Power-sharing Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the 'Power-sharing' lecture notes, covering the case studies of Belgium and Sri Lanka, and the different forms and reasons for power sharing.

Ethnic

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

Flemish region

The region in Belgium where $59 \text{ per cent}$ of the population lives and speaks the Dutch language.

Wallonia

The region in Belgium where $40 \text{ per cent}$ of the people live and speak French.

Brussels

The capital city of Belgium where $80 \text{ per cent}$ people speak French while $20 \text{ per cent}$ are Dutch-speaking.

Sinhala-speakers

The major social group in Sri Lanka making up $74 \text{ per cent}$ of the population.

Sri Lankan Tamils

Tamil natives of Sri Lanka who comprise $13 \text{ per cent}$ of the population and are concentrated in the north and east of the country.

Indian Tamils

The sub-group of Tamils in Sri Lanka 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.

Civil war

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

Tamil Eelam

An independent state demanded by political organisations in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka during the $1980s$.

Community government

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

Prudential reasons

Reasons for power sharing based on careful calculation of gains and losses, stressing that power sharing will bring out better outcomes such as reducing the possibility of conflict.

Moral reasons

Reasons for power sharing that emphasize the very act of sharing as valuable and the very spirit of democracy.

Horizontal distribution of power

The sharing of power among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, placed at the same level.

System of checks and balances

An arrangement where each organ of government checks the others, resulting in a balance of power among various institutions.

Federal government

A general government for the entire country in a system where power is shared among governments at different levels.

Vertical division of power

The division of powers involving higher and lower levels of government, such as the Central, State, municipality, and panchayat.

Coalition government

A government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups to share power.