Unitary vs Federal Form of Government

At a Glance

• Unitary government All powers are vested in the national government; regional governments, if any, derive their authority from it
• Federal government Powers are divided between the national and regional governments by the Constitution itself, and both operate independently in their own jurisdictions
• Unitary examples Britain, France, Japan, China, Italy, Norway, Sweden
• Federal examples The US, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Argentina
• Word origin Federation comes from the Latin foedus, meaning treaty or agreement
• Two ways of forming a federation Integration (the US) and disintegration (Canada)
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Polity: Basic Concepts

Where Does It Fit?

This is the last of the general comparisons in this category. The earlier topics covered the kinds of constitutions, the federal and unitary features of the Indian Constitution, and the parliamentary and presidential forms. This topic compares unitary and federal governments in general, and so closes the basic concepts before the salient features of the Constitution are taken up.

What Are Unitary and Federal Governments?

Political scientists have classified governments into unitary and federal on the basis of the nature of relations between the national government and the regional governments.

A unitary government is one in which all the powers are vested in the national government, and the regional governments, if they exist at all, derive their authority from the national government. A federal government is one in which powers are divided between the national government and the regional governments by the Constitution itself, and both operate in their respective jurisdictions independently.

In a federal model, the national government is known as the Federal government, the Central government or the Union government, and the regional government is known as the state government or the provincial government.

How Do They Compare?

How Is a Federation Formed?

The term federation is derived from the Latin word foedus, which means treaty or agreement. A federation is thus a new state (political system) formed through a treaty or an agreement between various units. The units are known by various names: states (as in the US), cantons (as in Switzerland), provinces (as in Canada) or republics (as in Russia).

A federation can be formed in two ways.

• By integration: A number of militarily weak or economically backward independent states come together to form a big and strong union, as in the US.
• By disintegration: A big unitary state is converted into a federation by granting autonomy to the provinces to promote regional interest, as in Canada.

The US is the first and the oldest federation in the world. It was formed in 1787, following the American Revolution (1775–83). It comprises 50 states (originally 13) and is taken as the model of federation. The Canadian Federation, comprising 10 provinces (originally 4), is also quite old, having been formed in 1867.

Why Did India Adopt a Federal System?

The Constitution of India provides for a federal system of government. The framers adopted it for two main reasons: the large size of the country and its socio-cultural diversity. They realised that the federal system not only ensures efficient governance of the country but also reconciles national unity with regional autonomy.

The term “federation” has nowhere been used in the Constitution. Article 1 describes India as a Union of States. According to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the phrase has been preferred to “Federation of States” to indicate two things: first, the Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among the states, like the American federation; and second, the states have no right to secede from the federation. The federation is a union because it is indestructible.

The Indian federal system is based on the Canadian model and not on the American model, because the Canadian model establishes a very strong Centre. The Indian federation resembles the Canadian federation in its formation (by way of disintegration), in its preference for the term Union, and in its centralising tendency, that is, vesting more powers in the Centre than in the states. The federal and unitary features of the Indian Constitution are listed in a separate topic of this category.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• The base for federalism questions: The definitions, the Latin root and the two ways of forming a federation are direct Prelims facts.
• Explains the Indian choice: It shows why India is described as a Union of States and why the Canadian model was followed.

What Came Next?

The next category takes up the salient features of the Constitution. Among them is the federal system with a unitary bias, which draws on the comparison made here.

Key People and Terms

• Foedus The Latin word for treaty or agreement, from which federation is derived
• Integration Independent states coming together to form a federation, as in the US
• Disintegration A unitary state converted into a federation, as in Canada
• Union of States Article 1; the federation is indestructible
• Canadian model A federation with a very strong Centre; followed by India
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Explained why “Union” was preferred to “Federation”

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions on federalism often begin with the basic comparison. Use these points to add depth.

• The test of the form: The classification rests on the relations between the national and regional governments, and on whether the Constitution itself divides powers.
• Two routes to federation: Integration creates a federation from independent states, while disintegration creates it from a unitary state.
• Why India chose it: The large size of the country and its socio-cultural diversity; the federal system reconciles national unity with regional autonomy.
• Union, not federation: Ambedkar explained the term Union of States as indicating that the federation is not an agreement among the states and that the states cannot secede.
• Canadian model: A very strong Centre is the feature that separates India from the American model.