[case_study] Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of regional differences and cultural diversities. Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their constitution four times to work out an arrangement that would enable everyone to live together within the same country. The constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government. Many powers of the Central Government have been given to State Governments of the two regions, which are not subordinate to the Central Government. Brussels has a separate government in which both communities have equal representation. Apart from the Central and State Governments, a third kind of government — the 'community government' — is elected by people belonging to one language community and has power over cultural, educational and language-related issues.
(i) Why was it considered necessary to give the State Governments of the two regions powers independent of the Central Government? (1 mark)
(ii) What is the role of the 'community government' in Belgium, and what makes it unique compared to a typical state government? (1 mark)
(iii) How does the Belgian model reflect the idea that sharing power strengthens rather than weakens a country? (2 marks)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:17 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) It was necessary because Belgium has two major linguistic communities — Dutch and French-speaking — with distinct regional identities. Giving State Governments independent powers ensured that neither community could dominate the other, and regional interests could be addressed without depending on the Central Government.
(ii) The 'community government' is elected by people of one language community regardless of where they live, and it has power over cultural, educational, and language-related issues. Unlike a typical state government based on territory, it is based on community/language identity, making it unique.
(iii) The Belgian model shows that sharing power prevents conflict and strengthens unity. By giving equal representation to both communities in the central government, granting independent powers to state governments, and creating community governments, Belgium avoided civic strife and a possible division of the country on linguistic lines. This proves that accommodating diversity through power-sharing keeps a country united rather than weakening it — as confirmed when Brussels was chosen as the headquarters of the European Union.
Source: Accommodation in Belgium, Chapter 1; What is federalism?, Chapter 2
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Explanation
- (i) Focus on the reason: regional diversity + preventing dominance by one community.
- (ii) The key unique feature is that it is community-based, not territory-based — mention this explicitly.
- (iii) This 2-mark answer needs two clear points: (a) what power-sharing did in Belgium (prevented strife/division), and (b) the broader principle (accommodating diversity = unity). The EU headquarters example from the passage is a great supporting detail examiners appreciate. Avoid writing vague generalities — always link back to the passage.