Power-sharing

Practice flashcards to review key vocabulary and concepts related to power-sharing in democracies, particularly drawing upon examples from Belgium and Sri Lanka.

Power-sharing

The distribution of power among different entities in a democracy, including legislature, executive, and judiciary.

Majoritarianism

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

Ethnic group

A social division based on shared culture, common descent, and sometimes similarities of physical type or culture.

Civil war

A violent conflict between opposing groups within a country, often leading to extreme societal division and casualties.

Prudential reasons

Reasons based on careful calculation of gains and losses that advocate for power sharing to achieve better outcomes.

Moral reasons

Reasons that stress the intrinsic value of power sharing as a democratic principle and essential for legitimacy.

Community government

A government elected by people belonging to a specific language community, responsible for cultural, educational, and language-related issues.

Federal government

A government structure where power is shared between a central authority and regional or state governments.

Checks and balances

A system that ensures no one organ of government can exercise unlimited power by allowing different branches to check each other's functions.

Accommodating social diversities

The practice of making legal and policy arrangements to ensure representation and participation of diverse social groups in governance.