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In a unitary system of government, the central government holds most of the power. The unitary state still has local and regional governmental offices, but these are under the direct control or authority of the central government. The United Kingdom is one example of a unitary nation.
Jul 17, 2023 · Figure 3.2 There are three general systems of government—unitary systems, federations, and confederations—each of which allocates power differently. In a confederation, authority is decentralized, and the central government’s ability to act depends on the consent of the subnational governments.
- Examples of Unitary States
- Unitary States vs. Federations
- Unitary States vs. Authoritarian States
- Pros and Cons
Of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, 165 are unitary states. The United Kingdom and France are two well-recognized examples.
The opposite of a unitary state is a federation. A federation is a constitutionally organized union or alliance of partially self-governing states or other regions under a central federal government. Unlike the largely powerless local governments in a unitary state, the states of a federation enjoy some degree of independence in their internal affa...
Unitary states should not be confused with authoritarian states. In an authoritarian state, all governing and political power is vested in a single individual leader or small, elite group of individuals. The leader or leaders of an authoritarian state are not chosen by the people, nor are they constitutionally responsible to the people. Authoritari...
The unitary state is the most common form of government in the world. This system of government has its benefits, but as with all schemes of dividing power between government and the people, it also has drawbacks.
There is no difference between federal and state government policies in a unitary system. All power rests within the central government, and there isn’t much room for debate or discussion because all power is concentrated in one place. Hence, making it relatively easy to make and implement laws.
unitary state, a system of political organization in which most or all of the governing power resides in a centralized government, in contrast to a federal state. A brief treatment of the unitary state follows. For additional discussion, see Political system: Unitary nation-states; federation; confederation.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Depending on how a constitution organizes power between the central and subnational governments, a country may be said to possess either a unitary or a federal system ( see also federalism ). In a unitary system the only level of government besides the central is the local or municipal government.
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Nov 21, 2023 · A unitary system is a system of government in which constitutional sovereignty belongs to only one, national-level of government. In fact, most countries in the world...
