Federalism is a government system that divides power between a central government and regional governments, rooted in a legal framework typically set by a constitution. It allows for political diversity and local governance, enabling states or provinces to develop tailored policies and reduce the burden on national authorities. However, it also presents challenges such as potential inequalities and obstacles posed by powerful states.

1. FEDERALISM

2. WHAT IS FEDERALISM
 Federalism is a mixed or compound mode of government that
combines a general government (the central or federal government)
with regional government (provincial, state, territorial, or other sub-
unit government) in a single political system, dividing the power
between the two.
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3. ORIGIN OF FEDERALISM
 The term federalism shares its root in the Latin word ‘Foedus’ meaning
treat or pact. Their common early meaning until the late 18th century was a
simple league or inter governmental relations among sovereign states
based upon a treaty.
 The first form of federalism took place in ancient times, in the form
of alliances between different states. Some examples from the 7th to 2nd
century B.C were the Archaic league and Peloponnesian league .
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4. KEY FEATURES OF
FEDERALISM
 Division of power, it is an essential feature of federal constitution and
division of power is done by constitution itself, e.g. Part V (Article 141-
159) of 1973 constitution of Pakistan.
 Supremacy of the constitution
 Written Constitution
 Rigid Constitution
 Bicameral Legislature
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5. A UNITARY SYSTEM
 Central government gives power to sub-national
governments (counties, provinces, etc.).
 Local governments typically have only those powers
granted to them by the central government, rather than any
reserved powers.
 Especially important is the central government’s role as
provider of funds.
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6. A CONFEDERAL
SYSTEM
 Power is retained by local or regional
governments. It is an association of
independent states. The central government
gets its authority from independent states and
power rests with each individual state.
 Example:
The European Union
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7. A FEDERAL SYSTEM
 Divides power between the national and lower level governments
 Each government has distinct powers that the other governments cannot
override.
 Examples of federal systems: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India,
Mexico, and the United States
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8. Three Systems of Government
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9. WHY FEDERALISM?
 The authors of the Constitution wanted to combine a central
government strong enough to maintain order with strong provinces.
 The large geographical size of a country.
 Provincial governments serve as training grounds for national
politicians and as laboratories in which new ideas can be tested.
 Federalism allows for many political subcultures.
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10. ARGUMENTS AGAINST
FEDERALISM
A way for powerful states/provinces to block
plans
Inequalities across states/provinces.
Some see expansion of national powers as a
danger
Example of Prussian Empire.
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James Madison
©The Granger Collection, New York

11. THE FEDERAL SYSTEM
 Scholars and political leaders alike have debated the relative merits and
drawbacks of federalism since the founding of the republic.
 Federal System
• Authority Divided
• Written Constitution
• Central Government and Constituent Governments
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12. Permits diversity, diffusion of power
Local governments can handle local problems
More access points for political participation
Protects individual rights
Fosters experimentation and innovation
Suits large country with diverse population
The Federal System
Advantages
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13. F e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t i s r o o t e d i n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i s m
a n d p l u r a l i s m
Federalism requires power-sharing between federal institutions and
those at the subnational level, such that neither level of government
has absolute power. A well-functioning federal system is by
definition constitutional and pluralist, since it is based on discussion
and negotiation between balanced centers of power and the
recognition of minorities under a broad framework of agreed
constitutional rules.
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14. T h e p o w e r - s h a r i n g b a s e i s b r o a d e n e d
 Federalism allows political groups that are minorities on the
federal or national level to hold office at the state or provincial
level. This can have a beneficial effect in promoting political
inclusion and a balance of power in countries with a dominant
party at the national level.
 Example of Democratic Alliance in South Africa
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15. I N N OVA T I V E A N D P R A G M A T I C
A P P ROA C H E S TO P O L I C Y D E V E L O P M E N T
A R E E N C O U R A G E D
 By allowing subnational units to develop their own policies to
meet their own needs, federalism can promote innovation and
experimentation in policymaking, enabling states or provinces to
pioneer innovative policies that would not be politically viable at
the national level.
 Example of the US state of Massachusetts
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16. T h e b u r d e n o n c e n t r a l a u t h o r i t i e s i s r e d u c e d
 Federalism frees the central government from
having to handle much of domestic
administration and service delivery, enabling it to
focus on strategic challenges and national
priorities.
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17. R e s o u r c e s a r e s h a r e d a c r o s s g e o g r a p h i c a l s p a c e
 Federalism is a way of ensuring the wider distribution of
public resources through revenue sharing and other forms of
fiscal arrangements that guarantee an agreed share of resources to
all areas of a country.
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18. C A PA C I T I E S A N D D E M O C R A T I C
R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S A R E D E V E L O P E D
 State, provincial or regional institutions provide a useful
training ground for citizens, representatives and public officials.
 In a centralized country, politics takes places in the capital, and
those who are far removed from the capital have few
opportunities to participate in holding office and making
decisions; in a federal country, many more people have the
opportunity to participate in public life.
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19. Distribution of legislative
powers
 In most federal systems, the federal constitution divides powers between the
federal institutions, on the one hand, and the constituent units of the federation,
on the other, according to one or more lists of legislative competences that are
specified in the constitution
 One list of legislative competences in Argentina, Australia, Pakistan (since the
18th amendment) and the United states.
 Two lists of legislative competences in Canada
 Two lists of legislative competences in Canada
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20. Distribution of executive
powers
 Federal executive is responsible for administering programs and
enforcing laws that are enacted by the federal legislature, while subnational
executives are responsible for administering and enforcing laws enacted by
subnational legislatures.
 Responsibility of federal authorities___defence, foreign policy,
citizenship and immigration, and macro-economics (such as currency and
foreign trade). Beyond this, powers are distributed between different levels
of government varies considerably
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21. DISTRIBUTION OF
EXECUTIVE POWERS
 Constitutional designers cannot always successfully
prescribe or predict how the distribution of powers will
develop over time.
 Canada and United States are classical examples of it.
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