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Chapter 14 Power and Politics
Class 11 English
Exercise
Milada Broukal
Ways With Words
A. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word.
a. Many portraits of Napoleon show him with his right hand placed inside his
coat.
sketch
b. Napoleon won one victory after another, defeating the Austrians in eighteen
battles.
beating
c. Portrait painters thought this pose made men look more dignified
good-looking
d. They announced France a republic.
officially declared
e. Napoleon conquered Austria in 1805.
triumphed over
f. There was no place to house his soldiers in the bitter Russian winter.
Cold
g. Napoleon was humiliated when he was defeated.
shamed
B. Guess the meanings to these words from the text and make sentences of
your own.
1. violent: causing hurt
The love that is too violent will not last long.
2. execute: kill somebody as a legal punishment
He was captured and executed for murder.
3. ancient: very old
The pyramids were built in ancient times. .
4. alliance: a union between people, groups, countries, etc.
The two parties were still too much apart to form an alliance.
5. brilliant: very intelligent or skillful
Brilliant students are favourite of teachers.
6. genius: very great and rare natural ability or skill
You don’t have to be a genius to see that this plan will never work.
7. consul: an official chosen by a government to live in a foreign city
The Consul spoke slowly and with great gravity.
8. invading: to enter a place in order to take control by military force
During the Second World War the island was invaded by the Axis powers.
Comprehension
Answer these questions.
a. Where was Napoleon from?
Answer: Napoleon was from France.
b. Why did poor and middle-class people declare France a republic?
Answer: Poor and middle-class people declared France a republic because they
were tired of paying heavy taxes for the luxurious life of the king and his
nobles.
c. When did Napoleon declare himself emperor of France?
Answer: Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804.
d. What did he do when he ruled France?
Answer: When he ruled France, he restored and reorganized the French
government and the Bank of France, built beautiful cities with wide streets,
fine bridges, and beautiful buildings and monuments, such as the Arc de
Triomphe.
e. Which countries did he rule when he was the emperor?
Answer: He ruled Italy, Switzerland, and Germany when he was the emperor.
f. What was the main cause of his destruction?
Answer: Invasion of Russia was the main cause of his destruction.
g. How did his rule as emperor end in Europe?
Answer: His rule as emperor ended in Europe after the Europeans gathered
their armies against him.
h. How could Napoleon have been an even greater ruler?
Answer: Napoleon could have been an even greater ruler if he had not been
driven by his love of power.
Critical Thinking
a. What can be the qualities of a great leader? Can a great leader remain in
power for long in a country? Discuss.
Answer: Leadership refers to the quality of leading people. Probably, it is one of
the most important aspects of life. Above all, Leadership by a good leader hasled to the progress of human civilization. Without a good leader, no
organization or group can succeed. Furthermore, not everyone has this quality.
This is because effective Leadership requires certain important characteristics.
First of all, confidence is the most quality.
A leader must have strong self confidence. A person lacking in confidence can never be a good leader. A
person must be confident enough to ensure others follow him. A good leader
must certainly inspire others. A leader must be a role model for his followers.
Furthermore, he must motivate them whenever possible. Also, in difficult
situations, a leader must not lose hope. Honesty is another notable quality of a
leader. Honesty and Integrity are important to earn the love of followers.
Probably, every Leadership which loses trust is bound to fail. People will not
work with full effort due to an immoral leader. Another important quality is
good communication and decision making. Above all, if a leader makes poor
communications and poor decisions then other qualities will not matter.
Furthermore, good decision making ensures the success of the entire group. If
the leader makes poor decisions, then the efforts of followers won’t matter.
In conclusion, a good leader must be an excellent innovator. He must display a
creative attitude in his work. Most noteworthy, innovation is a guarantee of
survival of a group or innovation. Without creative thinking, progress is not
possible.
If a leader is good, capable and have all the above traits then he/she can easily
remain in power for long in a country.
b. The 16th president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln said democracy is
government of the people for the people and by the people. Do you think it is
perfectly applicable in the present context of Nepal? Explain.
Answer: The literal meaning of ‘democracy’ is ‘rule by the people’, or, in other
words, a political system in which ultimate authority is shared equally by all
members of the community. In Nepal as elsewhere such a system is widely
endorsed as a desirable state of affairs but there is no precise, shared
understanding of what it implies in practice. In Nepal, even more than in most
other places, there is also a sense of deep disillusionment with what a system
describing itself as democratic has actually achieved.
