Goal 01: Federalism: An Introduction
Unitary, Federal and Confederate
States
PS-4209
Course Instructor: Kanza Sharif
Structure of State
Modern states are too large that they have
to be divided and sub-divided in to a
number of administrative areas.
Each of these divisions and sub-divisions
has its own body of administrative officials
and departments called the local
government distinguished from the central
government.
The relation between the local and central
government can be organized in two
different ways, which give us two kinds of
states; unitary and federal.
Unitary State
A unitary state is one in which the
supreme governmental authority is
vested by the constitution in a single
central government which rules the
whole country.
For administrative convenience, the
country is divided into various provinces,
cantons, or departments with their own
local administrative bodies.
But these local governments exercise only
such governmental powers as are
delegated to them by the central supreme
government.
All powers of the state are concentrated in
the central government.
The central government also determines
when and how much of the authority shall
be delegated to the local bodies and even
what shall be their territorial boundaries
and departmental functions and structure.
Thus, in a Unitary state the local
governments have no autonomy. They are
mere administrative agents of the central
government.
England, France, Italy, Iran, e.t.c., are the
examples of unitary states.
Federal State
A federal state is one in which the
supreme powers in the state are
distributed by the constitution between a
central government and the
governments of the federating units
making each government supreme within
its own sphere of powers.
A federation is a dual government, with
two sets of governments, each of which
exercises supreme and original authority
within its own sphere of powers, as defined
by the constitution.
Hamilton: Federation is an association of
states forming a new one.
Dicey: A political contrivance intended to
reconcile national unity with the
maintenance of state rights.
Distinctive Features of
Federalism
Federation comprises of two sets of governments; federal
and federating governments.
The federating units preserve their separate,
autonomous and distinct entity and exercise supreme
and original authority within their spheres of powers.
The states which federate into a union lose their former
sovereignty because their union creates a new state which
now becomes sovereign.
It has a written constitution so as to prevent any doubt or
dispute about the distribution of powers between the federal
and federating governments.
The constitution is supreme.
Federation is a permanent union which distinguishes it
from a confederation and from alliances of sovereign states.
Conditions for a Federation
There are conditions which would to create
a federal State and preserve its existence,
such as follows;
1. Geographical contiguity: The states which
seek to form a federation should be
geographically near to each other.
2. Desire for Union
3. Desire for local independence
4. Common economic interests
5. Equality among component units
Problems of Federalism
A satisfactory distribution of power.
Protection of smaller units against
dominance of the larger units.
Organization of the relations between the
Centre and the Units.
A satisfactory method of amendment to the
constitution.
Merits
Federation combines the merits of unity
with diversity.
Experimentation is possible.
Federation creates new states by peaceful
incorporation and voluntary union.
Federal unification bring strength, progress
and prosperity.
Federation lessens the danger of
international wars and enhances the
prestige of the federal state.
Federation suits a large state with great
territory or a small state with great
It prevents despotic tendencies in a
government.
Federation means local self-government on
a large scale.
Federation is more suitable for modern
society than the unitary state.
Federation is the only way by which the
whole world can be united into a single
state.
Demerits
Federalism is a source of weakness for the
state.
Federalism prevents uniformity of law and
policy for the whole state.
The distribution of powers cannot be
perfect for all the times.
The rigidity of the federal constitution is
also an obstacle to the harmony and
progress of the federal state.
Federation is exposed to the danger of
secession.
Federal form of state is also expensive and
uneconomic.
Confederation
It may be defined as a group or association
of two or more sovereign states which have
permanently given up part of their liberty
for some specific aims and objects, such as
defence.
A confederation is stronger than an alliance
between sovereign states but weaker than
a federal union.
A confederation does not put an end to the
sovereignty of the confederated states, as
a federation does.
It is a union of states and not a united state
as a federation is.
Federation and Confederation
Contrasted
A confederation is a league of a sovereign state
while a federation is a single sovereign state.
Confederation is based on contract and federation
on constitution.
A confederation has no central government.
In a confederation the citizens of the confederate
states retain their citizenship. They do not become
citizens of the confederation but in a federation
they become the citizens of the federal state.
In a confederation the citizen only obey the laws
of their own state and not of the confederation
while in a federation they obey the laws of the
central government also.
Thank You!
