Class 10 Power Sharing MCQ

Class 10 Power Sharing MCQ

Chapter 1: Power-Sharing

Quality Question Bank

A. Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What is the central idea behind power-sharing in a democracy?
A. Concentration of power in the majority
B. Distribution of power among different institutions and groups
C. Removal of political competition
D. Complete independence of the executive

2. Which community forms the largest linguistic group in Belgium?
A. French-speaking
B. German-speaking
C. Dutch-speaking
D. Italian-speaking

3. Which city created a special power-sharing problem in Belgium?
A. Antwerp
B. Brussels
C. Wallonia
D. Luxembourg

4. What made Brussels particularly sensitive in Belgium?
A. It had no linguistic diversity.
B. Dutch speakers were the majority there.
C. French speakers were the majority there despite Dutch speakers being the national majority.
D. It was controlled entirely by Germany.

5. Which language was declared the sole official language of Sri Lanka in 1956?
A. Tamil
B. Sinhala
C. English
D. Pali

6. Which policy contributed to the alienation of Sri Lankan Tamils?
A. Equal representation in government
B. Preferential treatment for Sinhala applicants in education and employment
C. Creation of community governments
D. Greater regional autonomy for Tamil areas

7. What is meant by majoritarianism?
A. Equal sharing of power between communities
B. Rule by the majority while ignoring minority interests
C. Rule by the judiciary
D. Decentralisation of power

8. Which country adopted constitutional arrangements to accommodate linguistic diversity?
A. Sri Lanka
B. Belgium
C. Germany
D. Lebanon

9. In Belgium, how were Dutch- and French-speaking communities represented in the central government?
A. Dutch speakers received all important ministries.
B. French speakers received all important ministries.
C. The number of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers was kept equal.
D. Ministers were selected only by the judiciary.

10. Which institution in Belgium deals particularly with cultural, educational and language-related matters?
A. Community government
B. Supreme Court
C. Military government
D. Central bank

11. Which of the following is a prudential reason for power-sharing?
A. It is valuable simply because participation is democratic.
B. It reduces the possibility of conflict and promotes stability.
C. It eliminates all political disagreement.
D. It gives permanent power to minorities.

12. Which is a moral reason for power-sharing?
A. It makes decisions faster.
B. It guarantees victory for the majority.
C. People affected by decisions have a right to participate in making them.
D. It prevents elections.

13. Power-sharing among the legislature, executive and judiciary is called:
A. Vertical division
B. Horizontal distribution
C. Community division
D. Federal competition

14. The system in which different organs of government check one another is known as:
A. Majoritarianism
B. Checks and balances
C. Community government
D. Coalition rule

15. Power-sharing between the Union and State Governments is an example of:
A. Horizontal distribution
B. Vertical division
C. Community government
D. Party competition

16. Which of the following is an example of power-sharing among social groups?
A. Separation of legislature and judiciary
B. Community government in Belgium
C. Coalition between political parties
D. Division between Union and State Governments

17. When two or more political parties join together to form a government, it is called:
A. Majoritarian government
B. Coalition government
C. Community government
D. Judicial government

18. Which of the following best explains why power-sharing is considered desirable?
A. It always makes decision-making faster.
B. It removes all differences between social groups.
C. It reduces conflict and strengthens democratic participation.
D. It ensures that only minorities make decisions.

19. Which event marked the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war according to the chapter?
A. 1956
B. 1970
C. 1993
D. 2009

20. Which statement best compares Belgium and Sri Lanka?
A. Both adopted majoritarianism.
B. Both completely rejected power-sharing.
C. Belgium accommodated diversity, while Sri Lanka followed majoritarian policies.
D. Belgium experienced a civil war while Sri Lanka avoided conflict.

B. Assertion–Reason Questions

Choose the correct option:

A. Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R does not correctly explain A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

21.
Assertion (A): Power-sharing is desirable in a democracy.
Reason (R): It reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups.

22.
Assertion (A): Belgium adopted power-sharing arrangements.
Reason (R): Its leaders recognised regional and cultural differences.

23.
Assertion (A): Majoritarian policies in Sri Lanka increased tensions with Tamils.
Reason (R): Such policies gave adequate political representation to Tamil interests.

24.
Assertion (A): Horizontal power-sharing prevents concentration of power.
Reason (R): Different organs of government can check one another.

