Knowledge Check-Power Sharing
Knowledge Check-Power Sharing
Q1: Which statement best captures the idea of power sharing in a democracy?
A) Concentrating all power in the hands of one elected leader
B) Distributing power among different organs and levels to avoid domination
C) Giving permanent power to the majority community
D) Allowing the military to control the government
Q2: Why is power sharing considered essential for political stability?
A) It avoids elections and saves money
B) It allows one party to rule without opposition
C) It includes different groups in decision-making and reduces conflict
D) It gives veto power to the military
Q3: Which of the following is a strong argument in favour of power sharing?
A) It delays decision-making and must be avoided
B) It strengthens the possibility of majority domination
C) It respects the spirit of democracy and popular participation
D) It restricts rights of minority communities by law
Q4: In horizontal power sharing, which units share power with each other?
A) Union and State governments
B) Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
C) National and international organisations
D) Political parties and pressure groups only
Q5: Vertical power sharing is mainly reflected in which arrangement?
A) Distribution of power between social groups
B) Sharing of power among courts
C) Distribution of power among Union, State and local governments
D) Allocation of power among political parties in Parliament
Q6: Power sharing among social groups is most clearly seen in which practice?
A) Formation of military alliances
B) Reservation of seats for SC/ST/OBC in legislatures and jobs
C) Rotation of Chief Ministers among parties
D) Appointment of judges by the executive alone
Q7: In Belgium, the main social division that required careful power sharing was between:
A) Workers and employers
B) Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities
C) Men and women
D) Urban and rural residents only
Q8: Which step taken by Belgium shows accommodation of different language communities?
A) Declaring only one language for all regions
B) Giving exclusive powers to the majority language group
C) Ensuring equal number of ministers from Dutch and French communities in the central government
D) Abolishing regional governments completely
Q9: What is the role of the ‘community government’ in Belgium?
A) It controls the army and police
B) It decides national taxation in all regions
C) It has powers related to culture, education and language for each community
D) It appoints all judges in the country
Q10: Why is the Belgian model often described as a “success” in power sharing?
A) It removed all regional governments
B) It allowed one community to rule permanently
C) It balanced the interests of different communities and avoided civil conflict
D) It banned all linguistic identities from politics
Q11: In Sri Lanka, which community formed the majority after independence?
A) Tamil-speaking community
B) Sinhala-speaking community
C) Tribal communities
D) English-speaking community only
Q12: Which policy in Sri Lanka is an example of majoritarianism?
A) Equal recognition to all languages
B) Giving preference to Sinhala language in administration
C) Reserving jobs for minority groups
D) Power sharing with Tamil representatives at all levels
Q13: What was one long-term impact of majoritarian policies in Sri Lanka?
A) Rapid industrial growth
B) Stronger unity among all communities
C) Civil conflict and demand for a separate Tamil state
D) Immediate economic equality for all groups
Q14: Which term best describes the approach followed in Sri Lanka regarding power sharing?
A) Accommodation
B) Federalism
C) Majoritarianism
D) Judicial activism
Q15: Comparing Belgium and Sri Lanka, which statement is correct?
A) Both used majoritarianism to solve conflicts
B) Belgium used accommodation, Sri Lanka followed majoritarianism
C) Belgium had only one language group, Sri Lanka had many
D) Sri Lanka adopted community governments like Belgium
Q16: Which conclusion can be drawn from the comparison between Belgium and Sri Lanka?
A) Ignoring minority interests leads to long-term unity
B) Power sharing always weakens democracy
C) Respecting all communities helps maintain stability and peace
D) Only majority views are important in policy-making
Q17: Which of the following is NOT a form of power sharing?
A) Sharing power among organs of government
B) Sharing power among different levels of government
C) Sharing power with social groups
D) Concentrating all power in one central authority without limits
Q18: A federal system mainly reflects which principle of power sharing?
A) Sharing among organs at same level
B) Sharing among different territorial units
C) Sharing between government and companies
D) Sharing only among political parties
Q19: “The power of the government is divided between national and regional levels by the Constitution.” This refers to:
A) Unitary system
B) Federal system
C) Presidential system
D) Dictatorial system
Q20: Which organs of government together illustrate the principle of separation of powers?
A) Legislature, Military, Media
B) Executive, Police, Local bodies
C) Legislature, Executive, Judiciary
D) Election Commission, Media, NGOs
Q21: Which practice in India clearly shows power sharing among social groups?
