Horizontal distribution of power
Also called: Horizontal power-sharing · Topic: Power-sharing: Majoritarianism versus Accommodation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "Power-sharing"
Meaning
Horizontal distribution of power means power is shared among the organs of government that sit at the same level: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. No organ has unlimited power, and each one keeps a check on the others. This system is called checks and balances. In India it rests on Art. 50, which keeps the judiciary separate from the executive. It also rests on Art. 75(3), which makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. Judicial review under Arts. 13, 32 and 226 adds to it. Judicial review means the power of courts to strike down laws that break the Constitution.
Example
Ministers must answer to the legislature. Judges are appointed by the executive, but they can still check it and strike down its laws. In one NCERT example, the Bombay High Court ordered the Maharashtra government to improve seven children's homes.
Don't confuse with
- Vertical division of power: this means sharing power between higher and lower levels of government, such as Union, state and local. Horizontal sharing happens among organs at the same level.