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May 8, 2024 · Federalism, mode of political organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in a way that allows each to maintain its own integrity. Learn more about the history and characteristics of federalism in this article.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The features of a country’s federal system reflect the influences of history, circumstances, and configurations of political forces at the founding and over time. Every federal polity experiences change, usually around periods of more centralization or more noncentralization.
Federalism is a mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single political system, dividing the powers between the two.
In federal systems, political authority is divided between two autonomous sets of governments, one national and the other subnational, both of which operate directly upon the people. Usually a constitutional division of power is established between the national government, which exercises authority over the whole national territory, and ...
Jan 5, 2003 · History of Federalism. 2.1 Some global perspectives. 2.2 Western contributions. 3. Reasons for Federalism. 3.1 Reasons for a federal order rather than separate states or secession. 3.2 Reasons to prefer federal orders over a unitary state. 4. Further Philosophical Issues. 4.1 Sovereignty or federalism.
In a federal system, each order of government (the national government and constituent governments) is supreme and sovereign within the limited powers and responsibilities assigned it by the country’s constitution.
