Question

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.Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer by explaining the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies. *​

Answer 1

Explanation:

Exercises

1. What are the different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these.

Answer:

Different forms of power-sharing in modern democracies are:

(i) Power-sharing in different forms of government: Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive and judiciary. It is also termed as horizontal distribution of power because it allows different organs of government placed at the same level to exercise different powers. For example, The distribution of power between Indian Parliament (legislature), the council of ministers headed by chief ministers (executive) and Courts of India.

(ii) Power-sharing among various levels of governments: The power is shared among governments at different levels– a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. This is also called the federal division of power. Under this the Constitution clearly lays down the power of each level of government. For example, In India, power is shared among three levels of government which are Central government, State government and the local governments.

(iii) Power-sharing among different social groups: Power may also be shared among different social groups such as the religious and linguistic groups. For example, in India, reservations are made for the socially weaker sections of society in legislatures and bureaucracy.

(iv) Power-sharing 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. In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups.

State one prudential reason and one moral reason for power-sharing with an example from the Indian context.