Does RBSE Class 10 Political Science follow the NCERT book?

Yes. RBSE prescribes NCERT 'Democratic Politics-II' for Class 10 Civics, so this chapter is identical. RBSE (BSER Ajmer) sets the exam pattern and marking.

Why did Belgium succeed where Sri Lanka failed?

Both had social diversity, but Belgium chose to accommodate its communities by sharing power through repeated constitutional changes, while Sri Lanka imposed majority (Sinhala) rule. Accommodation built unity; domination bred conflict.

What is the difference between horizontal and vertical power-sharing?

Horizontal sharing is among organs of government at the same level (legislature, executive, judiciary), kept in balance by checks. Vertical sharing is among different levels of government (central, state, local) — this is federalism.

Is majoritarianism the same as majority rule?

No. Ordinary majority decision-making is normal in a democracy. Majoritarianism is the extreme belief that the majority community can run the country however it likes, disregarding minorities — which is anti-democratic and divisive.

Why are there both prudential and moral reasons for power-sharing?

Prudential reasons show power-sharing is wise because it brings good outcomes — peace and stability. Moral reasons show it is right in itself because democracy means governing with the people's consent and participation. Both together make the case complete.

Chapter 13 of 22

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Rajasthan (RBSE)Class 10 Social Studies★ 4–5 marks · RBSE Class 10 Social Science board (Political Science — Democratic Politics II)

Power-sharing

RBSE Class 10 Social Science (Political Science) Chapter 1 — why sharing power is the very spirit of democracy. The contrasting stories of Belgium (accommodation) and Sri Lanka (majoritarianism), the prudential and moral reasons for power-sharing, and its four forms — among organs of government (horizontal), among levels (vertical/federal), among social groups, and among political parties/pressure groups — with RBSE board-pattern questions and model answers.

⏱ 30 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Contrast the experiences of Belgium (accommodation) and Sri Lanka (majoritarianism)
2Define majoritarianism and explain why it led to conflict in Sri Lanka
3Distinguish the prudential and moral reasons for power-sharing
4Describe the four forms of power-sharing with an example of each
5Explain why power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy

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Why this chapter matters

Power-sharing is the foundational idea of the whole Civics book — federalism, the role of social diversity, and political parties all build on it. The Belgium–Sri Lanka comparison and the four forms of power-sharing are among the most predictable RBSE board questions and are easy, high-certainty marks.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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What is Democracy? Why Democracy? (Class 9)

The basic meaning and features of democracy.

Power-sharing — RBSE Class 10 (Political Science)

Two small countries, two different choices. Belgium had a complicated mix of Dutch-, French- and German-speakers and chose to share power so carefully that everyone felt secure. Sri Lanka had a clear Sinhala majority and chose majority rule at the expense of the Tamil minority — and slid into a civil war. The difference between peace and conflict, this chapter argues, often comes down to one idea: how power is shared.

1. Two stories: Belgium and Sri Lanka

Belgium — a small European country. Of its people, about 59% live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch, about 40% live in Wallonia and speak French, and 1% speak German; the capital Brussels has a French-speaking majority but a Dutch majority in the country. The French-speaking minority was richer and more powerful, breeding tension. Between 1970 and 1993 Belgian leaders amended the constitution four times to work out an arrangement so that everyone could live together. Its features:

Equal number of Dutch- and French-speaking ministers in the central government.
Many powers given to state governments of the regions.
Brussels has a separate government with equal representation for both communities.
A community government (elected by people of one language group, wherever they live) controls cultural, educational and language matters.

Sri Lanka — an island nation. The Sinhala-speakers are the majority (about 74%); Tamils are the minority (Sri Lankan Tamils ~13% plus Indian Tamils). In 1956 an Act made Sinhala the only official language, gave preference to Sinhala applicants and protected Buddhism — a policy of majoritarianism (the belief that the majority community should rule as it wishes). Feeling discriminated against and denied their language and rights, the Tamils launched struggles for autonomy; the result was a bitter civil war that cost thousands of lives.

The contrast: Belgium accommodated differences and stayed united; Sri Lanka's majoritarianism led to alienation and conflict.

Prudential reasons (about benefits/wise outcomes):

Power-sharing reduces conflict between social groups and the possibility of violence.
It ensures the stability of political order; tyranny of the majority is dangerous even for the majority itself.

Moral reasons (about what is intrinsically right):

Power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy. A truly democratic government rests on sharing power with those affected by its exercise and with those who must live with its effects.
People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed; a legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system.

(a) Horizontal distribution — among organs of government. Power is shared among the legislature, executive and judiciary. Each is placed at the same level, and a system of checks and balances lets each organ check the others, so no one organ can exercise unlimited power.

(b) Vertical distribution — among levels of government. Power is shared between a central (general/union) government and state/provincial governments, and further down to local bodies. This is federalism (developed in the next chapter). The constitution specifies what each level can do.

(c) Among different social groups. Power is shared among different social groups — religious and linguistic — for example through community government in Belgium or 'reserved constituencies' in legislatures. This gives minority communities a fair share and a voice in government.

(d) Among political parties, pressure groups and movements. In a democracy, parties compete for power (the alternation of parties through elections), and coalitions, pressure groups and interest groups also influence decisions. This too is a kind of power-sharing — power is not concentrated in one hand for long.

4. Closing thought

The word that ties this chapter together is accommodation. Belgium succeeded not because it had fewer differences than Sri Lanka, but because it chose to accommodate them through carefully shared power; Sri Lanka had a simpler social map and still failed, because it chose domination over sharing.

