The document discusses the differences between federal and unitary systems of government, with federalism involving a division of sovereignty between central and regional authorities. It analyzes proposals for shifting the Philippines from a unitary to a federal system, with various options suggested for dividing the country into federal states or regions based on geography, culture, language or economic viability. The motivation is to potentially boost economic development, decrease political violence, and improve governance through a more decentralized system of government.

1. Federal and Unitary Political Systems
Prof. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza, PhD
Department of Political Science
Ateneo de Manila University

2. Power
 Recall definition of power
 Hierarchy
HIGHER LEVEL National government
LOWER LEVEL Local
government
units

3. Operationalization of Hierarchy:
Local Governments
 “political subdivisions of the nation state”
 non-sovereign communities with subordinate status
 governments which are below the central government;
 constituted by law --- actual extent of local self-
determination or local autonomy (ability for self-
government) depends on delegated authorities and on
local capability

4. Nature of Dispersal of Power
 Centralized
- power concentrated in the center (national
government)
 Decentralized
- power from the center
- enables the maximum participation of the people
- lower levels of government are encouraged and
trained to be self-reliant

5. Modes of Decentralization
 Deconcentration (administrative decentralization)
- involves the transfer of functions from the national
office to the regional and local offices
- delegating functions from the central government to
local government units (sectoral approach)
- redistribution of administrative responsibilities

6. Modes of Decentralization
 Devolution (political decentralization)
- transfer of power for the performance of certain
functions for the national authorities to the lower
levels of government (area approach)
- local governments are “perceived to be separate levels
over which central authorities exercise less or no direct
control” (i.e. autonomy)

7. Unitarism
 Unitas
 sovereignty is vested in central (national)
government
 (may have) decentralization through local
government units
 Functions of central authority
- Controls local governments and determines how
much power they will have
- Imposes its decisions on all local governments
- Emergency: greater concentration of power

8. Federalism
 Foederis or covenant
 Normative principle: ‘unity in diversity’
 ‘self and shared rule’: ‘divided sovereignty
 Components (Riker 1964)
- 2 levels of government rule the same land and people
- each level has at least one area of action in which it is
autonomous

9. Federalism
 Functions of central authority
- Permits a central government to represent the various
entities w/in the State where they have common interests -
-- defense, foreign affairs, communication
- yet allows these various entities to retain their own
identities and to have their own laws, policies and customs
in certain fields

10. Example 1: Canada provinces
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Political_map_of_Canada.png

11. Example 2: USA states
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_USA_with_state_names.svg

12. Example 3: Germany
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_germany.htm
federal, city, area states
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Karte_Bundesrepublik_Deutschland.svg

13. Example 3: Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Karte_Bundesrepublik_Deutschland.svg

14. Arguments for Federalism
 56 % of world’s population live in federal systems
 Most democracies transition from unitary to federal
systems
 good for economic development: lower inflation
(Lijphart, Lancaster & Hicks), lower unemployment
(Crepaz)
 decrease incidence of political violence
 Increase efficiency in administration and delivery of
services

15. Proposed Shift from Unitary to
Federal System: Philippine Case
 Based on Proposed Revision of 1987 Constitution by
Consultative Committee on Charter Change (2005) -
geographic contiguity, culture & language & economic
viability
“Within one year and after at least sixty percent of the
provinces, highly urbanized cities and component cities of
the country shall have joined in the creation of different
autonomous territories, upon petition of majority of such
autonomous territories through their respective regional
assemblies, the Parliament shall enact a basic law for the
establishment of the Federal Republic of the Philippines,
whereby autonomous territories shall become federal states”
(Art. XX, Sec. 15)

16. Proposed Shift from Unitary to
Federal System: Philippine Case
 Based on Proposal of Citizen’s Movement for
Federated Philippines (CMFP)
Regions Composite Units
3 Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao
5 Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Bangsa Moro, Cordilleras
7 North Luzon, Central Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas,
North Mindanao, South Mindanao
12 Existing administrative regions

17. Proposed Shift from Unitary to
Federal System: Philippine Case
 Based on PGMA’s 2005 proposal - super regions for fast
track economic development
North Luzon (agribusiness), Metro Luzon (urban,
industries & services), Central Philippines (tourism) &
North Mindanao (agribusiness center in Mindanao
region).

18. So, what about the Philippines?
 Impact on economic development?
 Solution for political violence?
 Effect on governance?