Power-sharing Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining core terms, historical events, geographic divisions, and political concepts from Chapter 1 on Power-sharing.

Ethnic

A social division based on shared culture, where people belonging to the same group believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type, culture, or both, without necessarily sharing the same religion or nationality.

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.

Prudential

Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses; contrasted with decisions based purely on moral considerations.

Communities and regions of Belgium

The geographic and linguistic composition of Belgium comprising the Dutch-speaking Flemish region (59%), French-speaking Walloon region (40%), German-speakers (1%), and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.

Ethnic Communities of Sri Lanka

The demographic makeup of Sri Lanka consisting primarily of Sinhala-speakers (74%) and Tamil-speakers (18%), alongside Christian and Muslim populations.

Sri Lankan Tamils

The native Tamil population of Sri Lanka, constituting 13 per cent of the total population, concentrated mainly in the north and east of the country.

Indian Tamils

The Tamil population in Sri Lanka whose forefathers came from India as plantation workers during the colonial period.

1956 Act of Sri Lanka

An Act passed in 1956 that recognized Sinhala as the sole official language of Sri Lanka, disregarding Tamil and establishing majoritarian preferential policies.

Tamil Eelam

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

Brussels

The capital city of Belgium where 80 per cent of people speak French and 20 per cent are Dutch-speaking, and which serves as the headquarters of the European Union.

Community government

A third level of government in Belgium elected by citizens of one language group (Dutch, French, or German-speaking) regardless of location, handling cultural, educational, and language-related matters.

Horizontal distribution of power

The power-sharing arrangement among different organs of government at the same level—such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary—allowing each organ to exercise distinct powers.

System of checks and balances

An arrangement within horizontal power sharing where each organ of government checks the functioning of others, maintaining a balance of power among institutions.

Vertical division of power

A power-sharing system involving different levels of government, such as a central or federal government alongside state, regional, municipal, or panchayat governments.

Coalition government

A government formed by an alliance of two or more political parties when no single party secures a clear majority in an election.

Prudential reasons for power sharing

Arguments emphasizing that sharing power brings about better outcomes by reducing the likelihood of social conflict and ensuring political stability.

Moral reasons for power sharing

Arguments emphasizing that power sharing is intrinsically valuable as the spirit of democracy, giving citizens a voice and stake in governance.

Lebanon Power Sharing Pact

A political agreement distributing key national leadership posts among religious communities, fixing the Presidency to Maronite Catholics, Prime Ministership to Sunni Muslims, Deputy Prime Ministership to Orthodox Christians, and Speaker to Shi'a Muslims.