power-sharing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Not exactly. While all power-sharing governments are coalitions, not all coalitions are power-sharing. Power-sharing specifically refers to arrangements in divided societies where institutional rules guarantee representation to different groups, often regardless of election results.

Rarely in the technical political sense. However, the term is sometimes used metaphorically for joint ventures or partnerships where decision-making authority is equally shared between entities, though 'co-management' or 'joint control' are more precise business terms.

Federalism divides power territorially between central and regional governments. Power-sharing divides power among different groups (often ethnic, religious, or political) within the same government level. A system can be both (e.g., Belgium).

Common reasons include lack of trust between groups, one party perceiving the arrangement as unfair, external shocks, electoral changes that alter power balances, or failure to deliver tangible benefits to communities, leading to withdrawal from the agreement.

A political arrangement where different groups or parties share governmental authority and decision-making responsibilities.

Power-sharing is usually formal, political, academic in register.

Power-sharing: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpaʊə ˌʃeərɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpaʊər ˌʃɛrɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.