"In modern democracies, power sharing arrangements can take many forms." Explain the statement.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:02 · grounding rag
Model Answer
In modern democracies, power sharing can take the following forms:
- Among organs of government – Legislature, executive, and judiciary share power horizontally through a system of checks and balances. Example: In India, judiciary can check laws made by the legislature.
- Among levels of government – Power is divided vertically between central, state, and local governments (federalism). Example: Union and State Governments in India.
- Among social groups – Religious and linguistic minorities are given representation. Example: Reserved constituencies for SCs/STs in India.
- Among political parties and pressure groups – Competition among parties ensures power is not concentrated. Example: Coalition governments like the NDA or UPA in India.
Source: Power Sharing, Chapter 1, Forms of Power-Sharing
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Explanation
The examiner expects all four forms to be named with a brief description and one example each. This is the standard textbook classification. Missing even one form will cost marks. Keep examples short — one line each. The terms "horizontal distribution" and "vertical division" are bonus terminology that can impress examiners.