Question

what are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracies? Give an example of each of these

Answer 1

Different forms of power sharing in modern democracies:
Horizontal division of power: It is the sharing of power among the
different organs of government. The division of government into the
executive, the legislature and the judiciary is an example of horizontal
division of power. In such a power sharing arrangement, different
organs of government, placed at the same level, exercise different
powers. This separation of powers ensures that no organ exercises
unlimited power. Each organ checks the others, thereby putting in
place a system of checks and balances. The division of power between
the Council of Ministers headed by the Indian Prime Minister, the
Parliament of India and the Indian Supreme Court is an example of
this kind of power sharing.
Vertical division of power: It is the sharing of power among
governments at different levels — a general government for the entire
country and governments at the provincial or regional level. For
example, in India, the Constitution defines the way power is to be
shared between the Central or Union government and the various
State governments. There are certain matters on which only the
Central government can take decisions, while there are others on
which only an individual state government has an exclusive right for
decision making.
Division of power among social groups: Power can also be shared
among different groups which differ socially. The system of
'community government' in Belgium is an example of this type of
power division. This government is elected by people belonging to one
language community (Dutch, French and German-speaking), and has
the power to take decisions regarding cultural, educational and
languagerelated issues. The system of reserved constituencies in India
is another exam