A) Only majority language used in all states
B) Reservation of seats in legislatures for SC/ST communities
C) Central government appointing all local officials
D) Nationalisation of private industries
Q22: Coalition governments are an example of power being shared:
A) Among different levels of government
B) Among different social groups only
C) Among different political parties
D) Between government and judiciary only
Q23: Which list in the Indian Constitution contains subjects on which both Union and State can make laws?
A) Union List
B) State List
C) Concurrent List
D) Special List
Q24: Which of the following best explains why power sharing is described as a “moral” principle?
A) It is required only during emergencies
B) It reflects respect for diverse opinions and equal rights of citizens
C) It allows rulers to stay in office longer
D) It reduces the role of law and Constitution
Q25: Which situation shows the absence of power sharing?
A) Independent judiciary reviewing laws
B) Only one community always holds key posts and ignores others
C) Local bodies managing local affairs
D) Different parties forming coalition in government
Q26: A student argues, “Power sharing slows down decision-making, so it is unnecessary.” How should this be answered?
A) It is correct because speed is the only goal of government
B) It is partly correct because democracy does not value discussion
C) It is incorrect because careful decisions with participation are more stable and acceptable
D) It is correct because single-person rule is always better
Q27: Which organ of government can declare a law invalid if it goes against the Constitution?
A) Legislature
B) Executive
C) Judiciary
D) Election Commission
Q28: In India, which level of government has power over subjects like defence and foreign affairs?
A) Local government
B) State government
C) Union government
D) Judiciary only
Q29: Which type of power sharing protects the cultural and language interests of specific communities?
A) Territorial power sharing
B) Power sharing among organs
C) Power sharing among social groups and communities
D) Power sharing between public and private sectors
Q30: Which of the following is a correct pair relating to power sharing?
A) Horizontal – Union and State governments
B) Vertical – Legislature, Executive, Judiciary
C) Social group – Reservation policies
D) Political party – Judicial review of laws
Q31: A country with a single central government making all laws for the entire country is following:
A) Federal system
B) Unitary system
C) Coalition system
D) Community government system
Q32: Which situation best shows vertical power sharing in practice?
A) National court overturning an unlawful executive order
B) Local body managing water supply and street lighting
C) Political parties forming a coalition cabinet
D) Central bank deciding interest rates independently
Q33: Which of the following reflects change and impact due to power sharing in a deeply divided society?
A) Increased chances of violent conflict
B) Gradual building of trust and cooperation between groups
C) Complete elimination of elections
D) Permanent control by one linguistic group
Q34: Which principle of democracy is most closely linked to the idea of power sharing?
A) One-person permanent rule
B) Government by a single social class
C) Government of the people, by the people and for the people
D) Government by military officials only
Q35: Which argument shows a correct understanding of power sharing?
A) It is only a technical arrangement, not related to rights
B) It is needed only in countries without diversity
C) It recognises that people have a right to be consulted on how they are governed
D) It is useful only for economic planning bodies
Q36: Which change did Belgium introduce to reduce the risk of its breakup?
A) Abolishing elections for regional governments
B) Concentrating all power in the hands of one group
C) Constitutional amendments providing power sharing between communities and regions
D) Removing all language rights from the Constitution
Q37: In Sri Lanka, which lesson can be drawn for other countries from its experience with majoritarianism?
A) Ignoring minority concerns creates long-term harmony
B) Policies must always favour the largest group only
C) Giving respect and fair share to all groups is safer than pushing one model on everyone
D) Democracy requires no protection for minorities
Q38: A country divides its territory into regions, each with its own elected government, while a national government handles defence and foreign policy. Which statement is true?
A) It has no power sharing at all
B) It is following a federal structure with vertical power sharing
C) It is based only on horizontal sharing
D) It is practising only social group power sharing
Q39: Which of the following combinations correctly matches country and approach to power sharing?
A) Belgium – accommodation; Sri Lanka – majoritarianism
B) Belgium – majoritarianism; Sri Lanka – accommodation
C) Both Belgium and Sri Lanka – no power sharing
D) Belgium – dictatorship; Sri Lanka – federalism
Q40: Which overall conclusion about power sharing is most consistent with democratic values and the case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka?
A) Power sharing weakens national unity and should be avoided
B) Strong majoritarian rule is always the best way to protect unity
C) Power sharing that respects diversity helps maintain peace, stability and democracy
D) Power sharing is useful only in small countries without social divisions