25.
Assertion (A): Power-sharing is only useful in countries with ethnic divisions.
Reason (R): Every democracy benefits from distributing political power among institutions and citizens.

C. Fill in the Blanks

26. Belgium has three major linguistic communities: Dutch-speaking, French-speaking and ________-speaking.

27. The capital city of Belgium is ________.

28. In Brussels, the French-speaking population forms the ________.

29. Sri Lanka became independent in ________.

30. In 1956, ________ was recognised as the only official language of Sri Lanka.

31. The belief that the majority community should rule while disregarding minority interests is called ________.

32. The conflict between opposing groups within a country that becomes extremely intense is called a ________.

33. Power-sharing among legislature, executive and judiciary is known as ________ distribution of power.

34. Power-sharing among different levels of government is called ________ division of power.

35. A government formed by two or more political parties is called a ________ government.

36. Power-sharing among different linguistic communities is an example of sharing power among ________ groups.

37. The two broad reasons supporting power-sharing are ________ and ________ reasons.

D. True or False

38. Power-sharing means concentrating all political power in one institution.

39. Belgium has Dutch-, French- and German-speaking communities.

40. Brussels had a different linguistic composition from Belgium as a whole.

41. Sri Lanka adopted policies that promoted Sinhala dominance.

42. The Tamil community in Sri Lanka always enjoyed equal treatment in language, education and employment under the policies described in the chapter.

43. Belgium’s power-sharing arrangements included equal representation of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers in the central government.

44. Power-sharing can help reduce political conflict.

45. Moral reasons for power-sharing focus mainly on practical gains and losses.

46. The judiciary can check the actions of the executive.

47. Power-sharing among different levels of government is called vertical division of power.

48. Coalition governments are an example of power-sharing among political parties.

E. Match the Following

49.

Column AColumn B
1. BelgiumA. Majoritarianism
2. Sri LankaB. Accommodation
3. Legislature, Executive, JudiciaryC. Horizontal power-sharing
4. Union and State GovernmentsD. Vertical power-sharing

50.

Column AColumn B
1. Community governmentA. Political parties
2. Coalition governmentB. Social/linguistic groups
3. Checks and balancesC. Different organs of government
4. Federal divisionD. Different levels of government

F. Very Short Answer Questions

51. What is power-sharing?

52. What is meant by majoritarianism?

53. Name the three main linguistic communities of Belgium.

54. Why was Brussels a special problem in Belgium?

55. Name the two major linguistic communities of Sri Lanka.

56. What happened to the Tamil community after the Sinhala-only policy?

57. What is a prudential reason for power-sharing?

58. What is a moral reason for power-sharing?

59. What is horizontal power-sharing?

60. What is vertical power-sharing?

61. What are checks and balances?

62. What is a coalition government?

63. What is community government in Belgium?

64. Why are reserved constituencies considered a form of power-sharing?

G. Short Answer Questions

65. Why did tensions arise between Dutch- and French-speaking communities in Belgium?

66. Explain any three features of Belgium’s power-sharing arrangement.

67. Why did Sri Lankan Tamils feel alienated from the government?

68. How did majoritarianism contribute to conflict in Sri Lanka?

69. Distinguish between prudential and moral reasons for power-sharing.

70. How does power-sharing help maintain political stability?

71. Why is power-sharing considered a basic spirit of democracy?

72. Explain how the legislature, executive and judiciary share power.

73. Explain vertical division of power with an Indian example.

74. How can power be shared among different social groups?

75. How do political parties contribute to power-sharing?

H. Long Answer Questions

76. Compare the approaches of Belgium and Sri Lanka towards power-sharing. What different consequences followed from their approaches?

77. Explain the four major forms of power-sharing found in modern democracies, giving a suitable example of each.

78. Explain why power-sharing is desirable from both prudential and moral perspectives.

79. Describe the major features of the Belgian model of power-sharing and explain how it helped preserve national unity.

80. Explain the majoritarian policies adopted in Sri Lanka and their consequences for the Tamil community.

81. “Power-sharing is not a sign of weakness; it can strengthen democracy and national unity.” Explain.

I. Case-Based Questions

Case 1

A country has two major linguistic communities. One community is larger nationally but forms a minority in the capital. Instead of allowing the majority to dominate, the constitution provides equal representation for the two major linguistic groups in the central government and in the capital’s government.