Power-sharing, the chapter concludes, is good for two reasons at once — it is prudent (it keeps the peace and the system stable) and it is moral (it is the very spirit of democracy). And it happens in four ways — across organs, across levels, across social groups, and across parties.

For the RBSE board, be ready to compare Belgium and Sri Lanka, to separate prudential from moral reasons, and to list the four forms with one example each — these three are the chapter's standard questions.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Power-sharing

Distributing political power among groups/levels/organs

The spirit of democracy.

Majoritarianism

Belief that the majority community should rule as it wishes

Sri Lanka's policy that alienated Tamils.

Prudential reasons

Reduces conflict + ensures stability

About beneficial outcomes.

Moral reasons

Power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy

About what is intrinsically right.

Four forms

Horizontal (organs) · Vertical (levels) · Social groups · Parties/pressure groups

The core classification.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing prudential and moral reasons

✓ Prudential = practical benefits (reduces conflict, ensures stability). Moral = it is intrinsically right (the spirit of democracy; right to be consulted). Keep the two columns separate.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing up horizontal and vertical power-sharing

✓ Horizontal = among organs at the SAME level (legislature/executive/judiciary, with checks and balances). Vertical = among DIFFERENT levels (central/state/local) = federalism.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying Sri Lanka and Belgium had opposite social make-ups

✓ Both had social diversity; the difference is the CHOICE — Belgium accommodated its communities, Sri Lanka imposed majority rule. Outcome, not diversity, differed.

WATCH OUT

✗ Defining majoritarianism as simply 'majority rule'

✓ Majoritarianism is the belief that the majority community can rule the country in whatever way it wishes, disregarding the minority — a harmful extreme, not ordinary majority decision-making.

WATCH OUT

✗ Listing only two or three forms of power-sharing

✓ There are FOUR: among organs (horizontal), among levels (vertical), among social groups, and among parties/pressure groups.

NCERT exercises

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Belgium & Sri Lanka

Comparing the two countries' handling of diversity

Questions

Forms & reasons

Four forms of power-sharing; prudential vs moral reasons

Questions

Apply / assertion

Identifying the type of power-sharing in given situations

Questions

Practice problems

Work through this chapter's problems as a readiness check — reveal each solution, mark yourself honestly, and get your gap report at the end.

Readiness check

Are you exam-ready for Power-sharing?

9 problems from this chapter. Try each one, reveal the worked solution, mark yourself honestly — get your gap report at the end.

9 questions~6 min worth ~5 marks in Rajasthan (RBSE) exams

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Belgium accommodated its Dutch/French/German communities through constitutional power-sharing and stayed united.
•Sri Lanka's majoritarianism (Sinhala-only, 1956) alienated Tamils and led to civil war.
•Majoritarianism = the majority community rules as it wishes, ignoring minorities.
•Prudential reasons: reduces conflict, ensures stability, avoids tyranny of the majority.
•Moral reasons: power-sharing is the spirit of democracy; citizens have a right to be consulted.
•Form 1 — horizontal: among organs (legislature, executive, judiciary) with checks and balances.
•Form 2 — vertical: among levels (central, state, local) = federalism.
•Forms 3 & 4 — among social groups (community govt/reserved seats) and among parties/pressure groups.

Rajasthan (RBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4–5 marks

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / very short	1	1–2	Majoritarianism, official-language fact, naming the four forms
Short answer	2–3	1–2	Belgium features; prudential vs moral; horizontal/social sharing
Long answer	4	0–1	Belgium–Sri Lanka comparison; why power-sharing is the spirit of democracy

Prep strategy

Make a two-column Belgium vs Sri Lanka comparison table
Separate prudential and moral reasons clearly — examiners look for both
List the four forms with one crisp example each
Learn 'majoritarianism' as a precise definition, not just 'majority rule'

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

India's federal structure

Power shared between the Union, states and local bodies — vertical power-sharing in everyday Indian governance.

Reserved constituencies

Seats reserved for SCs, STs and women in legislatures share power among social groups, exactly as this chapter describes.

Coalition governments

Multi-party coalitions at the Centre and in states are power-sharing among political parties.

Separation of powers

Courts striking down unconstitutional laws show horizontal checks and balances in action.

Peace accords worldwide

Power-sharing arrangements have ended conflicts (e.g. Northern Ireland) by guaranteeing minorities a role.

Local self-government

Panchayati Raj and municipalities extend power-sharing down to the village and ward level.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Use a comparison table for Belgium vs Sri Lanka — it is fast and scores well.

Always split reasons into prudential and moral when asked 'why share power'.

Give one concrete example for each of the four forms.

Define majoritarianism precisely to avoid the common 'majority rule' error.

Link answers to Indian examples (federalism, reserved seats) for application marks.

Conclude with the line that power-sharing is the very spirit of democracy.

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

STRETCH

Consociational democracy — how deeply divided societies design power-sharing institutions.

STRETCH

Separation of powers in different constitutions (presidential vs parliamentary systems).

STRETCH

Federal vs unitary states and the spectrum in between.

STRETCH

How electoral systems (first-past-the-post vs proportional representation) affect minority representation.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

RBSE Class 10 Board (BSER Ajmer)High — Belgium/Sri Lanka and the four forms almost every year

NTSE / state scholarshipMedium — civics MCQs on democracy and power-sharing

UPSC / State PCSMedium — polity foundations

CLAT / law entrancesMedium — constitutional principles

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