Explain four forms of participation in government under the modern democratic system.

1. Horizontal power-sharing - Power is shared among the different branches of the government like the legislature, executive and judiciary. Each organ has its own powers. Apart from that, it can also check the powers of the other organ. This results in a balance of power among the various institutions.

2. Vertical power-sharing – Under this form, power is shared among governments at different levels. Separate governments at different levels are chosen by people just like a general government for the entire country and local governments at the provincial or regional levels. The central government is usually called a Federal government.

3. Sharing of power among different social groups - Power is shared among social groups for instance - religious and linguistic groups. The 'Community government' in Belgium is an example for this. There are constitutional and legal arrangements in some countries by which the socially weaker sections and women are represented in the legislatures.

4. Sharing of power among political parties, pressure groups and movements - In a democracy, the citizens can choose their rulers. The choice is provided by the various political parties who contest in the elections. This competition ensures that the power does not remain in one hand.