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federalism. 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.
- Federalism
In other systems, such as those of Canada and Latin America,...
- Federation
A contrast between federation and confederation—words...
- Unitary and federal systems
Depending on how a constitution organizes power between the...
- Federalism
- 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.
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. Parliament holds the governing power in the U.K., granting ...
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Division of power can also occur via a unitary structure or confederation . In contrast to federalism, a unitary system makes subnational governments dependent on the national government, where significant authority is concentrated. Before the late 1990s, the United Kingdom’s unitary system was centralized to the extent that the national ...
Thus, on the whole they can be considered almost a branch of the system of local governments, on a par with communes and provinces, rather than a distinct third level of government. Unitary states. The United Kingdom often is cited as the quintessential example of a unitary state, despite the presence of regional governments.
federalism. Political system that organizes government into two or more levels with independent powers; in the United States this consists of local, state, and national governments. federal revenue sharing. The practice of sharing federal income tax revenue with state and local governments. mandate.
