Federal and Unitary Systems

I have an essay due tue and I have no idea how to start or what points to include, any form of help will be appreciated. It is a politics essay and I am fast running out of time. My main problem is I don't know what makes a federal system provide for flexible or restrained governance or why unitary systems produce over-centralised decision-making.

“Federal systems provide for flexible and restrained governance, but unitary systems produce over-centralised decision-making.” Discuss.

Reply 1

AliciaJ703

Daddys Girl

Federal systems create different divisions and levels of government and divide power among those divisions and levels. The US is a federal state, with power accorded to offices at three levels: national, state, and local. Also, look up the 'checks and balance system' in the US. Local government has more power under a federal system with the goals of federalism relating to national and local governments having independent powers, and neither level is subordinated to the other. Both levels also have their own taxing and lawmaking powers. Federalism plays an integral part in providing order and in uniting communities with very different characteristics. Federalism tends to work best for large countries.

Unitary systems create an all power national government with local units of government having little dependence. The national government in a unitary system is responsible for almost all key policy areas and national elections are far more significant than local elections in determining the distribution of power; local government units can be redesigned and abolished by national government. Unitary systems tend to work best for small or homogenous populations where there are too few political and social divisions to make minorities fearful of the hegemony of the majority.