Power-sharing among political parties and pressure groups
Topic: Power-sharing: Majoritarianism versus Accommodation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "Power-sharing"
Meaning
In a democracy, power is also shared among political parties and pressure groups. Pressure groups are organised groups that try to influence government decisions. Because parties compete, power does not stay in one hand, and over time parties that stand for different ideas and groups take turns in power. Sometimes parties share power directly by forming an alliance and then a coalition government, which is a government made up of more than one party. Pressure groups, such as traders, industrialists, farmers and workers, share power by sitting on committees or by influencing decisions.
Example
In Germany in 2005, the old rivals CDU and SPD formed a grand coalition because neither had a majority. In India, from 2024 the BJP has relied on the TDP and JD(U) to govern. The farmers' protest of 2020-21 led to the repeal of the three farm laws in 2021.
Don't confuse with
- Rotation of a post: a class monitor who changes every month shares the chance to hold power over time. That is not sharing power at the same time.