pol sci ch1- power sharing

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the key concepts of power-sharing, case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka, and the different forms of democratic power-sharing.

Ethnic

A social division based on shared culture where people believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type, culture, or both.

Flemish Region

The region in Belgium where $59\%$ of the total population lives and speaks the Dutch language.

Wallonia Region

The region in Belgium where $40\%$ of the population lives and speaks French.

Brussels

The capital city of Belgium where $80\%$ of the people speak French while $20\%$ are Dutch-speaking.

Sinhala-speakers

The major social group in Sri Lanka making up $74\%$ of the population, most of whom are Buddhists.

Tamil-speakers

A social group in Sri Lanka making up $18\%$ of the population, divided into 'Sri Lankan Tamils' and 'Indian Tamils'.

Sri Lankan Tamils

Tamil natives of Sri Lanka making up $13\%$ of the population, concentrated in the north and east of the country.

Indian Tamils

Tamils whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.

Majoritarianism

A belief that the majority community should be able to rule a country in whichever way it wants, by disregarding the wishes and needs of the minority.

1956 Act (Sri Lanka)

An Act passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, disregarding Tamil.

Tamil Eelam

A demand for an independent state in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka formulated by political organizations in the $1980\text{s}$.

Civil war

A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.

Community Government (Belgium)

A third level of government elected by people belonging to one language community (Dutch, French, and German) that has power regarding cultural, educational, and language-related issues.

Prudential reasons

Reasons for power sharing based on careful calculation of gains and losses, emphasizing that it reduces the possibility of social conflict and ensures political stability.

Moral reasons

Reasons for power sharing that emphasize the value of the act itself, asserting that power sharing is the very spirit of democracy.

Horizontal distribution of power

Power shared among different organs of government (legislature, executive, and judiciary) placed at the same level to exercise different powers.

System of checks and balances

An arrangement where each organ of government checks the others, ensuring none can exercise unlimited power and resulting in a balance of power.

Federal government

A general government for the entire country, known in India as the Central or Union Government.

Vertical division of power

A system involving higher and lower levels of government, such as the Central government, State governments, and lower levels like municipalities and panchayats.

Coalition government

A government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties representing different ideologies and social groups, usually when no single party gets a clear majority.

Lebanon Power Sharing Rules

A pact where the President must be a Maronite Catholic, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, the Deputy Prime Minister an Orthodox Christian, and the Speaker a Shi’a Muslim.