Change in Power and Authority Practice Test
•11 QuestionsAccording to the passage, which factor most significantly contributed to the change in power discussed in the passage?
Passage (Regime Change through Elections: India 1977)
Political System and Authority Structure
India’s constitutional democracy typically disperses authority through federalism, parliament, and an independent judiciary. During the 1975–1977 Emergency, however, executive authority expanded, and opposition leaders faced constraints that weakened competitive accountability. Even so, electoral institutions and party competition were not abolished outright, leaving a channel for political reversal once elections returned.
Shift in Power: Congress Defeat and Coalition Ascendancy
The 1977 election produced a transfer of governing authority from Congress to the Janata Party coalition. This was not a revolution or a coup; it was a constitutional alternation in power that demonstrated the electorate’s capacity to sanction incumbents.
Mechanisms and Events Leading to Change
The passage attributes the shift to a convergence of forces: public resentment toward civil-liberty restrictions, opposition coordination to avoid vote-splitting, and a campaign that framed the election as a referendum on executive overreach. The Emergency’s legacy shaped voter perceptions, while coalition negotiations converted dispersed discontent into a viable parliamentary majority.
Implications for Governance and Society
After the election, leaders prioritized restoring civil liberties and reasserting parliamentary scrutiny. Yet the coalition’s internal divisions complicated governance, highlighting that electoral accountability can correct concentrated authority while still producing fragmented mandates.
According to the passage, which factor most significantly contributed to the change in power discussed in the passage?
Passage (Regime Change through Elections: India 1977)
Political System and Authority Structure
India’s constitutional democracy typically disperses authority through federalism, parliament, and an independent judiciary. During the 1975–1977 Emergency, however, executive authority expanded, and opposition leaders faced constraints that weakened competitive accountability. Even so, electoral institutions and party competition were not abolished outright, leaving a channel for political reversal once elections returned.
Shift in Power: Congress Defeat and Coalition Ascendancy
The 1977 election produced a transfer of governing authority from Congress to the Janata Party coalition. This was not a revolution or a coup; it was a constitutional alternation in power that demonstrated the electorate’s capacity to sanction incumbents.
Mechanisms and Events Leading to Change
The passage attributes the shift to a convergence of forces: public resentment toward civil-liberty restrictions, opposition coordination to avoid vote-splitting, and a campaign that framed the election as a referendum on executive overreach. The Emergency’s legacy shaped voter perceptions, while coalition negotiations converted dispersed discontent into a viable parliamentary majority.
Implications for Governance and Society
After the election, leaders prioritized restoring civil liberties and reasserting parliamentary scrutiny. Yet the coalition’s internal divisions complicated governance, highlighting that electoral accountability can correct concentrated authority while still producing fragmented mandates.