Facts and Numbers!
How much percent of the population in Sri Lanka are Christians
7%
Which Ethnic group in Belgium was relatively more rich and more powerful than the other?
French-speaking communtiy
What are vertical and horizontal distribution of power
Horizontal - Among different organs of the government
Vertical - Among governments at different levels (national - state - local)
Define Coalition Governments
Coalition government: A government formed by the coming together of at least two political parties. Usually, partners in a coalition form a political alliance and adopt a common programme
Define decentralization
Power being taken away from Central and State governments
40% of people live in _____ region and speak _____.
Wallonia region and French
Sri Lankan Tamils (13%)
Indian Tamils (5%)
Why is Power Sharing desirable?
Firstly, power sharing is good because it helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
There is a second, deeper reason why power sharing is good for democracies. Power sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise, and who have to live with its effects.
Define Federalism
Federalism is a system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.
What is the residuary list?
Subjects that do not fall under the three main lists and the new subjects such as IT that were added after the constitution was drafted. The Union government can make laws regarding these subjects.
In which year was an act passed recognising Sinhalese as the only official language in Sri Lanka
1956
True or False?
The major social group in Sri Lanka is divided into two sub-groups
False
Define Ethnic groups and what is a violent conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes so intense that it appears like a war.
Ethnic: A social division based on shared culture. People belonging to the same ethnic group believe in their common descent because of similarities of physical type or of culture or both. They need not always have the same religion or nationality.
Civil war
Why is a special status given to a few states?
Which of the following state does not have special status
A - Nagaland
B- Manipur
C - Mizoram
D - Assam
Due to their peculiar social an historical circumstances. These special powers are especially enjoyed in relation to the protection of land rights of indigenous peoples, their culture, and also preferential employment in government services.
B - Manipur
Differentiate between "coming together" and "holding together" federations
Coming together federations involves independent States coming together on their own to form a bigger unit so that by pooling sovereignty and retaining identity they can increase their security.
Holding together federations are where a large country decides to divide its power between the constituent States and the national government.
In which year was the third tier added to democracy
1992
List the elements in the Belgian model that enables the accommodation of ethnic differences.
- An equal number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the central government
- Many powers of the central government have been given to state governments of the two regions of the country. The state governments are not subordinate to the Central Government.
- Brussels has a sperate government with equal representaion from both groups
- Community government, a special type of government that is elected by the people belonging to one language community.
Define Majoritarianism and Prudential
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.
Prudential: Based on prudence, or on careful calculation of gains and losses. Prudential decisions are usually contrasted with decisions based purely on moral considerations.
Differentiate between State and Union List
Union List - Subjects of national importance. Included in the list as they require a uniform policy across the country on these matters. Only the Union government can make laws.
Ex: Defence, Foreign Affairs, Banking and Currency
State List - Subjects of local importance.
Ex: Police, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture
List a few ways in which power was taken away from the central and state governments in India.
- It is mandatory to hold elections in the local government on a regular basis
- Reservations for, SC's ST's and OBC's
- One-third of seats are reserved for women
- An independent State Election Commission was created to oversee the local election process
- The state government is required to share some power and revenue with the local government
How are the ethnic differences in Brussels different from those in the rest of Belgium and what is the third ethnic group in Belgium and how much percent of the population do they constitute?
Belgium:-
Dutch speaking - 59%
French speaking - 40%
Brussels:-
Dutch speaking - 20%
French speaking - 80%
The third ethni cgroup of Belgium is German and they constitute 1% of the population
Explain how the relationship between the Sinhala and Tamil communities strained over time.
In 1956, an Act was passed to recognize Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil. The governments followed preferential policies that favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs. A new constitution stipulated that the state shall protect and foster Buddhism.
All these government measures, coming one after the other, gradually increased the feeling of alienation among the Sri Lankan Tamils. They felt that none of the major political parties led by the Buddhist Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their language and culture. They felt that the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights, discriminated against them in getting jobs and other opportunities, and ignored their interests.
List and elaborate on the forms of Power Sharing
1 - Power is shared among different organs of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary. This horizontal distribution of power.
2 - Power can be shared among governments at different levels - a general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level. This is vertical distribution of power
3 Power may also be shared among different social groups such as religious and linguistic groups. 'Community government' in Belgium is a good example of this.
4 - Power sharing arrangements can also be seen in the way political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence those in power. In a democracy, the citizens
List all 7 features of Federalism
- Two or more levels/tiers of government
- Each tier has its own jurisdiction on specific matters
- These jurisdictions are specified in the constitution
- The provisions under each tier cannot be unliaterally changed
- Court solves disputes amongst these levels
- Financial autonomy is maintained as sources of revenue are fixed
- The federal system thus has dual objectives: to safeguard and promote the unity of the country, while at the same time accommodating regional diversity
Elaborate on the Language policy and Linguistic states in India.
Language Policy - The leaders in India adopted a cautious approach to spreading the use of Hindi. English was used for official purposes up until 1965 and was meant to stop but due to the demand of non-Hindi states, both Hindi and English are used for official purposes, and despite the government promoting Hindi they cannot impose it onto anyone.
Linguistic States - The map of India was strikingly different in 1947 when it gained Independence from colonial rule. After 1947, many old states vanished and many new states have been created. This was done to ensure people speaking the same language came under the same state. In some cases, the states were made to recognize the cultural ethnic or geographic differences.