The political system presented by Abraham Lincoln does not apply to Nepal, as
corruption had paralyzed constitutional and government agencies. The
Constitution guarantees the idea of collective decision-making that includes all
people equally, but it does not actually apply. Democratic norms and values
depend on the proper functioning of constitutional and state institutions. But it
has been crippled by a group of certain people. The role of bureaucrats is
important to keep the administration running smoothly so that development
strategies can be easily implemented. However, corrupt bureaucracy does not
do its job without bribes and is endorsed by political leaders. Nepalese people have never experienced a responsible, accountable government. State
institutions are victims of nepotism and discrimination. Thus, in a country like
Nepal, institutionalizing democracy is more difficult. To strengthen the
principles of democracy, all constitutional agencies, government agencies and
citizens must be responsible.
Writing
a. Write an essay on Power and Politics in about 500 words.
Answer:
Power and Politics
Power is usually defined as the ability to influence people’s behavior by getting
people to do what the person wants. Politically, having the ability to influence
people is a huge responsibility. Being a leader means having the abilities to not
only convince people, but also to inspire them and influence their decision by
making them see the sense that the person with power is acting in their best
interest. Therefore, political power is about not only persuasion, but also
manipulation. Politics is the act of persuasion, acquisition, and exercise of
political power.
Political power shapes and control people’s attitude towards the leader and the
governing system. The leader guides the behavior of his followers in a direction
he desires to achieve the common political objectives. Occupying a political
position means having the power and the ability to effect the desired change of
behavior of other people involved through persuasion or manipulation. For
example, if an individual has the political power over the other person, the
degree in which a leader can motivate, incite, inspire, stimulate, and makes
other people modify their political behavior. This process is termed as having
the political power.
Illegitimate political power implies exercising powers that violate the existing
rules; these may include sabotage, protests, and whistle blowing. Extreme
illegitimate forms of political power pose a risk of loss of membership.
Since
most political organization is made up of individuals with different values and
interest, this presents the potential for conflict over resources. A leader in
power uses his position to attain group goals. However, power is applied in
different forms. Coercive power is based on fear. Coercive power includes
sanctions, restrictions, and control by force.
Power plays an important role in politics because its consequences can yield
positive or negative results. Power in politics is a two-way relationship
depending on how people interact based on the resources or values they hold
or are in control of. Conflict arises due to pressure to achieve specific goals that might not be realistic. That is why leaders manipulate his followers to serve
their needs at the expense of others. In a democratic system, use of power
should not involve force; instead of obtaining power should be more of
influence that is known as soft power.
b. Write a couple of paragraphs about a national hero who fought bravely in
the Anglo-Nepal War.
Answer:
Balbhadra Kunwar Chhetri
Balbhadra Kunwar Chhetri (30 January 1789 – 13 March 1823) was a Nepalese
military commander and administrator in the Kingdom of Nepal. He is one of
the National heroes of Nepal. He was highly praised for his military skill for the
defence of the Nalapani fort in the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816). He was
Captain in the Nepalese military and was tasked as commander to protect the
forts of Dehradun.
As commander of the Gorkhali forces in Dheradun, Capt. Balbhadra Kunwar
was handed the responsibility of defending the area. The expanding
Nepali/Gorkhali State had since the mid-late 18th century expanded the
nation’s border on all sides, which eventually led to conflict with the British
East India Company and a war followed. Realizing he could not defend the
town of Dehradun, Capt. Balbhadra Kunwar withdrew to the strategic hill fort
of Khalanga with an army strength of 600 including women and children
against the British East India Company British stronghold of 3000–3500
troops. He turned down an incentive proposal of the British who would make
him Governor of the Western Garhwal should he surrender or leave Nepal.
Grammar
B. Fill in the blanks with may, must or can’t.
a. Matthew must be at home. I can see his bike in front of his home.
b. They may be coming tomorrow.
c. She can’t speak French very well. She’s only lived in Paris for two weeks.
d. My key is not in my pocket or on my desk so it must be in the drawer.
e. I saw him yesterday. He can’t be abroad.
f. You got the job? That’s great. You must be very delighted.
g. I may finish it by tomorrow if I stay at work all night, but I’m not sure.
h. Somebody is knocking on the door. It must be Sabina – she promised to
come today.
C. Rewrite the following sentences using may/might, must or can’t.
a. I’m sure he’s not going to the cinema today.
He can’t be going to the cinema today.
b. Perhaps she knows the answer.
She may know the answer.
c. I’m sure he has a car.
He must have a car.
d. I doubt if it rains later on.
It may rain later on.
e. Perhaps she wants to be alone.
She may want to be alone.
f. I’m sure Harina is in her office.
Harina must be in her office.
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