Explain four forms of participation in government under modern democratic system
Answers
The four forms of participation in government under modern democratic system are:
1. Horizontal power sharing - Power is shared among the different organs of the government like the legislature, executive and judiciary. It places the organs of the government at the same level. Each organ has its own powers and it can also check the powers of the other organ. This results in a balance of power among the various institutions.
2. Vertical power sharing - Under this power is shared among governments at different levels. People choose separate governments at separate levels like a general government for the entire country and local governments at the provincial or regional levels. The general government is usually called a Federal government.
3. Sharing of power among different social groups - Power is shared among social groups like religious and linguistic groups. The 'Community government' in Belgium is a good example for this. There are constitutional and legal arrangements in some countries by which the socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures.
4. Sharing of power among political parties, pressure groups and movements - In a democracy the citizens can choose their rulers. The choice is provided by the various political parties who contest in the elections. This competition ensures that the power does not remain in one hand.
Answer:
The different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies are:
Horizontal Division of Power- It is the sharing of power among the different organs of government, for example, power sharing by the executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. In this type of power-sharing arrangement, different organs of government, placed at the same level, exercised different powers. Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power, thereby putting a check on each other.
Vertical Division of Power- It is a system of power sharing among governments at different levels. For example, a general government for the entire country and governments at provincial or regional levels. In India, we refer to it as the Central Government, State Governments, Municipality, Gram Panchayat etc. The Constitution lays down the powers of different levels of government.
Division of Power among different Social Groups- Power can also be shared among different groups which differ socially like different religious and linguistic groups. ‘Community Government’ in Belgium is a good example of this type of power sharing. The system of reserved constituencies in India is another example. Such an arrangement is used to give minority communities a fair share in power, who otherwise would feel alienated from the government.
Division of Power among Political Parties, Pressure Groups, and Movements- In contemporary democracies such a division takes the form of competition among different parties, which in turn ensures that power does not remain in one hand and is shared among different political parties representing different ideologies and social groups.
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