government of Belgium has equal numbers of Dutch-speaking and French-speaking ministers,
so that no single community can dominate the government.
Q20
Accommodation
20. What is a ‘community government’ in Belgium?
Answer: A community government is an elected body of one language community
(Dutch, French or German) responsible for cultural, educational and language-related issues of that community.
C. Sri Lanka & Majoritarianism
Q21
Sri Lanka
21. Where is Sri Lanka located?
Answer: Sri Lanka is an island nation located to the south of India in the Indian Ocean.
Q22
Sri Lanka
22. Name the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka.
Answer: The largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka is the Sinhala-speaking Buddhists.
Q23
Sri Lanka
23. Who are Sri Lankan Tamils?
Answer: Sri Lankan Tamils are Tamil-speaking people whose ancestors have lived in Sri Lanka for centuries.
They mainly live in the north and east of the country.
Q24
Sri Lanka
24. Who are Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka?
Answer: Indian Tamils are descendants of plantation workers who were brought from India to Sri Lanka
by the British during colonial rule to work on tea, coffee and rubber plantations.
Q25
Sri Lanka
25. What percentage of Sri Lanka’s population is Sinhala-speaking?
Answer: About 74% of Sri Lanka’s population is Sinhala-speaking.
Q26
Sri Lanka
26. Which language was declared the only official language of Sri Lanka in 1956?
Answer: The Sinhala language was declared the only official language in 1956.
Q27
Majoritarianism
27. How did the Sinhala leaders follow a policy of majoritarianism after independence?
Answer: They made Sinhala the only official language, gave preference to Sinhala speakers in government jobs and education,
and ignored the demands of the Tamil minority.
Q28
Majoritarianism
28. What demands were raised by the Tamil-speaking people of Sri Lanka?
Answer: They demanded recognition of Tamil as an official language, regional autonomy in Tamil-majority areas,
and equality of opportunity in jobs and education.
Q29
Majoritarianism
29. What was the result of following majoritarian policies in Sri Lanka?
Answer: It led to civil war between the government and Tamil groups,
causing loss of life, property and serious damage to Sri Lanka’s social and economic development.
Q30
Majoritarianism
30. What lesson do we learn from the experience of Sri Lanka?
Answer: We learn that ignoring the interests of minorities and refusing to share power
can lead to conflict and division; therefore power sharing is essential in a diverse country.
D. Why Power Sharing is Desirable?
Q31
Reasons
31. Give any one prudential reason for power sharing.
Answer: Power sharing reduces the chances of social conflict and political instability,
which is good for the country’s long-term unity and peace.
Q32
Reasons
32. Give any one moral reason for power sharing.
Answer: Power sharing is a way of respecting everyone’s voice; in a democracy,
people have a right to participate in decisions that affect them.
Q33
Reasons
33. How does power sharing promote national unity?
Answer: When all groups feel represented in power, they develop a sense of belonging
and are more willing to live together peacefully, strengthening national unity.
Q34
Reasons
34. How does power sharing help in better decision making?
Answer: It brings together diverse views and experiences,
leading to more balanced, well-thought-out and widely accepted decisions.
Q35
Reasons
35. Why is power sharing considered the very spirit of democracy?
Answer: Democracy is based on the idea that power is shared among different institutions and people;
if power is concentrated in one hand, democracy becomes meaningless.
E. Forms of Power Sharing
Q36
Forms
36. Mention any four forms of power sharing described in the chapter.
Answer: (i) Among different organs of government,
(ii) Among governments at different levels,
(iii) Among different social groups,
(iv) Among political parties, pressure groups and movements.
Q37
Organs
37. Name the three organs of government that share power at the horizontal level.
Answer: The three organs are the legislature,
the executive and the judiciary.
Q38
Organs
38. Why is the system of checks and balances important?
Answer: It allows each organ of government to check the others,
preventing misuse of power and protecting citizens’ rights and freedoms.
Q39
Levels
39. What is federalism?
Answer: Federalism is a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority
and various state or regional governments, each having certain powers of its own.
Q40
Levels
40. Give one example of vertical power sharing from India.
Answer: The division of powers between the Union Government and
State Governments as described in the Union List and State List is an example of vertical power sharing.
Q41
Social Groups
41. How is power shared among different social groups in India?
Answer: Power is shared through provisions like reservation of seats in legislatures,
government jobs and educational institutions for SCs, STs and OBCs.
Q42
Social Groups
42. Why is power sharing among social groups important?
Answer: It gives minority and disadvantaged groups a share in decision making and protects them from domination by the majority.
Q43
Parties
43. How do political parties share power in a democracy?
Answer: Different political parties compete in elections;
sometimes several parties join together to form a coalition government and share ministerial positions and responsibilities.
Q44
Pressure Groups
44. What role do pressure groups and movements play in power sharing?
Answer: They influence government decisions through protests, campaigns and media,
ensuring that the interests of various sections of society are taken into account.
F. Key Terms & Miscellaneous
Q45
Key Term
45. What is an ethnic group?
Answer: An ethnic group is a community of people who share a common language, culture, history or origin
and see themselves as different from others.
Q46
Key Term
46. Name the militant organisation of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Answer: The militant organisation of Tamils in Sri Lanka was the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Q47
Key Term
47. What is meant by ‘hinterland’ of a port? (Often asked in Geography, but useful here for lifelines link)
Answer: Hinterland of a port is the area served by that port,
from where goods are brought for export and to which imports are distributed.
Q48
Concept
48. Which country’s example shows that power sharing can help in avoiding civil war?
Answer: The example of Belgium shows that careful power sharing among communities can avoid civil war and keep the country united.
Q49
Concept
49. Which country’s example shows the danger of refusing to share power?
Answer: The example of Sri Lanka shows that refusing to share power and following majoritarianism can lead to conflict and civil war.
Q50
Exam Focus
50. In which NCERT book and chapter do you study the topic ‘Power Sharing’?
Answer: It is studied in NCERT Class 10 Political Science (Civics),
book Democratic Politics II, Chapter 1 – Power Sharing.
Q51
Quick Recap
51. Name any two countries used as case studies in this chapter to explain power sharing.
Answer: The two countries are Belgium and Sri Lanka.
Q52
Quick Recap
52. Which country provides an example of accommodation of social differences?
Answer: Belgium provides a good example of accommodation of social and linguistic differences through power sharing.
Q53
Quick Recap
53. Which country shows how majoritarianism can destroy national unity?
Answer: Sri Lanka shows how majoritarianism and refusal to share power can threaten national unity.
Q54
Concept
54. Why is power sharing good for democracy in the long run?
Answer: It deepens democracy by making governments more accountable,
protects rights of citizens and ensures lasting peace and stability.
Q55
Concept
55. How are Belgium and Sri Lanka linked to the idea of power sharing?
Answer: Belgium shows the success of power sharing through accommodation,
while Sri Lanka shows the failure of majoritarianism and the need to share power in a diverse society.