82. Which country does this situation most closely resemble?
A. Sri Lanka
B. Belgium
C. India
D. Germany

83. What principle is illustrated by this arrangement?
A. Majoritarianism
B. Power-sharing
C. Centralisation
D. Political exclusion

84. Why can such an arrangement help national unity?

Case 2

A government gives preference to the majority community in official language, education and employment. Members of a minority community begin demanding recognition of their language, equal opportunities and greater regional autonomy.

85. What concept does the government’s approach illustrate?

86. Why might such policies create conflict?

87. Which alternative democratic approach could reduce such tensions?

Case 3

In a democracy, the legislature makes laws, the executive implements them and the judiciary can examine whether government actions and laws follow constitutional principles.

88. Which form of power-sharing is shown here?

89. What is the purpose of this arrangement?

90. What term describes the mutual checking of these institutions?

J. Higher-Order Thinking Questions

91. A majority community argues, “We have more people, so we should have all political power.” Why is this argument inconsistent with the democratic idea of power-sharing?

92. Suppose Belgium had followed the majoritarian approach used in Sri Lanka. What kind of problems could have emerged, based on the chapter’s comparison?

93. Why might a complicated power-sharing arrangement sometimes be preferable to a simple majority-rule system?

94. Can power-sharing benefit the majority community as well as minorities? Explain using the chapter’s reasoning.

95. Why does concentration of political power create a risk in a democracy?

Answer Key

MCQs

  1. B
  2. C
  3. B
  4. C
  5. B
  6. B
  7. B
  8. B
  9. C
  10. A
  11. B
  12. C
  13. B
  14. B
  15. B
  16. B
  17. B
  18. C
  19. D
  20. C

Assertion–Reason

  1. A
  2. A
  3. C
  4. A
  5. D

Fill in the Blanks

  1. German
  2. Brussels
  3. majority
  4. 1948
  5. Sinhala
  6. majoritarianism
  7. civil war
  8. horizontal
  9. vertical
  10. coalition
  11. social
  12. prudential, moral

True/False

  1. False
  2. True
  3. True
  4. True
  5. False
  6. True
  7. True
  8. False
  9. True
  10. True
  11. True

Matching

  1. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D
  2. 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-D

Key points for descriptive answers

65. Economic and educational differences, along with unequal political and linguistic positions, created tensions between the Dutch- and French-speaking communities.

66. Equal central-government representation; regional governments with significant powers; equal representation in Brussels; community governments for language, culture and education.
67. Tamils felt their language, culture, political rights, educational opportunities and employment interests were being ignored.

68. Majoritarian policies increased Tamil alienation, strengthened demands for autonomy and contributed to a prolonged civil conflict.

69. Prudential reasons focus on practical benefits such as reducing conflict and maintaining stability; moral reasons emphasise that citizens have a democratic right to participate in decisions affecting them.

72. The legislature makes laws, the executive implements them, and the judiciary can examine government actions and legislation. Their powers overlap through a system of checks and balances.

77. Four forms:

  1. Organs of government — legislature, executive, judiciary.
  2. Levels of government — Union, State and local governments.
  3. Social groups — linguistic, religious and weaker social groups.
  4. Political parties and interest groups — coalition governments, political competition and influence by pressure groups.
    78. Power-sharing is prudential because it reduces conflict and supports stability. It is moral because democracy requires citizens to have a voice in decisions that affect them.

79. Belgium accommodated linguistic diversity through equal representation, regional autonomy, equal representation in Brussels and community governments. These arrangements helped avoid serious conflict and possible division of the country.
80. Sri Lanka adopted Sinhala-dominant policies after independence, including making Sinhala the official language and favouring Sinhala applicants in education and employment. These policies increased Tamil alienation and contributed to escalating conflict.

Highest-Priority Questions for Exams

If you don’t have time to practise everything, focus especially on:

1. Compare Belgium and Sri Lanka.
2. Explain the four forms of power-sharing.
3. Explain prudential and moral reasons.
4. Explain Belgium’s power-sharing model.
5. Explain majoritarianism and its effects in Sri Lanka.
6. What are checks and balances?
7. Why is power-sharing desirable in a democracy?
8. Distinguish horizontal and vertical power-sharing.
9. Explain how power-sharing among social groups works.
10. Explain how political parties and pressure groups contribute to power-sharing.