Power sharing requires each side to become strong enough to force it.

Evidence

All this is not to say that the struggle for power excludes the possibility of intergroup cooperation. On the contrary, opponents may realize that neither party is strong enough to defeat the other and conclude that a power sharing arrangement might therefore be the best solution. This was, for example, the case in South Africa when in 1990 the African National Congress and the government of President de Klerk agreed to collaborate on a peaceful transition to a nonracial, democratic society. It should be noted, however, that this agreement was already the result of a power struggle during which the African National Congress had empowered itself to the point where the government was no longer able to oppress it. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4410 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Soft power is derivative of hard power and follows it in both directions; Power grows with freedom and alternatives on both sides — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 598; Shared cooperative pressure can itself generate trust between opposing parties. — Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking Cooperative…, 2794 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Power-sharing cooperation emerges only after the weaker party has gained real strength. #corroborates (0.92) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4410