Why is political power sharing through different levels of government desirable in a democracy ? ’ 1. It helps to reduce the possibility of conflict between various social groups. 2. It decreases the possibility of arbitrary decision making. 3. It prompts people’s participation at different levels of government. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Political power sharing through different levels of government (vertical distribution) is desirable for several reasons. First, it reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups by ensuring that diverse views and minority communities have a fair share in power [2]. By devolving responsibilities to lower levels, groups that cannot win central power can still exercise authority locally, preventing a 'winner-take-all' scenario. Second, it decreases arbitrary decision-making through a system of checks and balances and by ensuring power does not remain in one hand [2]. Third, decentralization prompts people's participation; local governments allow citizens to settle issues directly and manage things more efficiently due to better local knowledge [3]. This makes the government more accessible and responsive to the people [t3][t8]. Thus, all three statements correctly identify the rationale for power sharing in a democracy.

Sources

1. [1] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: Power-sharing > Forms of power-sharing > p. 8
2. [2] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: Power-sharing > Forms of power-sharing > p. 9
3. [3] Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Federalism > Decentralisation in India > p. 24