Power Sharing: Belgium and Sri Lanka

These flashcards cover the case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka, the concepts of majoritarianism, the reasons behind the desirability of power sharing, and the different forms power sharing takes in a democracy.

Belgium Population Statistics

A small country in Europe with a population of over $1$ crore, which is about half the population of Haryana.

Belgian Linguistic Composition

$59\%$ of the population speaks Dutch, $40\%$ speaks French, and the remaining $1\%$ speaks German.

Accommodation in Belgium (1970-1993)

A period during which Belgian leaders amended their constitution four times to develop a new model to handle community differences.

Belgian Central Government Model

A system where the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers is equal, ensuring no single community can make decisions unilaterally.

Brussels Government

A separate government for the capital city where both Dutch and French-speaking communities have equal representation.

Community Government

A third level of government in Belgium elected by people of one language community (Dutch, French, or German) with power over cultural, educational, and language issues.

Sri Lanka Population Statistics

An island nation with a population of approximately $2$ crores, roughly the same as Haryana.

Sri Lanka Social Groups

Consists of Sinhala-speakers ($74\%\text{}$) and Tamil-speakers ($18\%\text{}$).

Tamil Subgroups in Sri Lanka

Divided into "Sri Lankan Tamils" and "Indian Tamils."

Majoritarianism

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

1956 Act (Sri Lanka)

An act passed to make Sinhala the official language of Sri Lanka, establishing Sinhala supremacy.

Establishment of Sinhala Supremacy

Measures including making Sinhala the official language, favoring Sinhala applicants for jobs and universities, and providing state protection for Buddhism.

Civil War in Sri Lanka

A conflict resulting from the government's majoritarian measures and denial of equal political rights to the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Prudential reasons for power sharing

Reasons that stress power-sharing will bring better outcomes by reducing the possibility of conflict and ensuring political stability.

Moral reasons for power sharing

Reasons that uphold power-sharing as the "very spirit of democracy" where people have a right to be consulted on how they are governed.

Horizontal Distribution of Power

Power shared among different organs of government at the same level, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary.

Checks and Balances

A system where each organ of government checks the others, resulting in a balance of power and preventing any organ from exercising unlimited power.

Vertical Distribution of Power

A distribution of power involving higher and lower levels of government, such as the Central, provincial, or regional levels.

Coalition Government

A government formed when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections and share power if they are elected.