Why is power sharing desirable explain the different forms of power sharing in india

Power sharing is the process of distributing a country’s or region’s power among the various elements or organs of any given government, such as the judiciary, executive, and legislative. Several nations have reached the highest level of political stability with the assistance of this approach. Aside from that, power sharing entails sharing power among other district levels such as local, state, and union.

To begin with, power sharing is beneficial since it reduces the likelihood of conflict between social groupings. Because social strife frequently leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is an effective means of ensuring political order stability. Power sharing is at the heart of democracy. A democratic rule entails sharing power with people who are impacted by it and must live with its consequences. People have the right to be consulted on how they will be governed. Power sharing is crucial in a democracy because:

  •  It reduces the likelihood of conflict between social groupings.
  •  It embodies the spirit of democracy. 
  • It is an excellent strategy to maintain the political order’s stability. Power Sharing Structure. 

 It was considered that all of a government’s authority must exist in one person or group of people in one location. Otherwise, making timely choices and enforcing them would be extremely difficult. However, with the rise of democracy, these beliefs have shifted. People rule themselves in a democracy through self-government institutions. Everyone has a say in how public policies are developed. As a result, political  power in a democratic government should be dispersed among citizens.

What Are the Different Types of Power Sharing?

Because we live in a contemporary society, democracy would be an imitation of that as well. So, in our modern society and its democracy, many various types of power sharing are possible. Power sharing in modern democracies can take numerous forms, as listed below:

  • Power is distributed among three organs of Government that is, the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. This is known as horizontal power distribution because it permits various government organs at the same level to exercise distinct powers. This split guarantees that none of the organs has unrestricted authority. Each organ verifies the others. This is known as a system of checks and balances.
  • Different social groupings, such as religious and linguistic communities, may also share power. Belgium’s ‘community government’ is a good illustration of this setup. This strategy is designed to ensure that minority populations have a fair amount of power.
  • Power can be divided among governments at several levels, including a federal government that governs the entire country and provincial or regional governments.
  • Power dynamics may also be seen in how political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence people in power. When two or more parties create an alliance to run for office, and if elected, they form a coalition government and so share power.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the power-sharing in Democracypower-sharing

  Advantages Disadvantages
1 It is recognised that national unity can only be achieved by respecting the sentiments and interests of various populations. 1. It creates a sense among residents that power sharing leads to a division of authority, making a country weaker than it would be if power was concentrated in one hand.
2 The political order has stabilised. 2.  It also causes confusion in the council of several organs.
3 No single community can make decisions on its own. 3.  It can also lead to war between two states, districts, or even cities or localities.
4  Reduces tensions between various social groupings. 4. It also leads to the perception that it jeopardises national unity.

Sample Questions

Question 1: Why is it good to share power?

Answer:

Power sharing is beneficial because it reduces the likelihood of conflict between social groupings. The second argument is that a democratic system entails sharing power with people who are impacted by its application and must live with its consequences. The people have the right to be consulted on how they will be governed.

Question 2: Is sharing power a smart method to avoid social conflict?

Answer:

Because social strife frequently leads to violence and political instability, power sharing is an effective approach to maintaining political order. The ethos of democracy is one of power sharing.

Question 3: How is power distributed in a country?

Answer:

In this scenario of power-sharing, power is shared among the many sorts of social groupings that exist in any area, region, or country. There can be several social groupings, such as religious organizations and language communities.

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Power sharing is a conflict resolution practice in which multiple groups share political, military, or economic power with each other according to agreed rules. It can refer to any formal framework or informal treaty governing the distribution of power among divided communities. Since the end of the Cold War, power-sharing systems have become increasingly popular in negotiating the settlement of armed conflicts.Two common theoretical approaches to power-sharing are dissociation and centripetal theory.

Dimensions of Power Sharing 

Essentially, power-sharing agreements have provisions that involve at least one of the following: Political, economic, military, or territorial control. The sharing of political power includes the rules governing the distribution of political tasks and the exercise of decision-making power. Power can be shared by ensuring simultaneous inclusion of all major parties in the governing cabinet through rules on forming a major coalition. share through political equivalence, allowing minorities to remain competitive and gain some political power through democratic elections. Ratios also indicate the sharing of economic power, since the allocation of public resources can be set according to the size of communities. In neonatal systems, the political function can also be closely linked to economic opportunity, meaning that the equitable distribution of political power overlaps with economic power sharing.

Power-sharing theories make empirical and normative claims about the usefulness or desirability of power-sharing systems for managing conflict in divided societies. Two prominent theories of power-sharing, which make competing claims, are associative and centripetal. Empirically, each theory prescribes different power-sharing systems, such as dissociative versus afferent alternative voting.

Form of power sharing 

It is assumed that all power of a government must lie with one person or group of people in one place. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make quick decisions and earn their respect. But these notions changed with the emergence of democracy. In a democracy, the people govern themselves through institutions of autonomous government. Everyone has a say in the formulation of public policies. Therefore, in a democratic country, political power should be distributed among the citizens. 

In modern democracies, power sharing can take many forms, as shown below: 

  1. Power is shared among different branches of government, such as agencies. This is called horizontal distribution of power because it allows different branches of government at the same level to exercise different powers. Such separation ensures that neither body can use infinite power. Each organ controls the other organs. This arrangement is known as the check and balance system. 
  2. Power can be shared between governments at different levels – a common government for the whole country and governments at the provincial or regional level. 

Why is Power Sharing Desirable 

  1. Power sharing is a good way to ensure the stability of the political order because social conflicts often lead to violence and political instability. 
  2. Imposing the will of the majority community on others may seem an attractive option in the short term, but in the long run, it undermines national unity. 
  3. The tyranny of the majority not only oppresses the few but also brings destruction to the majority.
  4. Citizens have the right to be consulted on how they should be managed.
  5. The democratic rule implies sharing power with those affected by its implementation and those who must live with its influence.    
  6. Legitimate government is one in which citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Write the types of power sharing. 

Answer:

Sharing of power in different departments of government.  The sharing of power among governments at different levels.  The sharing of power among social groups.  Power sharing among influential groups.

Question 2: What do you mean by vertical power-sharing?

Answer:  

In this vertical division, local government will operate under  union or  state government and  state government will operate under  union government. Power is shared between levels of government.

Question 3: What does horizontal power sharing mean?

Answer:

The even distribution of power between different governing bodies is called horizontal power sharing. The horizontal division of power puts all government agencies, legislative, executive and judicial, at one level.